Too Tired
Etta James Lyrics


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Yeah

I laid down last night, too tired to wake
I had a chill this mornin', too tired to shake
I got a good poker hand, too tired to win
I can hear my baby knockin', too tired to let her in

I'm tired
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm tired, woo
Too tired
Too tired for anythin'

I'm too tired to walk
Too tired to run
I can hear my baby callin'
Too tired, too tired

I'm tired
Yes, I'm tired
I'm tired
Too tired for anythin'

Take over Albert
I'm too tired for this

I'm tired of prosperity
I'm tired of luck
I'm sittin' on a pin
I'm too tired to get up

I'm tired
I declare I'm tired
I'm too tired
Too tired for anythin'

Oh, Albert I'm tired




You better take over Albert
I'm too tired baby

Overall Meaning

Etta James’s song “Too Tired” is a heartbreaking ballad about being too exhausted to carry on. The song starts off describing how the singer is too tired to even get out of bed or shake off a chill. To make things worse, the singer has a great hand in poker but is too tired to win. Even when they hear their baby knocking, they’re too tired to let them in. In the chorus, Etta James repeatedly affirms her exhaustion, emphasizing her inability to do anything at all, not even walk or run. She then turns things over to her piano player, Albert, declaring that she's too tired for it. Appropriately, the song ends with the singer admitting that they are tired of everything - good luck, prosperity - to the point where they are too tired to even stand up, sitting on a pin. The song has a melancholic, resigned tone that perfectly captures the singer's acute state of exhaustion. It's a portrait of someone who feels utterly defeated.


The lyrics of Etta James’s “Too Tired” have a lot of contradictory elements that create a kind of dramatic tension. For instance, the singer has a great hand in poker but is too tired to win. They hear their baby knocking but are too tired to let them in. Furthermore, the repeated affirmation of being tired in the chorus is set against the verses, which describe specific situations where the singer should be anything but tired. The ballad's tone is also somewhat ironic, as the singer initially talks about being too tired to do things even while she's singing. The song beautifully conveys the bond between emotional and physical exhaustion, as well as how the song's protagonist feels like nothing can be done to break the cycle.


Line by Line Meaning

I laid down last night, too tired to wake
Last night, I was so exhausted that I couldn't even bring myself to wake up this morning.


I had a chill this mornin', too tired to shake
Though I had a chill when I woke up this morning, I'm too tired to even shiver.


I got a good poker hand, too tired to win
I have a promising hand in poker, but I'm too drained to engage in the game and try to win.


I can hear my baby knockin', too tired to let her in
My partner is trying to reach me, but I'm too exhausted to even summon the energy to open the door for them.


I'm too tired to walk
I'm feeling so weary that I don't have the inclination to even walk around.


Too tired to run
My exhaustion has rendered me unable to run or jog.


I can hear my baby callin'
I'm aware that my partner is trying to contact me.


Too tired, too tired
But I am too drained to prompt myself to answer back or reply.


I'm tired
In general, I'm feeling drowsy and unenergetic.


Yes, I'm tired
Indeed, I'm completely exhausted.


Too tired for anythin'
I'm not just worn out but also incapable of doing anything.


I'm tired of prosperity
Even having a prosperous life feels like a burden as it takes energy to enjoy it.


I'm tired of luck
I'm worn out by always having the chance to be successful or have good things happen to me.


I'm sittin' on a pin
Even simple tasks, as in sitting down, are uncomfortable and draining for me at this moment.


I'm too tired to get up
I don't think I can muster up the energy to get up and act on something that may need to be done.


I declare I'm tired
I'm certainly worn out, and I'm emphasizing that I'm not exaggerating about how drained I feel.


Oh, Albert I'm tired
I'm expressing to Albert that I'm worn out and need help to carry on.


You better take over Albert
I'm requesting that Albert picks up the slack, as I don't think I can keep up with my usual responsibilities while feeling so worn out.


I'm too tired baby
I'm emphasizing even more that I'm entirely drained and not able to face most things at the moment.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOHNNY GUITAR WATSON, MAXWELL DAVIS, SAUL BIHARI

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Erik brodland


on I Just Want to Make Love to You

Love this song so much, it makes me think of my son's Beautiful mommy jasmin and her amazing.voice.