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.
Sympathize
Amos Lee Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I was burning alive
Whenever you walk in the room
It happened so quickly
I was feeling so sickly
Like the lover who lost his own muse
The sharks in the tank or
He wants my money to loan
I can?t understand
What the hell is his plan
While he ain't even got a home
Ain't got a home
Girl on a street
With holes in her feet
Looks through the eyes of a cloud
She don?t look amazed
She?s feeling kind of sad
So I just walk around
I reassess, she?s down on her luck
She?s reading a book full of lies
I don?t know when ill be coming home baby
But I sure sympathize
Can sympathize
Can sympathize
Angels spread their wings
On all the dirty things
But you
Do
She drops to the floor
Her head?s by the door
Her bible is by her side
Heaven is calling
The new world is falling
And she ain't got a single person left
To confide
No one to confide
No one to confide
Ah to confide
I sympathize
Can Sympathize
In the song "Sympathize" by Amos Lee, the lyrics describe different individuals who are facing tough, emotional situations. The first verse describes the feeling of love and attraction where the singer feels as though he is "burning alive" whenever the person he loves is around. However, things changed suddenly, and he started feeling sickly, like the "lover who lost his own muse." The second verse is about a situation where a man is being scammed out of his money by someone who doesn't have a home, leaving him confused about the scammer's plan.
The third verse is about a girl living on the street, who is feeling down and sad as she looks through the eyes of a cloud - meaning she's in a hazy or clouded state of mind. The singer tries to understand the girl's situation, noting that she's down on her luck and reading a book full of lies. The fourth verse is about a woman who seems to be facing the end of her life. Her head is by the door and her Bible is by her side indicating that she may have passed on. In the end, the song says "I sympathize" as if the artist understands each situation and the gravity of their struggles.
Line by Line Meaning
It ain't no jive
This is not a lie
I was burning alive
I was feeling overwhelmed and trapped
Whenever you walk in the room
Your presence has a powerful effect on me
It happened so quickly
The situation escalated rapidly
I was feeling so sickly
I felt unwell both physically and emotionally
Like the lover who lost his own muse
Similar to a poet who has lost their inspiration
The sharks in the tank or
The powerful people in control or
The men in the bank
The wealthy, influential individuals
He wants my money to loan
He is after my money to lend to others
I can?t understand
I am unable to comprehend
What the hell is his plan
I have no idea what his intentions are
While he ain't even got a home
Despite his wealth, he does not have a place to call home
Ain't got a home
He is homeless
Girl on a street
A young woman on the street
With holes in her feet
Her shoes are damaged or missing
Looks through the eyes of a cloud
She appears lost or disconnected from her surroundings
She don?t look amazed
She is not impressed
She?s feeling kind of sad
She is experiencing feelings of sadness
So I just walk around
I do not know how to help her, so I keep moving
I reassess, she?s down on her luck
I take another look and realize she is going through a rough time
She?s reading a book full of lies
She is being fed false information
I don?t know when ill be coming home baby
I am unsure when I will return
But I sure sympathize
But I can certainly relate to what she is going through
Can sympathize
I am able to feel empathy for her
Angels spread their wings
Even the purest beings are impacted by darker aspects of the world
On all the dirty things
On all the unsavory aspects of life
But you
Except for you
Do
You remain pure and untainted
She drops to the floor
She falls to the ground
Her head?s by the door
Her head is near the door
Her bible is by her side
Her religious text is with her
Heaven is calling
She is being called to the afterlife
The new world is falling
The current way of life is crumbling
And she ain't got a single person left
She has no one in her life
To confide
To share her troubles with
No one to confide
She has no one to open up to
Ah to confide
Oh, how she wishes she had someone to trust
I sympathize
I feel sympathy for her situation
Can Sympathize
I am capable of feeling empathy and compassion
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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