Lee grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Cherry Hill, New Jersey, USA. He has been quoted as saying that he is fortunate to have seen different sides of life in America. Lee enrolled at the University of South Carolina in 1995. He began to play guitar and write songs seriously while he studied English. After graduating with an English degree, Lee moved back to Philadelphia to teach elementary school. He later made the tough decision to stop teaching in order to pursue a career in music. Shortly thereafter, he released a self-produced EP that featured five of his original songs, which did extremely well in Philadelphia and created a buzz. Norah Jones was the person who finally gave Lee his big breakthrough when she asked him to open for her 2004 tour. Lee then went on to produce his self-titled debut album. In March and April of 2005 Lee opened for the tour that Merle Haggard and Bob Dylan were both embarking on, all 3 performers were extremely well received by critics as the tour went by, with Dylan receiving some of his strongest reviews in years. On October 3, 2006, Lee released his second album, "Supply & Demand" to critical and commercial acclaim.
At the age of only 27, Amos Lee has enjoyed notable success with his debut album and looks to have a promising future in the music business. His favorite artists and sources of inspiration include Stevie Wonder, Neil Young, John Prine, Bill Withers, and James Taylor.
Shout Out Loud
Amos Lee Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And only half the lights are out
I wonder what these people's lives
What they might be all about
Do they got a lover
And could they have a family
Could it be they're just as lonesome
I wanna shout out, shout out loud
Why don't you all just come on out
And we can tear it all down, yeah
White lights burning
Down an empty avenue
I wonder if their driver
Found someone he can go on home to
I wanna shout out, shout out loud
Why don't you all just come on out
And we can tear it all down, yeah
'Cause everybody's got a part in the game
And everybody's got a cross they can claim
And everybody's got somebody to blame
But we all must find our own way, yeah, yeah
I wanna shout out, shout out loud
I wanna shout out, shout out loud
I wanna shout out, shout out loud
Shout out loud, yeah, yeah
Shout out loud, yeah, yeah
Shout out loud, shout out loud
Shout out loud
In "Shout Out Loud," Amos Lee is pondering the lives of the people living in the buildings he can see from his window. He wonders if they have partners, families, and if they too feel lonely. As he gazes out at the empty windows, he realizes how everyone is a part of the game of life and it's up to each individual to find their own way. His desire to shout out loud and bring everyone together so they can tear everything down seems to reflect his frustration at the divisions and distances that arise between people.
Despite the song being a melancholic contemplation of urban lives, Amos Lee infuses it with an element of hope by suggesting that there is something powerful that can arise when everyone comes together. The song encourages people to break down the barriers keeping them apart and to shout out loud, celebrating the power of unity and togetherness.
Line by Line Meaning
A thousand empty window
The singer observes multiple windows that have nothing but darkness behind them.
And only half the lights are out
Only some of the buildings' lights are off, which means some people are still awake.
I wonder what these people's lives
The singer contemplates the lives of the individuals behind the lit windows.
What they might be all about
The singer wonders what's happening in these people's lives and what they are doing.
Do they got a lover
The singer wonders if the people behind the windows have someone to love.
And could they have a family
The singer wonders if any of the people behind the windows have a family they care about.
Could it be they're just as lonesome
The singer considers the possibility that the people he is observing are as lonely as he is.
As you and me
The singer implies that he is lonely too and relates to the people behind the windows he cannot see.
I wanna shout out, shout out loud
The singer wants to express himself and make his presence known.
Why don't you all just come on out
The singer wants to encourage the people behind the windows to join him.
And we can tear it all down, yeah
The singer shares his desire for everyone to come together and destroy the barriers that separate them.
White lights burning
The singer sees bright lights illuminating the empty street.
Down an empty avenue
The street is desolate and lacks any human activity.
I wonder if their driver
The singer wonders who the driver of the vehicle that passed is.
Found someone he can go on home to
The singer wonders whether the driver has someone to go home to, and if not, they are similarly lonely.
Cause everybody's got a part in the game
Everyone has a role to play in life.
And everybody's got a cross they can claim
Everyone has burdens and challenges they must carry in life.
And everybody's got somebody to blame
Everyone is can assign blame for their own problems and lives.
But we all must find our own way, yeah, yeah
In the end, no one else can solve our problems for us; we must find our own way forward.
Shout out loud
The singer repeats the chorus and wants everyone to shout together.
Yeah, yeah
The singer shouts in agreement.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@tanji94
A thousand empty window
And only half the lights are out
I wonder what these people's lives
What they might be all about
Do they got a lover
And could they have a family
Could it be they're just as lonesome
As you and me
I wanna shout out, shout out loud
Why don't you all just come on out
And we can tear it all down, yeah
White lights burning
Down an empty avenue
I wonder if their driver
Found someone he can go on home to
I wanna shout out, shout out loud
Why don't you all just come on out
And we can tear it all down, yeah
'Cause everybody's got a part in the game
And everybody's got a cross they can claim
And everybody's got somebody to blame
But we all must find our own way, yeah, yeah
I wanna shout out, shout out loud
I wanna shout out, shout out loud
I wanna shout out, shout out loud
Shout out loud, yeah, yeah
Shout out loud, yeah, yeah
Shout out loud, shout out loud
Shout out loud
@bf4643
A thousand empty window
And only half the lights are out
I wonder what these people's lives
What they might be all about
Do they got a lover
And could they have a family
Could it be their just as lonesome
As you and me
I wanna shout out
Shout out loud
Why don't you all
Just come on out
And we can
Tear it all down, yeah
White lights burning
Down an empty avenue
I wonder if their driver
Found someone he can go on home to
I wanna shout out
Shout out loud
Why don't you all
Just come on out
And we can
Tear it all down, yeah
Cause everybody's got a part in the game
And everybody's got a cross they can claim
And everybody's got somebody to blame
But we all must find our own way, yeah yeah
I wanna shout out
Shout out loud
I wanna shout out
Shout out loud
I wanns shout out
Shout out loud
Shout out loud, yeah, yeah
Shout out loud, yeah, yeah
Shout out loud
Shout out loud
Shout out loud
@matthewsmith5886
If more people would listen to Amos, the world would be a more peaceful place. I guarantee it!
@diyawilliams8445
🤎🙏🏾🎶🎶
@leegrant7188
Absolutely amazing AMOS
@antidepressant11
This song has got something. It gets under my skin. It is such a simple 3 chord song but the tone of his voice takes it to another level.
@thepepperlanders
Great song.
@lk29392
One of my all time favorite songs. Probably listened to it 100 times!
@tinasmith3543
I love this song and Amos Lee, so talented and down to earth. We all have found ourselves in this situation.
@georgemelvin588
Smiles, hello Tina
@rjkeaveney4833
I remember hearing this song on the show 'Six Degrees ' in 2006 (great show, gone too soon). That is the same day I become an Amos Lee fan.
@pamsam8933
Atlanta, September, Symphony...seats secured and absolutely cannot wait!! 😃😎🤩🥳🍾🎼🎻🎸🎤🎶❤🇺🇲😎💋