Born the daughter of Dvora und Abraham Schneider (the name is German and means tailor), she studied piano before starting to perform as a singer in venues in New England and New York.
Between 1978 and 1984 she achieved some success as a rock singer in Germany; her song Rock'n' Roll Gypsy even reached the top 10 record charts. 1980 she toured as an opener with the German rock legend Udo Lindenberg. She played one of the leads and the love interest of Eddie Wilson in the 1983 film Eddie and the Cruisers, which has since gained a huge cult following, especially in unusual places for an American film such as Nepal, Russia and especially Germany, where Schneider had name recognition.[1]
In 1987 she began her acting career at the Theater des Westens in Berlin playing the Sally Bowles in the musical Cabaret. From 1995 to 1998 she performed as Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Since 1998 she mainly performs chansons and songs with lyrics pieces by Kurt Weill. She worked with Eberhard Schoener on the recording of the Short Opera (1996) and on the goodbye-song for the TV series Derrick. From 1999 to 2001 she performed as Eva Perón in the musical Evita at the Bad Hersfelder Festspiele.
In 2007 Schneider released the CD Just Like A Woman [1]
Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
Helen Schneider Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sometimes I feel a little bad
Don't you know that no-one alive
Can always be an angel
When things go wrong I seem to be bad
But I'm just a soul who's intentions are good
Oh Lord, please don't let me be misunderstood
Baby, sometimes I'm so carefree
With a joy that's hard to hide
And sometimes it seems that
All I have to do is worry
And then you're bound to see my other side
But I'm just a soul who's intentions are good
Oh Lord, please don't let me be misunderstood
If I seem edgy, I want you to know
That I never mean to take it out on you
Life has it's problems and I get my share
And that's one thing I never mean to do
'cause I love you
Oh, baby, don't you know I'm human
Have thoughts like any other one
And sometimes I find myself alone and regretting
Some foolish thing, some little simple thing I've done
But I'm just a soul who's intentions are good
Oh Lord, please don't let me be misunderstood
Life has it's problems and I get my share
But that's one thing I never mean to do
I'm just a soul who's intentions are good
Oh Lord, please don't let me be misunderstood
I'm just a soul who's intentions are good
Oh Lord, please don't let me be misunderstood
No, don't
Don't do it
Don't let me be misunderstood
No, I'm just a soul
My intentions are good
Oh come on baby
Don't let me be misunderstood
Come on
Listen to me
...
In the song Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood by Helen Schneider, the lyrics express a sense of vulnerability and fear of being misunderstood. Helen sings about how sometimes she can be carefree and joyful, but other times she can be edgy and seem like she's taking her problems out on those around her. The song is an appeal to her loved ones to try and understand her, to see that her intentions are good even when her actions might not always reflect that. Helen pleads with her listeners not to misunderstand her, to see her as she is: a flawed human being who tries her best.
The song is infused with a sense of deep emotional intensity that comes through in Helen's powerful vocals. She delivers the lyrics with rawness and honesty, creating a strong emotional connection with her listeners. The repetition of the line "I'm just a soul who's intentions are good" serves to reinforce the theme of the song: that we should try to understand each other, despite our flaws and imperfections.
Overall, Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood is a passionate and powerful song about human connection and understanding, delivered with soulful intensity by Helen Schneider.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby, can you understand now
Asking for understanding from a loved one
Sometimes I feel a little bad
Acknowledging personal imperfection
Don't you know that no-one alive
Emphasizing that nobody is perfect and everyone makes mistakes
Can always be an angel
Admitting to a tendency to do wrong
When things go wrong I seem to be bad
Explaining that she feels misunderstood when things go wrong
But I'm just a soul who's intentions are good
Reiterating that her intentions are good despite mistakes
Oh Lord, please don't let me be misunderstood
Asking for understanding and acceptance from a higher power
Baby, sometimes I'm so carefree
Describing moments of joy and happiness
With a joy that's hard to hide
Feeling intense happiness
And sometimes it seems that
Noting that things can change quickly
All I have to do is worry
Noting that small events can upset her
And then you're bound to see my other side
Explaining that worry can manifest in unexpected ways
If I seem edgy, I want you to know
Explaining how her emotions may be perceived
That I never mean to take it out on you
Ensuring her loved one of her intentions
Life has it's problems and I get my share
Acknowledging that everyone struggles in life
And that's one thing I never mean to do
Reassuring that she never wants to harm her loved one
'cause I love you
Expressing love
Oh, baby, don't you know I'm human
Reminding her loved one that she is human and makes mistakes
Have thoughts like any other one
Normalizing human thoughts and emotions
And sometimes I find myself alone and regretting
Describing a feeling of remorse
Some foolish thing, some little simple thing I've done
Explaining what she may be regretting
No, don't
Urging against misunderstanding
Don't do it
Reiterating the importance of avoiding misunderstanding
No, I'm just a soul
Asserting her humanity
Oh come on baby
Asking for reassurance
Come on
Asking for a response
Listen to me
Asking for attention
Contributed by Addison S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@fafnj
love her so many never heard of her but ive got her 3 LPS
@carmenxxx
serbestdolasimagirisbeyannamesi'ne selamlar
@sonicbootcamp
Die Version ist leider nicht so gelungen. Klingt eher so als ob man noch Füllmaterial auf der Scheibe gebraucht hat...