Getting to Know You
James Taylor Lyrics

Talking bout Jumping Jim,
Let's talk about Jumping Jim, who has made an impression on me.

Talking bout Mud Slide Slim.
Also, let's mention Mud Slide Slim, who is another person I would like to talk about.

Don't you know that a fish got to swim,
Just like everyone knows a fish is meant to swim and can't do without it, I also have things I'm meant to do.

Don't a goose got to fly high?
Similarly, like it is in the nature of a goose to fly high, I have some aspirations I'm striving for.

Little dog got to die and I'm going home.
Inevitably, everyone has to leave eventually, and even though there are things and people of interest in various places, I'm still heading home.

Woah, don't you know.
Do you know and understand what I mean?

Talking bout a life on the street,
Let's talk about life on the street, which I may have experienced or observed.

Gonna think about an itch in my feet.
I'm reminiscing about my travels and adventures, and I recall the feeling of wanting to move or explore more.

Can't you hand me down them highway shoes?
If you have any extra sturdy shoes, can you give them to me, as I need them to continue traveling?

Lord knows I'm talking 'bout the walking blues,
I'm feeling a little down because of my travels, and I'm reminded of the blues, a genre that often talks about tough times and personal struggles.

Got the rocking pneumonia blues
In addition to the walking blues, I also have the rocking pneumonia blues, which is another way of expressing the difficulty and discomfort I'm feeling.

And I'm headed home, bye-bye.
Despite all that, I'm ultimately going home.

Listen here now, don't you come round
Listen to me now, and don't come around here to disturb me.

Talking bout over yonder, listen,
If you're talking about something far away, please listen to me instead.

Bound to wake up the walking man in me
Continuing down the road and talking about distant places will only encourage my wandering spirit, which is something I'm trying to resist.

And I'm bound to wandering, hey now,
But even with that resistance, I might still find myself wandering and exploring new places.

Talking all about spooning into bone,
You might be telling me about things like survival and the bare necessities of life.

Looking just like Sherlock Holmes.
But, even though you might be telling me all these things, I'm looking for something specific, much like the detective Sherlock Holmes searches for clues to solve a mystery.

Looking for a needle in a haystack,
In essence, what I'm looking for is hard to find, like trying to find a single needle in a stack of hay.

Seeing and eating lots of fatback,
As I continue my travels, I see and experience various things, like a staple food item called fatback.

Hey, talking bout a railroad track
I'm also reminded of the railroad tracks, which often symbolize journeys and progress.

And I'm going home, bye-bye.
But regardless of what I see or experience, I'm ultimately heading home.

Woah, don't you know.
Do you really understand my experiences and feelings?

Woah, who, don't you know.
Are you sure you don't know?

You outta know, you oughta know, you oughta know.
Actually, you should know, you must know.

Outta know like a fish in the stream,
You should know it just like a fish in a stream knows how to swim, it is that obvious.

Outta know like a leaf on the tree.
You should know it like a leaf on a tree knows how to grow without fail, as it is the truth.

Outta know like a boat in the sea.
You should know it like a boat in the sea knows which way to sail, it's that simple.