While MacIsaac's fiddle-playing is entirely traditional, he sets it in contemporary rock songs with hip hop and dance elements.
His greatest mainstream success in Canada was his 1995 album Hi™ How Are You Today?, featuring the hit single "Sleepy Maggie," with vocals in Gaelic by Mary Jane Lamond.
Save Me From Tomorrow
Ashley MacIsaac Lyrics
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High as a girl in a redwood tree
Lonesome as a cowboy on TV
That's what it feels like to be me
Hey ho, I wanna let go
To everybody I ever did know
Swing your partner, dosey do
Ba ba ba
Swinging like a rope on a southern breeze
Shaking like a pilgrim beyond belief
Falling like an angel, endlessly
That's what it feels like to be me
That's what it feels like to be me
Hey ho, I wanna let go
To everybody I ever did know
Swing your partner, dosey do
Save me from tomorrow
Hey ho, I wanna let go
To everybody I ever did know
Swing your partner, dosey do
Save me from tomorrow
Ba ba ba
Hey ho, I wanna let go
To everybody I ever did know
Swing your partner, dosey do
Save me from tomorrow
Ba ba ba
Ba ba ba
Ba ba ba
...
The lyrics in Ashley MacIsaac's song "Save Me From Tomorrow" express the profound sense of isolation and displacement that the singer feels in their life. The imagery used to convey this sense of alienation is striking: "Deeper than the deepest deep blue sea," "High as a girl in a redwood tree," "Lonesome as a cowboy on TV." These images convey a sense of being lost in vastness, of being adrift and disconnected from one's surroundings. This feeling is further emphasized through the repetition of the line "That's what it feels like to be me," underscoring the sense of being trapped in one's own identity and unable to find solid ground.
The chorus of the song expresses a desire to escape this feeling of emptiness, to "let go" of the people and experiences that have contributed to this sense of isolation. The line "Save me from tomorrow" suggests a desire to break free from the shackles of the past and find a new sense of purpose and meaning. The final verse continues to use powerful imagery to convey the singer's sense of dislocation, with lines like "Swinging like a rope on a southern breeze" and "Falling like an angel, endlessly." Ultimately, the song is a plea for help, a cry for someone to rescue the singer from the emptiness that they feel.
Line by Line Meaning
Deeper than the deepest deep blue sea
I feel a depth of sadness that penetrates to the depths of the ocean
High as a girl in a redwood tree
I have moments when I feel free, unencumbered and full of wonder like a young girl in a towering redwood tree
Lonesome as a cowboy on TV
I feel the isolation and loneliness of a cowboy depicted on television
That's what it feels like to be me
Overall, this is what my life experience feels like
Hey ho, I wanna let go
I want to release my burdens and find freedom from my emotions
To everybody I ever did know
This message is intended for everyone who has ever been a part of my life
Swing your partner, dosey do
This line is referencing a square dance move, but could be interpreted as a call for action or help
Save me from tomorrow
I need help to escape the pain and struggle of the future
Swinging like a rope on a southern breeze
I feel like I am hanging on for dear life, swaying uncontrollably in the wind like a rope in a southern breeze
Shaking like a pilgrim beyond belief
I am shaking with intensity and cannot believe what I am experiencing
Falling like an angel, endlessly
I am falling rapidly and helplessly, like an angel who has lost their grace
Hey ho, I wanna let go
I am reiterating my desire to be free from my pain and struggles
Ba ba ba
This is likely meant to be a vocalization or a musical interlude
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ASHLEY DWAYNE MACISAAC, TERESA MARY RADIGAN, ROGER WILLIAM GREENAWALT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind