Salem Blues
Seasick Steve Lyrics
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Yeh here in Salem
I was stuck on the side of the road
Thirteen hours, really nowhere to go
Yessir man and it's cold
I could lay down here and freeze and die
Really won't even care, or even know
Yes, there was girl here one time
Yeh, but she long gone and down the road, down the road.
Yessir man and it's cold
Think i'm gonna warm my fingers up right here
I could lay down here and freeze and die
Really won't even care, or even know
There was girl here one time
But I treated her so unkind
Yeh, she long gone and down the road, down the road.
Yessir man, yessir man it's cold
Yessir man, yessir man it's cold
Yessir man, yessir man it's cold
Yessir man, yessir man, Lord it's cold
The lyrics of Seasick Steve's song "Salem Blues" tell a story of a man stranded on the side of a road in Salem, hoping for a ride as he battles the cold weather. The repetition of the phrase "yessir man and it's cold" emphasizes the harshness of his environment and the despair he feels. The mention of a girl who once was with him but is "long gone and down the road" suggests that he has been abandoned by someone he cares about. The line "but I treated her so unkind" implies that he may be regretting his actions and that his mistreatment of her may be related to his current isolation.
Overall, the song paints a bleak picture of loneliness, desperation, and regret. The singer's situation is hopeless, and he seems to be resigned to his fate. The lyrics are straightforward and raw, echoing the blues genre's tradition of telling stories of suffering and hardship.
Line by Line Meaning
Why won't nobody give me ride
Seasick Steve is stranded in Salem and needs a ride
Yeh here in Salem
The location where Seasick Steve is currently stranded
I was stuck on the side of the road
Seasick Steve is stranded on the side of a road in Salem
Thirteen hours, really nowhere to go
Seasick Steve has been stranded in Salem for 13 hours without any means of transportation
Yessir man and it's cold
Not only is Seasick Steve stranded, but the weather is also unpleasantly cold
I could lay down here and freeze and die
Seasick Steve is so cold that he feels like he could freeze to death
Really won't even care, or even know
Seasick Steve is so hopeless and close to death that he wouldn't even realize or care if he died
Yes, there was girl here one time
Seasick Steve is reminiscing about a past relationship he had in Salem
Yeh, but she long gone and down the road, down the road.
The girl he had a relationship with in Salem is no longer in the area
Think i'm gonna warm my fingers up right here
Seasick Steve is trying to find a way to stay warm in Salem
But I treated her so unkind
Seasick Steve recognizes that he did not treat his past partner in Salem well
Yessir man, yessir man it's cold
Seasick Steve is acknowledging how unpleasant the cold weather is in Salem
Yessir man, yessir man, Lord it's cold
Seasick Steve is emphasizing how bitterly cold the weather is in Salem
Contributed by Makayla R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.