Chris Smither (born November 11, 1944 in Miami, Florida) is an American fol… Read Full Bio ↴Chris Smither (born November 11, 1944 in Miami, Florida) is an American folk/blues singer, guitarist, and songwriter. He grew up mainly in New Orleans and attended the University of the Americas in Mexico City, planning on becoming an anthropologist, but transferred to Tulane University after a year, during which time he discovered the music of Mississippi John Hurt. While in Paris for a junior year abroad, he spent his time playing guitar rather than attending classes and was kicked out of college as a result. In 1965, he left for Florida to meet Eric von Schmidt, another musical hero of his. von Schmidt encouraged Smither to move to New York City or Cambridge, Massachusetts, and so Smither moved to Cambridge and when he showed up at Club 47, found von Schmidt performing there, who invited him to play a few songs on stage. His first album, I'm a Stranger, Too was released on Poppy Records in 1970. Chris Smither has been touring since then.

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.

So Long
Chris Smither Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

To see me now you would never think to wonder,
How near we were to sinkin' under,
For so long,
But now I'm gone,
So long.

The truth be told, I think my soul was stuck in amber,
Like a chip for weary gamblers,

For so long.
But now I'm gone,
So long.

[Chorus]
See me, I'm a sailor now,
Sail on, sail on,
Dark skies seem paler now,
I'm gone, so long

The steady hand that every beggar holds his bowl in,
Was what we took for steady rollin'
For so long,
But now I'm gone,
So long.

[Chorus]

Overall Meaning

In Chris Smither's "So Long," the singer reflects on a past experience that had the potential to bring him down. In the opening verse, he acknowledges that if you were to see him now, you would not think that he had ever faced any hardships. However, in the following lines, he admits that he and his "soul were stuck in amber" for a long time. Being stuck in amber implies a state of preservation or stagnation, which hints at a lack of growth or development in the singer's life. He uses the metaphor of a chip used by weary gamblers to illustrate how he felt like he was stuck in a cycle of repetition, lacking the ability to move forward.

The following verse gives us some insight into what helped the singer break free from this cycle. The singer acknowledges that he and those around him may have mistaken "steady rollin'" for a steady hand. In this sense, "steady rollin'" can be understood as a life of constant movement and change, as opposed to a stagnant life. The use of the word "mistaken" suggests that the singer and those around him may have misunderstood what it takes to live a fulfilling life. This realization seems to have played a significant role in helping the singer break free and move on.

The chorus of the song embodies a sense of liberation as the singer declares that he is now a sailor, sailing on to new territories- both figuratively and literally. He describes the skies as seeming "paler now," which can be interpreted as a sense of newfound lightness or freedom. Overall, the song's message appears to be one of perseverance through difficult times and the importance of understanding what it means to live a fulfilling life.

Line by Line Meaning

To see me now you would never think to wonder,
Looking at me now, it's hard to imagine that I was once in a precarious situation

How near we were to sinkin' under,
We were extremely close to drowning or failing

For so long,
This struggle lasted a long time

But now I'm gone,
I have moved on from that difficult time

So long.
Goodbye, I am leaving that past behind

The truth be told, I think my soul was stuck in amber,
In reality, I believe that my spirit was trapped or frozen in time

Like a chip for weary gamblers,
Similar to a token used by tired gamblers

For so long.
This malaise persisted for quite some time

See me, I'm a sailor now,
Now look, I am a sailor

Sail on, sail on,
I am continuing to sail forward

Dark skies seem paler now,
Even difficult circumstances do not seem as daunting as before