Silverstein's passion for music was clear early on as he studied for a while at the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. As a songwriter, Silverstein kept a low profile but cast a long shadow. He tended to shun publicity and even photographers. Nonetheless, his musical output included many songs which were hits for other artists. Most notably, he wrote the music and lyrics for "A Boy Named Sue" that was performed by Johnny Cash (for which he won a Grammy in 1970); "One's on the Way" (which was a hit for Loretta Lynn), and "The Unicorn Song" which, despite having nothing to do with Ireland nor Irish culture, became the signature piece for The Irish Rovers in 1968 and is popular in pubs all over the world to this day. He wrote the lyrics and music for most of the Dr. Hook songs, including "Cover of the Rolling Stone", "Freakin' at the Freakers' Ball", "Sylvia's Mother", and the cautionary song about VD, "Don't Give a Dose to the One You Love Most". He also wrote many of the songs performed by Bobby Bare, including "Marie Laveau", "Rosalie's Good Eats Cafe", "The Mermaid", "The Winner", and "Tequila Sheila". The song "The Ballad of Lucy Jordan",] recorded in 1979 by Marianne Faithfull and later featured in the films Montenegro and Thelma & Louise, was also by Silverstein.
Folk Singer's Blues
Shel Silverstein Lyrics
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And swingin' twelve pound hammers all the day, (whap!)
And how a I'd like to kill my captain (whap!)
And how a black man works his life away, but
What do you do if you're young and white and jewish?
And you've never swung a hammer against a spike?
And you've never called a water boy
Early in the morning
And your only chain is the chain that's on your bike? yes
Your only chain is the chain on your bike
Now I'd like to go a-walkin up the highway
Feelin' cold and wet and hungry all night long
Doin' some hard ramblin', hard gamblin', hard smamblin', hard blamblin'
But always takin' time to write a song, but
What do you do if you're young and white and jewish?
And you never heard an old freight whistle blow?
And you've never slept the night
In a cold and empty box car
And you take a subway everywhere you go? oh, oh
You take the subway everywhere you go
Now I'd like to sing a song about the coal mine
A-chippin' away in tunnel 22
And when I hear that timber crack, why I support it with my back
Until my comrades all crawl safely through, but
What do you do if you're young and white and jewish?
And you've got to be in class at half-past nine
And in spite of all your urgin', and your pleadin' and your cryin'
Your mother says it's too dirty down in a mine, that what she says,
Your mother says it's too dirty down in a mine
Well now, I'd like to sing about the mississippi
Workin' on the levee all the day
And when them cotton bolls get rotten
You got a lotta rotten cotton
And on Saturday you go and spend your pay, but
What do you do if you're young and white and jewish?
And you've never loaded cotton on the dock?
And you've never worked a day
Or drunk up all your pay
And the only levee you know is the levy who lives on the block, yes
The only levee you know is the levy who lives on the block
The lyrics to Shel Silverstein's song, Folk Singer's Blues, pack a powerful punch as he examines the role of white, young Jewish folksingers in the civil rights movement. The song starts with the classic image of the chain gang and the black man being worked to death in brutal conditions, which the singer would like to raise awareness about through his music. But then he quickly flips the script and poses a more personal question about what these white folksingers do when they come up against the realities of their own lives. How can they sing about the struggles of others when they've never experienced them firsthand? The contrast between the first and second verses is striking, as the singer reveals he's never done any hard manual labor in his life, and is more accustomed to taking the subway than walking along the highway.
In the third verse, Silverstein delves into the coal mines, and the dangerous work of supporting falling timber until his comrades can crawl to safety. Again, this is something the singer has never done, and he's forced to contend with the fact that he's more comfortable being in class than risking his life in a mineshaft. The final verse, about working on the levees in Mississippi, highlights the issue of low wages and the exploitation of workers. The singer admits he's never worked for pay, and the only thing he knows about a levy is his neighbor down the block. Throughout the song, there's a sense of guilt and unease about being a privileged outsider masquerading as a voice for the oppressed. It's a searing critique of the folk music movement of the 1960s and a reminder that sometimes the most powerful thing someone can do is listen and learn from others' experiences.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, I'd like to sing a song about the chain gang (whap!)
The singer wants to express about the harsh life of prisoners in chain gangs.
And swingin' twelve pound hammers all the day, (whap!)
The prisoners are required to do hard labor and swing heavy hammers throughout the day.
And how a I'd like to kill my captain (whap!)
The singer feels so much frustration and anger towards the captain of the chain gang.
And how a black man works his life away, but
The black man is forced to work tirelessly in the chain gang.
What do you do if you're young and white and jewish?
The singer is emphasizing the contrast between his own race and religion and the people he's singing about.
And you've never swung a hammer against a spike?
The singer has never encountered the kind of manual labor that is common in a chain gang.
And you've never called a water boy
The singer has never been in a position where he would need to call someone to bring him water while working.
Early in the morning
This emphasizes the early hours in which a laborer typically has to start work.
And your only chain is the chain that's on your bike?
The singer has never actually been in a real chain gang, the only 'chain' he knows is the one for his bike.
Now I'd like to go a-walkin up the highway
The singer fantasizes about being a wandering, rambling musician.
Feelin' cold and wet and hungry all night long
The singer romanticizes the experience of being cold, wet, and hungry as a wandering musician.
Doin' some hard ramblin', hard gamblin', hard smamblin', hard blamblin'
The singer will go through difficult experiences during his travels, both physically (rambling) and financially (gambling).
But always takin' time to write a song, but
Despite these difficulties, the singer will always find time to write his songs.
And you never heard an old freight whistle blow?
The singer has never experienced the life of a traveling worker, and has never heard the kind of sounds that come with that life.
And you've never slept the night In a cold and empty box car
The singer has never had to take shelter in a box car, which is often uncomfortable and inhospitable.
And you take a subway everywhere you go? oh, oh
The singer has never had to travel anywhere by means other than a subway, which is a highly predictable, controlled environment.
Now I'd like to sing a song about the coal mine
The singer wants to focus on the difficulties of the mining life.
A-chippin' away in tunnel 22
The miners are working in a difficult, dangerous space and have to be constantly chipping away at rock and coal.
And when I hear that timber crack, why I support it with my back
The singer is showing the dangerous conditions of mining, as workers often have to prop up unstable rock and timber structures.
Until my comrades all crawl safely through, but
The singer works hard to ensure the safety of his fellow miners.
And you've got to be in class at half-past nine
The singer has never had to work in such difficult and dirty conditions because he is privileged enough to go to school.
And your mother says it's too dirty down in a mine, that what she says,
The singer's mother has discouraged him from working in a dangerous place like a mine.
Your mother says it's too dirty down in a mine
The singer is reframing the reality that his mother is concerned for his safety, showing the divide between his life and those of working-class people.
Well now, I'd like to sing about the mississippi Workin' on the levee all the day
The singer wants to talk about the hard work it takes to maintain the Mississippi levees.
And when them cotton bolls get rotten You got a lotta rotten cotton
The hard work of collecting cotton can be compromised if the cotton has gotten too rotten to be harvested.
And on Saturday you go and spend your pay, but
People who work on the levees have little time off, but when they do they often spend their hard-earned money right away.
And you've never loaded cotton on the dock?
The singer has never been in a position where he has to manually move large amounts of cotton from a dock.
And you've never worked a day Or drunk up all your pay
The singer has never experienced the physical labor of a working-class life, nor the experience of struggling to make ends meet that often comes with it.
And the only levee you know is the levy who lives on the block, yes
The singer has never been to the Mississippi and only knows people who share his own lifestyle and experience.
The only levee you know is the levy who lives on the block
The singer is trying to emphasize the divide between his own privileged lifestyle and that of the people he's singing about.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: SHEL SILVERSTEIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind