Chris Smithers song "Love you like a man" from Smithers first album has been famously covered by Bonnie Raitt who has made it a signature song of hers under the title "Love me like a man" (published on her second Album "Give it up")- she has openly expressed admiration for Chris Smithers songwriting and guitarplaying. Later Raitt's version of the song has been covered by The Dixie Chicks and Diana Krall.
The protagonist of Linda Barnes's series of "Carlotta Carlyle" mysteries is a fan of Smither's music and several of her books mention it.
Happier Blue
Chris Smither Lyrics
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It took my breath
Now I think you love me, and
It scares me to death,
‘Cause now I lie awake and wonder, I worry,
I think about losin' you
I don't care what you say
Maybe I was happier blue
Maybe I was happier blue
Justice is a lady,
Blind, with a scale,
And a big letter-opener.
She's been readin' my mail
I don't know why this should shame me,
But it does, somehow
I don't care what you say,
She don't look like a lady now.
I don't care what you say,
She don't look like a lady now
I believe in heavy thinking,
I believe in heavy sound,
I believe in heavy images
To hold it all down.
Light as a feather in spite of me
I don't care what you say
Faith is not a guarantee
I don't care what you say
Faith is not a guarantee
Did you think I didn't know that?
You might be right.
I swear I will forget it if it
Takes all night.
I never needed nothin' like I ever needed
Knowin' I needed you
I don't care what you say
None of this is nothin' new
I don't care what you say
None of this is nothin' new
In Chris Smither's song Happier Blue, the lyrics explore love, fear, and the human struggle of balancing emotions. The song opens up with the singer's confession of experiencing sadness that turns into love, which leaves them breathless. However, the newfound love causes the singer’s fear of losing their beloved, leading them to worry and stay awake at night. They shudder at the possibility of losing what they have gained, expressing that perhaps they were better off being sad, which is an unusual take on what one might have expected from a love song.
Moving on, the second stanza brings in the image of Justice, personified as a blind lady weighing justice with her scales, reading the singer's mail, and no longer looking like a lady to them. This could indicate that the fear of losing one’s love brings darkness and injustice to one's life. The third and final stanza speaks about heavy thinking, heavy sound, and heavy imagery to hold it all down, accessible through faith that is not a guarantee despite being essential. The singer says that they are aware of their situation, and it will take time to forget it, yet it is nothing new.
Line by Line Meaning
I was sad, and then I loved you,
I was unhappy with my life until I met you and fell in love with you.
It took my breath
You had such an intense effect on me that it was hard to breathe.
Now I think you love me, and
I believe that you feel the same way about me.
It scares me to death,
The idea of losing you is so terrifying to me that it almost kills me.
‘Cause now I lie awake and wonder, I worry,
I can't stop thinking about our relationship and worrying about its future.
I think about losin' you
The thought of you leaving me is always on my mind.
I don't care what you say
Your words don't change my feelings.
Maybe I was happier blue
Perhaps I was better off being sad before I met you.
Justice is a lady,
The concept of justice is often represented as a woman.
Blind, with a scale,
She is blindfolded, which means that justice is impartial, and carries a scale to weigh evidence.
And a big letter-opener.
The letter-opener symbolizes the power that justice holds to expose the truth.
She's been readin' my mail
I feel like I'm being judged unfairly, like she's reading my thoughts and secrets.
I don't know why this should shame me,
I'm not sure why I'm embarrassed by this feeling of being judged.
But it does, somehow
But it does make me feel ashamed regardless.
She don't look like a lady now.
The symbol of justice no longer appears to me as fair or impartial.
I believe in heavy thinking,
I value deep and serious thought.
I believe in heavy sound,
I appreciate music that has emotional weight and meaning.
I believe in heavy images
I find meaning in visual art that conveys intense emotions or ideas.
To hold it all down.
These things help me cope with life's difficulties and give me a sense of grounding.
Light as a feather in spite of me
Despite my beliefs in heavy things, I still feel light and free.
Faith is not a guarantee
Believing in something doesn't mean that everything will work out the way you want it to.
Did you think I didn't know that?
I'm not oblivious to this fact.
You might be right.
You could be correct in your assumptions.
I swear I will forget it if it
If I need to forget something to move on, I will try to do so.
Takes all night.
I'm willing to put in the effort required to move on from something that is no longer serving me.
I never needed nothin' like I ever needed
I had never felt such a strong need for something before.
Knowin' I needed you
Realizing that I needed you in my life has been a revelation and has changed me.
None of this is nothin' new
These feelings and thoughts are not new or original, but they're still important to me.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: CHRIS SMITHER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind