Born Kimberley Tyler Rhodes but called "Happy" since infancy, she legally changed her name to Happy Tyler Rhodes at the age of 16. The title of her 1987 album has provided a name to what some have begun to call "Ecto" music.
There are several You Tube vids of Happy and, if you want to sample the 'two-voices-in-one' phenomenon, then her stunning version of Peter Gabriel's 'Here Comes the Flood' should be a pleasing introduction.
I Say
Happy Rhodes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Percussion and Bass: Kevin Bartlett
Keys and Additional Percussion: H. Rhodes
as i walk through the streets
i could be anyone that you need
but i must stand and speak my name
or be forced to live up to your dreams
i say
nd and rain
i don't wear red, i dream
i pull the bugs from death
i read my books in bed
for i believe of all
my lives, this is one
i must define
not you, or her can say who i am
not them, or him can say who i am
not them, or her will say who i am
not you, or him can tell me who i am
you see my face is unveiled to the world
if people speak in my stead
do not trust everything that is said
when my thoughts come from me
you will know that it can be believed
i say
i like to paint the strange
my ha
ir is blond, eyes grey
i hate to be in crowds
i often think outloud
for i believe of all
my lives, this is one
i must define
not you, or her can say who i am
not them, or him can say who i am
not them, or her will say who i am
not you, or him can tell me who i am
you see my face is unveiled to the world
The lyrics to Happy Rhodes's song "I Say" express a desire to define oneself and resist others' attempts to pigeonhole or control one's identity. The first verse suggests that the singer has the ability to blend in and be whoever someone else needs them to be, but they refuse to do so without first asserting their true identity. The repeated refrain of "not you, or her can say who I am," etc. emphasizes a sense of individual autonomy and self-definition.
Throughout the song, the singer shares some details about their likes and dislikes, habits, and beliefs. They enjoy wind and rain, dream but don't wear red, save bugs from dying, and read in bed. They paint strange things, have blond hair and gray eyes, feel uncomfortable in crowds, and tend to think out loud. These details comprise a unique sense of identity that the singer asserts as truly their own.
The final lines of the song might be interpreted as a warning against accepting secondhand information about the singer. They caution that people speaking on their behalf may not always be accurate or truthful, and that the only way to truly understand the singer is to hear their thoughts directly from them. The overall message is one of asserting and owning one's identity, and resisting outside attempts to define or control it.
Line by Line Meaning
as i walk through the streets
While I walk through the streets
i could be anyone that you need
I have the ability to be whoever you need me to be
but i must stand and speak my name
However, it's crucial for me to state my own identity
or be forced to live up to your dreams
Otherwise, I would be pressured to conform to your expectations
i say
Therefore, I declare
i like the wind and rain
That I enjoy the wind and the rain
i don't wear red, i dream
I don't wear red, but I do dream
i pull the bugs from death
I rescue insects from death
i read my books in bed
I like to read books while in bed
for i believe of all my lives, this is one i must define
Because I feel that this particular life is the one I need to define
not you, or her can say who i am
No one except for myself can define my identity, not even you or her
not them, or him can say who i am
The same goes for them or him
not them, or her will say who i am
They won't be able to say who I am either
not you, or him can tell me who i am
Even if you or he try to tell me who I am, it won't work
you see my face is unveiled to the world
Since my face is exposed to the world
if people speak in my stead
If other people start speaking for me
do not trust everything that is said
Be cautious and don't believe everything they say
when my thoughts come from me
Only when I share my own thoughts
you will know that it can be believed
Can you truly trust it
i say
I declare again
i like to paint the strange
That I enjoy painting unique and unusual things
my hair is blond, eyes grey
My hair is blond, and my eyes are gray
i hate to be in crowds
I don't like being around crowds of people
i often think outloud
I tend to think out loud frequently
for i believe of all my lives, this is one i must define
Once again, I feel like this life is the one I need to define
not you, or her can say who i am
Reiterating that only I can define who I am
not them, or him can say who i am
Again, emphasizing that nobody can define me
not them, or her will say who i am
Even they won't be able to define me
not you, or him can tell me who i am
One more time stating that you or him can't define who I am
you see my face is unveiled to the world
Concluding that my face is exposed to the world
Contributed by Scarlett H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.