Go out yonder, peace in the valley
Come downtown, have to rumble in the alley
Oh, you don't know the shape I'm in
Has anybody seen my lady
This livin' alone would drive me crazy
Oh, you don't know the shape I'm in
I'm gonna go down by the water
But I ain't gonna jump in, no, no
I'll just be lookin' for my maker
And I hear that that's where she's been?
Oh out of nine lives, I spent seven
Now how in the world do you get to Heaven
Oh you don't know the shape I'm in
I've just spent 60 days in the jail house
For the crime of having no dough, no no
Now here I am back out on the street
For the crime of having nowhere to go
Save your neck or save your brother
Looks like it's one or the other
Oh, you don't know the shape I'm in
Now two young kids might start a ruckus
You know they feel you're tryin' to shuck us
Oh, you don't know the shape I'm in
Come downtown, have to rumble in the alley
Oh, you don't know the shape I'm in
Has anybody seen my lady
This livin' alone would drive me crazy
Oh, you don't know the shape I'm in
I'm gonna go down by the water
But I ain't gonna jump in, no, no
I'll just be lookin' for my maker
And I hear that that's where she's been?
Oh out of nine lives, I spent seven
Now how in the world do you get to Heaven
Oh you don't know the shape I'm in
I've just spent 60 days in the jail house
For the crime of having no dough, no no
Now here I am back out on the street
For the crime of having nowhere to go
Save your neck or save your brother
Looks like it's one or the other
Oh, you don't know the shape I'm in
Now two young kids might start a ruckus
You know they feel you're tryin' to shuck us
Oh, you don't know the shape I'm in
Contributed by Pluck - 2023/10/31 - 09:32
"The Shape I'm In" is a song performed live by Bob Dylan and The Band that delves into feelings of desperation, struggle, and the search for redemption. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a person who is emotionally and physically drained, longing for companionship and a sense of purpose.
The opening lines, "Go out yonder, peace in the valley, Come downtown, have to rumble in the alley," suggest a stark contrast between a peaceful and idyllic existence and the harsh realities of urban life. The narrator feels lost and misunderstood, as evidenced by the repeated phrase, "Oh, you don't know the shape I'm in."
The mention of the narrator's lady and the longing for her presence indicate a deep yearning for connection and emotional support. The lines, "Has anybody seen my lady, This living alone will drive me crazy," express the loneliness and the toll it is taking on the narrator's mental state.
The reference to going down by the water without jumping in hints at contemplating suicide or self-destructive tendencies. The narrator seeks solace and perhaps divine intervention, suggesting that the water may hold answers or provide a chance for spiritual renewal.
The line, "Out of nine lives, I've spent seven, Now how in the world do you get to Heaven," suggests a weariness and a history of mistakes. The narrator acknowledges the consequences of their actions and questions their path to salvation.
The reference to spending time in jail for having no money and being back on the streets with nowhere to go highlights the hardships and cyclical nature of poverty and desperation. The narrator's plea for help and the choices they face, "Save your neck or save your brother, Looks like it's one or the other," depict a situation where survival is a constant struggle.
The final lines, "Now two young kids might start a ruckus, You know they feel you're trying to shuck us, Oh, you don't know the shape I'm in," suggest the ongoing conflicts faced by those who are marginalized and misunderstood. The narrator may be reflecting on the perception that their struggles are seen as attempts to deceive or take advantage, rather than genuine cries for help.
Over all “The Shape I'm In “ explores themes of loneliness,desperation and the search for redemption amidst personal turmoil and societal challenges.
It encapsulates the emotional weight of difficult circumstances and the longing for understanding and connection.
Meaning of "The Shape I’m In (Live)" by Bob Dylan & The Band
The opening lines, "Go out yonder, peace in the valley, Come downtown, have to rumble in the alley," suggest a stark contrast between a peaceful and idyllic existence and the harsh realities of urban life. The narrator feels lost and misunderstood, as evidenced by the repeated phrase, "Oh, you don't know the shape I'm in."
The mention of the narrator's lady and the longing for her presence indicate a deep yearning for connection and emotional support. The lines, "Has anybody seen my lady, This living alone will drive me crazy," express the loneliness and the toll it is taking on the narrator's mental state.
The reference to going down by the water without jumping in hints at contemplating suicide or self-destructive tendencies. The narrator seeks solace and perhaps divine intervention, suggesting that the water may hold answers or provide a chance for spiritual renewal.
The line, "Out of nine lives, I've spent seven, Now how in the world do you get to Heaven," suggests a weariness and a history of mistakes. The narrator acknowledges the consequences of their actions and questions their path to salvation.
The reference to spending time in jail for having no money and being back on the streets with nowhere to go highlights the hardships and cyclical nature of poverty and desperation. The narrator's plea for help and the choices they face, "Save your neck or save your brother, Looks like it's one or the other," depict a situation where survival is a constant struggle.
The final lines, "Now two young kids might start a ruckus, You know they feel you're trying to shuck us, Oh, you don't know the shape I'm in," suggest the ongoing conflicts faced by those who are marginalized and misunderstood. The narrator may be reflecting on the perception that their struggles are seen as attempts to deceive or take advantage, rather than genuine cries for help.
Over all “The Shape I'm In “ explores themes of loneliness,desperation and the search for redemption amidst personal turmoil and societal challenges.
It encapsulates the emotional weight of difficult circumstances and the longing for understanding and connection.
Meaning of "The Shape I’m In (Live)" by Bob Dylan & The Band
Pluck - 2023/11/1 - 19:25
Genius Annotation .
Written by primary songwriter and guitarist Robbie Robertston, who made it no secret that it was a worried number about pianist Richard Manuel, who had self-destructive tendencies and struggles with alcoholism and drug addiction, and who sings the lead vocal here.
********
Note adattate da : Something Else !
JANUARY 9, 2014 BY NICK DERISO
“The Shape I’m In,” despite its galloping cadence, finds the Band’s Robbie Robertson desperately attempting to reach out to the badly faltering Richard Manuel.
Manuel had, by this point, gone into an addiction spiral that would rob him of his creative position in the Band, and ultimately his life.
What I think I hear is Robertson giving voice to his own worst fears about a treasured friend, and hoping — hoping perhaps against hope — that a nightly reading of these devastatingly un-redemptive lyrics would someday help Manuel turn away from the abyss that yawned before him. What we now know is that it didn’t work.
Over time, even a clearly stoned Manuel (as seen on The Last Waltz) came to imbue this song with a fierce bitterness — conveying a sense that he not only knew that “The Shape I’m In” was a thinly veiled missive in which he starred, but also that he was so entangled in that narrative as to make escape an angry impossibility. Danko, long after his friend’s passing, could only sing these lines with a sad resignation.
Written by primary songwriter and guitarist Robbie Robertston, who made it no secret that it was a worried number about pianist Richard Manuel, who had self-destructive tendencies and struggles with alcoholism and drug addiction, and who sings the lead vocal here.
********
Note adattate da : Something Else !
JANUARY 9, 2014 BY NICK DERISO
“The Shape I’m In,” despite its galloping cadence, finds the Band’s Robbie Robertson desperately attempting to reach out to the badly faltering Richard Manuel.
Manuel had, by this point, gone into an addiction spiral that would rob him of his creative position in the Band, and ultimately his life.
What I think I hear is Robertson giving voice to his own worst fears about a treasured friend, and hoping — hoping perhaps against hope — that a nightly reading of these devastatingly un-redemptive lyrics would someday help Manuel turn away from the abyss that yawned before him. What we now know is that it didn’t work.
Over time, even a clearly stoned Manuel (as seen on The Last Waltz) came to imbue this song with a fierce bitterness — conveying a sense that he not only knew that “The Shape I’m In” was a thinly veiled missive in which he starred, but also that he was so entangled in that narrative as to make escape an angry impossibility. Danko, long after his friend’s passing, could only sing these lines with a sad resignation.
Pluck - 2023/11/2 - 10:21
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Album: Stage Fright