In 1963, Ali released an album of spoken word on Columbia Records titled I Am the Greatest, and in 1964, he recorded the song "Stand by Me".
Before he became involved in the Nation Of Islam and changed his name to Muhammad Ali, Cassius Clay released an album entitled "I Am The Greatest" in 1963. This album was a spoken word recording of his infamous pre-fight poetry, most of which was written to promote his fight with, and intimidate, former opponent and (at the time) world champion Sonny Liston (who is mentioned by name several times during the recording). Recorded in front of an audience with a backing band and an additional vocal cast, the album also included a radio play - which featured Clay as a heroic dragon-slayer - and two single songs with Ali on vocals, including a cover of Stand By Me.
Distance
Cassius Clay Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Your love is all im craving
You so slow but I ain't hating
Things are so hard when you're stuck at home
You break my heart every time you don't pick up your phone
(So pick up your phone)
Why'd we do this to ourselves
Loves so hard when you can't think this instant
You say it ain't your fault
Cause honestly it ain't your fault
But who do we blame for this distance
(Who do we blame for this distance)
(Who do we blame for this distance)
(Who do we blame for this distance)
(Who do we blame for this distance)
You said we'd chill in the coupe
Every afternoon
But every time you ride
It feels like we gonna die
But when I look into your eyes
In the black ci
I feel your despise
Girl tell me your lies
Tell me what I did wrong
What can I do
Don't let this be the end
Or give me deja vu
Can we just be friends
(Can we just be friends)
Why'd we do this to ourselves
This distance
Loves so hard when you can't think this instant
You say it ain't your fault
Cause honestly it ain't your fault
But who do we blame for this distance
Why'd we do this to ourselves
This distance
Loves so hard when you can't think this instant
You say it ain't your fault
Cause honestly it ain't your fault
But who do we blame for this distance
In Cassius Clay's song "Distance," he expresses his frustration and feelings of loneliness in a long-distance relationship. He is tired of waiting for his partner and yearns for their love. He acknowledges that the distance between them is hard and blames no one for it but wonders why they are putting themselves through this. Clay talks about how they had plans to spend time together but something always gets in the way, causing him to feel like their relationship might be coming to an end. He wants to know what he did wrong and what he can do to save their relationship. In the end, he questions who is to blame for the distance and the difficulties they face.
Line by Line Meaning
I think I'm tired of waiting
The singer is tired of being patient for the other person's love and attention.
Your love is all I'm craving
The singer only wants the love of the other person, but is not receiving it.
You're so slow but I ain't hating
The singer acknowledges that the other person is slow in their approach but still doesn't hate them.
Things are so hard when you're stuck at home
Being stuck at home makes everything difficult, especially maintaining a long distance relationship.
You break my heart every time you don't pick up your phone
The other person's lack of communication hurts the artist.
(So pick up your phone)
The singer is pleading with the other person to communicate more often.
Why'd we do this to ourselves
The singer is questioning why they and the other person are in a long distance relationship.
This distance
The physical separation between the two people is causing emotional distance.
Love's so hard when you can't think this instant
It's hard to feel love when the two people can't be together and share moments in real time.
You say it ain't your fault
The other person is denying responsibility for the distance in their relationship.
Cause honestly it ain't your fault
The singer acknowledges that the other person is not at fault for the distance in their relationship.
But who do we blame for this distance
The artist and the other person are both wondering who to blame for the physical and emotional distance between them.
(Who do we blame for this distance)
Repetition of the previous line drives home the importance of finding someone or something to blame.
You said we'd chill in the coupe
The other person promised to spend time with the singer in a specific place.
Every afternoon
The promise was for frequent visits to the coupe.
But every time you ride
Each time the other person makes the trip to the coupe,
It feels like we gonna die
It feels like a life-or-death situation because of the emotional distance.
But when I look into your eyes
The singer is moved by the sight of the other person's eyes.
In the black ci
The black coupe is a symbol for their relationship.
I feel your despise
Despite their love, there's a level of resentment between them.
Girl tell me your lies
The artist wants the other person to be honest about their feelings or reasons for the distance in their relationship.
Tell me what I did wrong
The artist is trying to understand if they did anything wrong to cause the distance between them.
What can I do
The singer is open to suggestions for what they can do to improve their relationship.
Don't let this be the end
The artist doesn't want to lose the other person, hoping to keep the relationship strong.
Or give me deja vu
Losing the other person will bring back painful memories, like deja vu.
Can we just be friends
The singer is willing to settle for just maintaining a friendship if the relationship can't be saved.
Contributed by Lillian R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.