Dan Bern (aka Bernstein, a name under which he sometimes performs) is a gui… Read Full Bio ↴Dan Bern (aka Bernstein, a name under which he sometimes performs) is a guitarist, singer, songwriter, and painter. His music is often compared to that of Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie, Bruce Springsteen and Elvis Costello. His song "Talkin' Woody, Bob, Bruce, and Dan Blues," from the album Smartie Mine, offers a joking take on this influence, presented in the style of a Guthrie or Dylan talking blues song, and containing a spoof of a Dylan song as well. Bernstein has also toured with Ani DiFranco. He is known for sardonic, literary lyrics, a range of musical styles, and a folk music style paired with rock instrumentation. He also wrote the novel Quitting Science (2004) under the pen name Cunliffe Merriwether and wrote the preface under his own name.

Although a vein of social and political humor runs though even his earliest work, Bern's work became more explicitly political during the 2004 US presidential election campaign, with songs such as "Bush Must Be Defeated" and "President" highlighting his sometimes surreal political takes.

Bern is reflexively literate, in the style of his favorite authors, including L.A.'s legendary bohemians Charles Bukowski and John Fante, urbane fantasist James Thurber, and yarn-spinning humorist Ring Lardner. He is in love with the power of words to turn on themselves, to frolic, to bite, and his strong, friendly voice can go from earnest to ferocious within seconds. Being captivated by Dan is the easy part; describing his music to the non-initiated is more difficult. One journalist tried: "topical-poetical-sarcastic-punk-folk." An admirable effort, further elaborated by the New York Times: "He veers from comedy to anger, conjectures to shaggy-dog stories; he takes sidelong approaches to theology, science fiction, consumer culture, art, love and baseball."

Superman
Dan Bern Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Superman said I am weary
Superman said let's go home
The trees were strung with crosses and with ribbons
All the towns and churches had been bombed
Superman stood out in the rain
Leaning up against a crumbling wall
Still around were mostly cats and lepers
Birds no longer soared in the sky

Would you come away with me
Someday
Would you come away with me
Some fine day

Superman ducked into a phone booth
Made a call to Lois Lane
He said I will always love you

But it might just be too late in the day
Would you come away with me

Overall Meaning

In Dan Bern's song Superman, the lyrics suggest a post-apocalyptic world where the main protagonist, Superman, is tired and feeling defeated. The imagery painted in the lyrics is one of destruction - towns and churches have been bombed, trees are strung with crosses and ribbons, and the only living beings left seem to be cats, lepers, and birds no longer soar in the sky. Superman appears to be contemplating leaving, wanting to go home, and wondering if Lois Lane will come with him someday.

The imagery painted in the lyrics is surreal, almost like a dystopian world where only the strong survive. Superman, the ultimate symbol of strength and hope, appears to be at his weakest, seeking comfort and solace. The song's message may be that even the strongest among us can be beaten down by the circumstances we face in life, but despite this, there is always hope for a brighter future.

Line by Line Meaning

Superman said I am weary
Superman is exhausted and tired

Superman said let's go home
Superman wants to leave this place and go home

The trees were strung with crosses and with ribbons
The trees are decorated with crosses and ribbons, which may symbolize death and mourning

All the towns and churches had been bombed
The entire area has been destroyed by bombings, including towns and churches

Superman stood out in the rain
Superman is standing in the rain, getting wet

Leaning up against a crumbling wall
Superman is leaning against a wall that is falling apart and deteriorating

Still around were mostly cats and lepers
There are hardly any people left, only cats and lepers

Birds no longer soared in the sky
There are no more birds flying in the sky

Would you come away with me
Superman is asking someone to leave this place with him

Someday
At some point in time

Would you come away with me
Superman is asking someone to leave this place with him