Nickels And Dimes
Blackie and the Rodeo Kings Lyrics


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I tried to be someone else
Pick my own pockets for a change
Nickels and dimes - Shelly I told ya
This town's killing you and me

We could just drive to California
It's as easy as walking cross the street
Twenty-four hours, once around the sun,
Puts us anywhere we want to be

'cause tonight drew a line around me
It's a circle I can't wear anymore
Tonight threw a fist at me
Shelly, I wish that we were some place else
Tonight

Look out any dirty window
This town's not going anywhere
I'm the freak of the week - waiting after hours
For some pinball cowboy to climb my stairs

And tonight drew a line around me
There's a circle I can't wear anymore
Tonight threw a fist at me
Shelly, I wish that we were some place else

And tonight drew a line around me
It's a circle I can't wear anymore
Tonight threw a fist at me




Shelly, I wish that we were some place else
Tonight

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Nickels and Dimes" by Blackie and the Rodeo Kings depict a feeling of restlessness and dissatisfaction with life. The singer reveals a desire to escape from their current situation, expressed through the idea of "pick[ing] my own pockets" and the suggestion of driving to California on a whim. The repeated refrain of "Nickels and dimes" brings to mind the idea of scraping by financially, adding to the sense of feeling trapped and limited.


The second verse introduces a sense of isolation and desperation, as the singer observes the stagnant nature of their town and their own perceived status as an outcast. The imagery of the "dirty window" and the waiting for a "pinball cowboy" conveys a sense of loneliness and detachment from the community around them. The repetition of the chorus reinforces the feeling of being trapped in a cycle, unable to break free from the limitations of their current life.


Overall, "Nickels and Dimes" presents a poignant portrayal of longing for something more, a desire for escape from a life that feels suffocating and stagnant.


Line by Line Meaning

I tried to be someone else
I attempted to change who I am as a person


Pick my own pockets for a change
I want to reverse my financial status, I want to be the one who experiences poverty.


Nickels and dimes - Shelly I told ya
I told Shelly it would only be small bits of money we would obtain through this method.


This town's killing you and me
Life in this town is ruining both me and Shelly.


We could just drive to California
We could venture to California with ease.


It's as easy as walking cross the street
It's not very difficult to do so.


Twenty-four hours, once around the sun,
A full day's cycle, where the sun completes a loop around the Earth,


Puts us anywhere we want to be
Will allow us to go anyplace we desire.


'cause tonight drew a line around me
The constraints of tonight have constrained me.


It's a circle I can't wear anymore
I can no longer endure this vicious cycle I'm stuck in.


Tonight threw a fist at me
Tonight has been incredibly harsh and unjust to me.


Shelly, I wish that we were some place else
I yearn to depart this location and start anew.


Look out any dirty window
Regardless of the window's condition, peering through any window.


This town's not going anywhere
The town is not progressing or changing anytime soon.


I'm the freak of the week - waiting after hours
I'm a severely outlier individual who anomalously waits after hours.


For some pinball cowboy to climb my stairs
For a wild, carefree person dressed as a cowboy to climb my staircase and join in some pinball playing.


And tonight drew a line around me
The present night's limitations have restricted me heavily.


There's a circle I can't wear anymore
The cycle in progress is too difficult and tortuous to endure anymore.


Shelly, I wish that we were some place else
Shelly, I hope we can escape this place and go somewhere new.


Tonight threw a fist at me
Tonight haphazardly mishandled me, thus making me experience friction and unrest.




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: STEPHEN FEARING, THOMAS CUNNINGHAM WILSON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

harleyjoel73

Thanks for sharing this! really great!

Alexander Björklund Hammar

On her honeymoon my mother, my grandfather (whose dad had had a goldclaim in the northwestern territories and later bought a fishing boat on Vancouver island for some of his profits), and my future stepdad went on a roadtrip across Western Canada. They stopped at a music festival in Edmonton and Blackie and the rodeo kings' album "Kings of love" is still a family favourite. And I think that I have the only car stereo in Stockholm that plays both cd:s on a regular basis!

Kcuhc

Thank you so much for the upload. This song does it.

kollector

We all have our favorite songs of all time. This is mine.

Randy Dutcyvich

Nothing worse than some pinball cowboy climbing your stairs

For the Record

Too much pitch correction. But otherwise, good tune.

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