Shameika
Fiona Apple Lyrics

I used to walk down the streets on my way to school
I would walk to school and grind my teeth to an invisible rhythm.

Grinding my teeth to a rhythm invisible
I would clench my teeth together to a beat that only I could hear.

I used my feet to crush dead leaves like they had fallen from trees
I would step on fallen leaves as if I were playing a percussion instrument.

Just for me
I did this for my own enjoyment, not for anyone else.

Just to be crash cymbals
I imagined that the sound of the leaves being crushed was like that of a crash cymbal in a musical piece.

In class I'd pass the time
During class, I would find ways to occupy myself.

Drawing a slash for every time the second hand went by
I would mark a slash for each second that passed on the clock.

A group of five
I divided the slashes into groups of five.

Done twelve times was a minute
Once I had marked twelve groups of five slashes, one minute had passed.

But
However, there was something that changed things for me.

Shameika said I had potential
Shameika, a girl I knew, told me that I could achieve great things.

I used to march down the windy, windy sidewalks
I would walk with confidence down the streets, no matter how windy it was.

Slapping my leg with a riding crop
I would hit my leg with a riding crop, an accessory used with horses, to feel tough.

Thinking it made me come off so tough
I believed that hitting my leg with a riding crop made me appear strong and intimidating.

I didn't smile, because a smile always seemed rehearsed
I didn't smile often because I felt that it seemed fake or planned.

I wasn't afraid of the bullies
Even though there were bullies at school, I was not scared of them.

And that just made the bullies worse
However, my lack of fear only provoked them more.

Hurricane Gloria in excelsis deo, that's my bird in my tree
I'm using poetic language to describe the way that Hurricane Gloria sounds and feels, like a bird perched in a tree nearby.

My dog and my man and my music is my holy trinity
My three favorite things in life are my dog, my partner, and music – they are like a holy and sacred trio.

Tony told me he'd describe me as pissed off, funny and warm
My friend Tony has told me that I come across as angry, humorous, and welcoming to others.

Sebastian said, I'm "a good man in a storm"
Another friend of mine named Sebastian has described me as someone who is steady and reliable, even when times are tough.

Back then I didn't know what potential meant and
At the time, I didn't fully understand what it meant to have potential.

Shameika wasn't gentle and she wasn't my friend
Shameika wasn't someone who was kind or friendly to me.

But she got through to me and I'll never see her again
Despite not being close to me, Shameika's words spoke to me and made an impact on me, even if I will never see her again.

I'm pissed off, funny and warm
Describing myself again as Tony did, I am typically a mixture of angry, amusing, and friendly.

And when the fall is torrential, I'll recall
If difficult times come my way, I'll remember something that helped me before.

Shameika said I had potential
What Shameika told me before – that I had the ability to succeed – sticks with me during tough moments.