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.
Hey Hey Hey
Chris Smither Lyrics
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I wouldn't be one if you paid me,
But it doesn't take a lot to see ,
Just where you're headed lately,
Pretty soon you're gonna ask me,
How come the life you lead,
Doesn't make you very happy,
Or satisfy your needs,
You know just what they are,
When in fact to really know them,
Is like traveling to a star,
It takes so long you die along the way,
So I say hey, hey, hey.
C'mon, siddown,
Let's talk about illusion,
How everything is made of it,
No wonder life's confusin',
All this stuff we take for granted,
So solid to the touch,
Is just a concrete indication,
That we love ourselves too much,
But if we don't love ourselves, you say,
Who will? Whatever for?
I say, that's a better question
Than the one you asked before,
But the answer is still just as far away,
So I say hey, hey, hey.
Let go of all of this,
Forget about your reason,
You can leave it all behind you,
You can start another season,
All these silly little fictions,
Are gonna take you by surprise,
When you see them in the daylight
And finally realize,
You told them to yourself,
Nobody else was listening,
You'll be standing broken-hearted,
Like a disillusioned Christian,
With your mouth open but nothin' left to say,
So just say hey, hey, hey.
In "Hey Hey Hey" by Chris Smither, the singer warns a friend or lover that they are headed down a path of unhappiness and unfulfillment. He suggests that the person may believe they know what they need, but really, true self-discovery is a daunting journey like traveling to a star – one that takes so long, you may die along the way. The singer redirects the conversation to the concept of illusion and how everything we believe to be stable and true is just a creation of our self-love, which means we must let go of reason to find happiness. The singer implies that their friend is clinging onto certain fictions that are ultimately keeping them down and stunting their growth.
The song's chorus, "hey, hey, hey," is a refrain that punctuates the singer's thoughts, giving the sense of exasperation and impatience in trying to get through to his friend. The repetition of the phrase emphasizes the singer's frustration with his friend's stubbornness. He seems to suggest that his friend needs to let go of all the illusions, forget about reasons, and start again without the "silly little fictions" they've been living by.
Overall, "Hey Hey Hey" is a cautionary tale about the dangers of living by illusions and how they can stunt personal growth and happiness. It emphasizes the importance of introspection, self-discovery, and living without the boundaries of illusion.
Line by Line Meaning
I am not a prophet,
I don't have the ability to predict the future
I wouldn't be one if you paid me,
Even if I were offered payment, I still wouldn't be a prophet.
But it doesn't take a lot to see ,
It's not difficult to see
Just where you're headed lately,
I can see where you are going
Pretty soon you're gonna ask me,
I can anticipate that you'll eventually ask me
How come the life you lead,
You'll ask why the life you live
Doesn't make you very happy,
Isn't bringing you joy
Or satisfy your needs,
Doesn't meet your desires
You talk about your needs as though
You speak of your needs as if
You know just what they are,
You think you know what they are
When in fact to really know them,
But in reality, to truly understand them
Is like traveling to a star,
Is like a difficult and impossible task
It takes so long you die along the way,
It takes too long and you'd perish before reaching the destination
So I say hey, hey, hey.
Therefore, I say Hey, Hey, Hey
C'mon, siddown,
Come on, please sit down
Let's talk about illusion,
Let's discuss illusions
How everything is made of it,
How everything is fabricated from illusions
No wonder life's confusin',
It's no surprise that life is perplexing
All this stuff we take for granted,
All these things we think are guaranteed
So solid to the touch,
That we can feel and touch,
Is just a concrete indication,
But, in truth, just an indication
That we love ourselves too much,
That we have too much self-love
But if we don't love ourselves, you say,
If we don't love ourselves, you argue
Who will? Whatever for?
Then who would? And why?
I say, that's a better question
I believe that is a better inquiry
Than the one you asked before,
Than the one you asked earlier
But the answer is still just as far away,
Although it's a better question, the answer is still distant
So I say hey, hey, hey.
Therefore, I say Hey, Hey, Hey
Let go of all of this,
Release all these things
Forget about your reason,
Abandon your reasons
You can leave it all behind you,
You can leave it all in the past
You can start another season,
You can begin anew
All these silly little fictions,
These insignificant delusions
Are gonna take you by surprise,
Will catch you off guard
When you see them in the daylight
When you acknowledge them in full light
And finally realize,
And then realize
You told them to yourself,
You fabricated them
Nobody else was listening,
No one else was paying attention
You'll be standing broken-hearted,
You'll be standing shattered and heartbroken
Like a disillusioned Christian,
Similar to a Christian who lost faith
With your mouth open but nothin' left to say,
Your mouth agape but no more dialogue to provide
So just say hey, hey, hey.
Thus, just say Hey, Hey, Hey.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: CHRIS SMITHER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind