Daniel Barenboim, KBE (born 15 November 1942) is an Argentine-born pianist … Read Full Bio ↴Daniel Barenboim, KBE (born 15 November 1942) is an Argentine-born pianist and conductor. He has served as music director of several major symphonic and operatic orchestras and made numerous recordings.

Currently, he is general music director of La Scala in Milan, the Berlin State Opera, and the Staatskapelle Berlin; he previously served as Music Director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestre de Paris.

Sophisticated Lady
Daniel Barenboim Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Sophisticated lady tryin' to change my ways
Just because you're caught in your social maze
I think it's 'bout time that you realize
Your money and your power's got you mesmerized

Pretty lady, get back
Pretty lady, yea
Sophisticated lady put your blue jeans on

You're anybody's baby when your mama's gone

Educated lady with your college degree
Amazes me why you just can't see
Learned everything from your books on the shelf
But no one ever taught you how to think for yourself

Pretty lady, get back
Pretty lady, yea, sweet thing
Sophisticated lady put your blue jeans on
You're anybody's baby when your mama's gone

Sophisticated lady take a lesson from me
I can help you be what you want to be
Together we'll see many brighter days
If it takes forever, gonna change your ways

Pretty lady, get back
Pretty lady, yea, sweet thing
Sophisticated lady put your blue jeans on
You're anybody's baby when your mama's gone

Sophisticated lady put your blue jeans on
You're anybody's baby when your mama's gone

Sophisticated lady put your blue jeans on
You're anybody's baby when your mama's gone

Overall Meaning

The song "Sophisticated Lady" by Daniel Barenboim feat. Dianne Reeves is about a woman who is caught up in her own privilege and status, and how the singer (presumably a man) wants to help her break free from that mentality and be more independent. The lyrics repeatedly implore the "sophisticated lady" to "put your blue jeans on," which is a metaphor for shedding the trappings of high society and returning to a more down-to-earth, authentic self.

Throughout the song, the singer criticizes the woman for not being able to think for herself despite her education and wealth. He suggests that her upbringing and social pressure have made her subservient to societal expectations, and that she needs to break away from that in order to find her true self. He offers to help her along this journey, promising that they will see "many brighter days" together.

The song's message is one of empowerment and individuality, urging listeners to shed societal expectations and find their own paths. The repetition of the lyric "pretty lady, get back" creates a sense of urgency and insistence, as though the singer truly believes that the woman he is addressing needs to take immediate action to break free from her shackles.

Line by Line Meaning

Sophisticated lady tryin' to change my ways
This woman who seems refined and polished is attempting to change how I live my life

Just because you're caught in your social maze
She is trapped in the web of societal expectations

I think it's 'bout time that you realize
It's high time that she becomes aware of something important

Your money and your power's got you mesmerized
Her wealth and influence have made her completely enchanted and obsessed with them

Educated lady with your college degree
This woman has received higher education and possesses a university diploma

Amazes me why you just can't see
It's astounding that she is unable to understand something so obvious

Learned everything from your books on the shelf
She has acquired knowledge from books in her possession

But no one ever taught you how to think for yourself
Yet, she has never been guided on how to form her individual thoughts

Sophisticated lady take a lesson from me
Listen to my counsel, sophisticated lady

I can help you be what you want to be
I can aid you in attaining whatever you aspire to become

Together we'll see many brighter days
Collaborating, we shall experience several more joyous moments

If it takes forever, gonna change your ways
If it needs to take eternity, I will alter your lifestyle

Sophisticated lady put your blue jeans on
Put on your blue jeans, sophisticated lady

You're anybody's baby when your mama's gone
You're within anyone's reach when your mother isn't around

Pretty lady, get back
Step back, pretty lady

Pretty lady, yea, sweet thing
Yes, sweet thing, pretty lady

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Edward Kennedy Ellington, Irving Mills, Mitchell Parish

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS