Hailing from Vancouver, British Columbia, 54•40's melodic and thoughtful ro… Read Full Bio ↴Hailing from Vancouver, British Columbia, 54•40's melodic and thoughtful rock often draws comparisons to greats such as R.E.M.. The band takes their name from 11th president James K. Polk's slogan "Fifty-Four Forty or Fight," signifying his expansionist desire to claim southern Canadian land for America's own. Beginning with their self-entitled in 1982, they have since released 17 albums and received international recognition through hits such as "Baby Ran" and "Ocean Pearl."
See Also: the last.fm alternate spelling page for 54-40.

Music Man
54•40 Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Sing a song sweet music man
Cause I won't be there to hold your hand
Like I used to
I'm through with you
You're a heck of a singer and a powerful man
But you surround yourself with people who demand so little of you

You touched my soul with your beautiful song

You even had me singin' along
Right with you
You said I need you
Then you changed the words and added harmony
Then you sang a song you had written for me to someone new

Oh, but nobody sings a love song quite like you do
Oh and nobody else can make me sing along
Nobody else can make me feel
That things are right when I know they're wrong
Nobody sings a love song quite like you

Sing your song sweet music man
You travel the world with a six piece band
That does for you what you tell 'em to
You try to stay young but the songs are sung
To so many people they've all begun to come back on you

Sing your song sad music man
Makin' your livin' doin' one night stands
They're through with you they don't need you
You're still a hell of a singer but a broken man
But you'll keep on lookin' for one last fan to sing to

Oh, but nobody sings a love song quite like you do
Oh, and nobody else can make me sing along
Nobody else can make me feel
That things are right when I know they're wrong
Nobody sings a love song quite like you

Sing your song sweet music man
I believe in you

Overall Meaning

"Music Man" is a song by Canadian rock band 54-40 that explores the theme of a dysfunctional relationship between a music star and his muse. The song is about a talented musician who touches the soul of his muse with a beautiful song, but then breaks her heart by changing the words and singing it to someone else. Despite the hurt, the muse still acknowledges the singer's talent and ability to make her feel emotions like no one else can. However, as the singer's fame grows, he becomes a broken man who is still searching for his one last fan to sing to.

The song highlights the contrast between the singer's public image as a successful musician and his private struggle with emotional disconnection and loneliness. The lyrics suggest that the singer's fans and entourage are not interested in his emotional well-being, but rather in what he can do for them. The muse is left feeling betrayed, while still admiring the singer's talent and his ability to evoke emotions through his music.

In conclusion, "Music Man" is a poignant song about love and betrayal, fame and loneliness, and the struggle to maintain authenticity in the music industry. The song invites the listener to reflect on the often-complicated relationship between fans and their idols, and how the lines between love, admiration, and exploitation can get blurred in the pursuit of success.

Line by Line Meaning

Sing a song sweet music man
Start singing a beautiful song, my dear music man.

Cause I won't be there to hold your hand
I won't be present to offer you support as I used to do before.

Like I used to
The way things were between us before has changed irreversibly.

I'm through with you
I have stopped associating with you, and our relationship is over.

You're a heck of a singer and a powerful man
You are a great singer and a charismatic personality.

But you surround yourself with people who demand so little of you
You have people around you who do not challenge you enough to be your best self.

You touched my soul with your beautiful song
Your music has left a deep and positive impact on my innermost being.

You even had me singin' along
Your music was so infectious that I found myself singing along with you.

Right with you
I was in sync with you when you sang those beautiful songs of love.

You said I need you
You made me believe that I could not exist without you.

Then you changed the words and added harmony
You altered the meaning of your words and added more musical elements to your songs.

Then you sang a song you had written for me to someone new
You sang a song that was intended for me previously to another person.

Oh, but nobody sings a love song quite like you do
You have a unique talent of singing love songs that touch people's hearts like no one else can.

Oh and nobody else can make me sing along
No one else has the ability to make me start singing along to their songs like you do.

Nobody else can make me feel
No one else can evoke those intense emotions and feelings in me like you do.

That things are right when I know they're wrong
Your music uplifts me and makes me feel like everything is going to be okay even when I know it isn't.

You travel the world with a six piece band
You are a globe-trotting musician, accompanied by a band of six talented musicians.

That does for you what you tell 'em to
Your band members follow your instructions and do what you ask of them.

You try to stay young but the songs are sung
You try to remain youthful, but the songs you sing have been heard so many times that they've lost their novelty.

To so many people they've all begun to come back on you
Because your music has reached so many people, the pressure to offer something new and exciting has become too much to bear.

Sing your song sad music man
Continue singing your song, even if it is a sad one, music man.

Makin' your livin' doin' one night stands
You make a living by performing one-night stands in different cities and venues.

They're through with you they don't need you
Your fans have moved on and don't require your music or performance anymore.

You're still a hell of a singer but a broken man
You are still an excellent singer, but emotionally broken.

But you'll keep on lookin' for one last fan to sing to
You will continue to search for the one fan who still cares about your music and appreciates it.

I believe in you
I have faith and trust in your musical artistry and talent.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Brad Merritt, Matt Johnson, Neil Osborne, Phil Comparelli

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS