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.
Winsome Smile
Chris Smither Lyrics
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Quit second-guessing all your failed relations
With your would've, could've, should've, maybe might-have-been
I'll show you how
Send your feelings out for lubrication
Lose these blues and screw your head on tight again
She cut you bad, your heart is just a scar
But if you could just get mad, you'd be better off by far
What you need is better circulation
Work that heavy heart and get it light again
Listen to me now
You suffer from a sadness, apprehension
That if she could read your mind she'd see just how it ought to be
But she's read it all by now
And your style don't get a grip on her attention
She ain't in your state of mind and she don't want to be
You think if she'd just talk, you could explain it all
She'd be polite, but all night she's been hoping you won't call
She'll it's all her fault, she'll always be your friend
Plus loads of shit too dumb to mention
I've been that road and it's paved with good intentions
Well it's hard to believe
But I'm telling you your heart would soon recover
But you don't want it to, you love this aching agony
'Cause it's noble, but it's true
You won't forsake this pain for other lovers
Happiness would fill your mind with misery
Time will wound all heels, and it ain't pretty
With any luck at all, she'll find some dope that you can pity
Your loss is measured in illusions
And your gain is all in bittersweet intelligence
And your winsome smile will lose some of its innocence
Your winsome smile
Your winsome smile will lose some of its innocence
The lyrics to Chris Smither's Winsome Smile are a very insightful take on heartbreak and how people tend to handle it. The song begins with the singer imploring the listener to stop thinking and to quit second-guessing their past relationships. He suggests that they should send their feelings out for lubrication, lose their blues, and screw their head on tight again. The idea here is to help the listener get over their heartbreak and start thinking clearly again.
The singer then goes on to talk about how the listener's heart has just been scarred by a previous relationship and suggests that they get mad. He thinks that if the listener can just get mad, they would be better off. However, the listener cannot seem to let go of their sadness and apprehension. They feel like if the other person could just read their mind, they would see how things ought to be. But the singer informs them that the other person has already read their mind, and they do not want to be in their state of mind.
The song concludes with the singer stressing the importance of moving on, even though it may be difficult. He tells the listener that they need to forsake their pain for other lovers because happiness will fill their minds with misery. He reminds them that time heals all wounds, and with any luck at all, the other person will find someone they can pity. Finally, he warns the listener that their winsome smile will lose some of its innocence as they gain bittersweet intelligence.
Line by Line Meaning
Stop thinking now
Stop overthinking about your past relationships
Quit second-guessing all your failed relations
Stop being doubtful about your past relationships
With your would've, could've, should've, maybe might-have-been
Stop regretting about the things that didn't happen
I'll show you how
I'll guide you on how to get over your past relationship
Send your feelings out for lubrication
Express your emotions freely to ease your pain
Lose these blues and screw your head on tight again
Get rid of your sadness and focus on moving on
She cut you bad, your heart is just a scar
Your heart is still wounded from the hurt she caused you
But if you could just get mad, you'd be better off by far
Embrace your anger to help move on from the relationship
What you want is taken
You can't have what you want
What you need is better circulation
You need to lighten your heart and let go of the past
Work that heavy heart and get it light again
Work on healing your broken heart and move on from the past relationship
Listen to me now
Pay attention to what I'm about to tell you
You suffer from a sadness, apprehension
You're feeling sad and anxious
That if she could read your mind she'd see just how it ought to be
You feel she would see things from your perspective if she knew what you were thinking
But she's read it all by now
She already knows what you're thinking and feeling
And your style don't get a grip on her attention
She's not interested in you and your approach doesn't appeal to her
She ain't in your state of mind and she don't want to be
She doesn't have the same feelings as you and doesn't want to be with you
You think if she'd just talk, you could explain it all
You believe that if she listened, you could make her understand
She'd be polite, but all night she's been hoping you won't call
She may be polite, but she's not interested and hopes you won't contact her
She'll it's all her fault, she'll always be your friend
She may apologize, but only wants to be your friend
Plus loads of shit too dumb to mention
There are many things that you shouldn't waste your time talking about
I've been that road and it's paved with good intentions
I've experienced similar situations and had good intentions, but it still didn't work out
Well it's hard to believe
It may be difficult to accept
But I'm telling you your heart would soon recover
I'm telling you that you will eventually heal from this heartbreak
But you don't want it to, you love this aching agony
You don't want to let go of the pain because it makes you feel alive
'Cause it's noble, but it's true
It's honorable to suffer for love, but it's still painful
You won't forsake this pain for other lovers
You won't let go of your pain to move on to a new relationship
Happiness would fill your mind with misery
If you were happy, you would still feel sad because of your past relationship
Time will wound all heels, and it ain't pretty
Over time, everyone will experience pain and heartbreak
With any luck at all, she'll find some dope that you can pity
Hopefully, she'll find someone else and you can feel sorry for that person instead
Your loss is measured in illusions
The pain you feel is based on your own fantasies
And your gain is all in bittersweet intelligence
You will gain knowledge and understanding from your heartbreak
And your winsome smile will lose some of its innocence
You will lose some of your naivety and innocence because of this heartbreak
Your winsome smile
Your charming smile
Your winsome smile will lose some of its innocence
Your charming smile will change because of this heartbreak
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: CHRIS SMITHER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind