Shame
Eurythmics/Annie Lennox Lyrics
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With painted lips
Now there's a lifestyle
Everybody wants it
But it don't exist
And I said shame
In the dance halls and the cinema
On the TV and the media
Shame
We loved you
Now there's a lifestyle
With fashion chic
Now there's a lifestyle
Everybody in it wants
To be elite
And I said
"You with yer brand new shoes and
You with yer greasy hair and
You with your mother's pride and poetry
Don't you want to feel the shame?"
In the dance halls
Can't you feel the shame?
And the TV
Can't you feel the shame?
We loved you
Shame
In the dance halls and the cinema
Shame
On the TV and the media
Shame
We loved you
At the Lido and the opera
Shame
At the races
And the theater
Shame
We loved you.
And they said all we need is love
All we need is love
With the Beatles and the Rolling Stones.
Day after day
Day after day
The lyrics of Eurythmics' song "Shame" describe a society obsessed with superficial lifestyles and appearances, which are ultimately unattainable and lead to feelings of inadequacy and shame. The lyrics start by pointing out these vapid lifestyles with "painted lips" and a desire for fashion and elitism. However, the singer comments that this lifestyle doesn't really exist, and it's a form of collective delusion. The chorus then repeats, emphasizing the sense of shame that permeates in places like dance halls, cinema, and the media. The singer questions those who are caught up in this lifestyle with the rhetorical question, "Don't you want to feel the shame?" The song ends with a reference to the Beatles and Rolling Stones' message of love, suggesting that perhaps society has lost its way and is chasing after the wrong things.
Overall, the lyrics of "Shame" shed light on the dangers of valuing superficial appearances and the societal shame that can result from this obsession. The repeated chorus of "shame" emphasizes the weight of this societal issue and the importance of addressing it.
Line by Line Meaning
Now there's a lifestyle
With painted lips
Everyone is striving for a particular way of life, glamourizing their reality with makeup and false appearances.
Now there's a lifestyle
Everybody wants it
But it don't exist
People aspire to a lifestyle that in most cases is illusory, existing mostly in advertisements and propelled by consumerism.
And I said shame
In the dance halls and the cinema
Shame
On the TV and the media
Shame
We loved you
Society is to blame for promoting unrealistic expectations and false concepts of beauty, success and happiness.
Now there's a lifestyle
With fashion chic
Now there's a lifestyle
Everybody in it wants
To be elite
The fashion industry has created a lifestyle that seems desirable to people, making them feel like they can only belong if they have the latest trends and designer labels.
And I said
"You with yer brand new shoes and
You with yer greasy hair and
You with your mother's pride and poetry
Don't you want to feel the shame?"
The singer is asking people to question their values and motives, urging them to see through the sham of materialism and consider an alternative way of living.
In the dance halls
Can't you feel the shame?
And the TV
Can't you feel the shame?
We loved you
The media is constantly feeding people unrealistic standards of beauty and success, making them feel inadequate and ashamed of who they are.
Shame
In the dance halls and the cinema
Shame
On the TV and the media
Shame
We loved you
Society's obsession with superficiality and consumerism is misguided, and the song urges people to feel ashamed for having fallen for false promises.
At the Lido and the opera
Shame
At the races
And the theater
Shame
We loved you.
Even in places of high culture and refinement, the same superficial values are promoted, and the song suggests that people should be ashamed of this fact.
And they said all we need is love
All we need is love
With the Beatles and the Rolling Stones.
Day after day
Day after day
The song concludes with a reminder that love, not consumerism, is what really makes life worth living, and that we should focus on building connections with others rather than accumulating things.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: WILLIAM GATLING TIMOTHY, ALTON "WOKIE" STEWART
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind