Brubeck's style ranged from refined to bombastic, reflecting his mother's attempts at classical training and his improvisational skills. Much of his music employed unusual time signatures, a fact jokingly referred to by his greatest hits album 'Time Signatures: A Career Retrospective'. Upon his death, a number of commentators noted his crossover appeal to mainstream pop audiences, something putting him in the company of other jazz legends such as Louis Armstrong and Herbie Hancock among others.
Me and My Shadow
Dave Brubeck Lyrics
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Standing on the corner feeling blue
Sweethearts out for fun
Pass me one by one
Guess I'll wind up like I always do
With only
Me and my shadow
Strolling down the avenue
Not a soul to tell our troubles to
And when it's twelve o'clock
We climb the stair
We never knock
For nobody's there
Just me and my shadow
All alone and feeling blue
When the sun sets on the far horizon
And the parlor lamps begin to glow
Jim and Jack and John
Put their slippers on
They're all set but we'restill on the go
So lonely
Me and my shadow
Strolling down the avenue
Me and my shadow
Not a soul to tell our troubles to
And when it's twelve o'clock
We climb the stair
We never knock
For nobody's there
Just me and my shadow
All alone and feeling blue.
The lyrics to Dave Brubeck's "Me and My Shadow" tell the story of a lonely person standing on a street corner watching couples pass by as they enjoy the company of their significant others. The singer realizes that they will never have someone to share their life with and will always be accompanied only by their shadow. The song goes on to describe how, when the night falls, the singer's friends retire for the evening but they are still left alone with only their shadow for company, feeling lonely and blue. The song's melancholic and introspective lyrics are set to a gentle, nostalgic melody and evoke feelings of loneliness, isolation and the longing for companionship.
Line by Line Meaning
Shades of night are falling and I'm lonely
As darkness comes, I am filled with an overwhelming sense of loneliness
Standing on the corner feeling blue
I am standing alone on the street corner feeling sad and melancholic
Sweethearts out for fun
Couples are out enjoying themselves
Pass me one by one
They walk by me in pairs, one after the other
Guess I'll wind up like I always do
I am resigned to the fact that I will end up alone again, as I often do
With only
Me and my shadow
Strolling down the avenue
The only company I have is my own shadow as we walk down the street
Not a soul to tell our troubles to
There is no one around for me to confide in or share my problems with
And when it's twelve o'clock
We climb the stair
We never knock
For nobody's there
Just me and my shadow
All alone and feeling blue
At midnight, we go up to our lonely room, where there is no one to greet us or keep us company, and we are consumed by sadness
When the sun sets on the far horizon
As the sun disappears on the horizon
And the parlor lamps begin to glow
The lights in the parlors start to turn on
Jim and Jack and John
Put their slippers on
Other people are getting ready to relax and unwind for the night
They're all set but we're still on the go
While others are ready to rest, I am still wandering around, alone
So lonely
Me and my shadow
Strolling down the avenue
Overwhelming feelings of loneliness envelop us as we continue down the street
Not a soul to tell our troubles to
There is still no one to talk to, no one to share our struggles with
And when it's twelve o'clock
We climb the stair
We never knock
For nobody's there
Just me and my shadow
All alone and feeling blue.
We return to our empty room at midnight, without anyone to greet us or care for us, our sadness only increasing.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Al Jolson, Billy Rose, Dave Dreyer
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind