Upside Down
Jim Lauderdale Lyrics
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Cold winds blew up from the south
Sleigh bells ringing on July fourth
So help me baby shut my mouth
My wheels started running on low cost gas
Without a single knock or a ping
The birds in the trees began barking so fast
Chorus
My whole world turned upside down
The day you rambled into to town
The sun set east, the sun rose west
And the fish in the river did drown
The devil he handed out cookies and cake
Angels swore and spit on the ground
My whole world turned for heaven's sake
The day you started hanging around
My heart started running fast as it could
I felt love deep down in my feet
But turn it back around if you only would
Your love would make my life complete
[Chorus:]
The clocks ran backwards, going tock-tick-tock
The telephone chimed the hour
I put my shoe on under my sock
Added sugar to my coffee turned sour
I don't dare tell you that I love you so
The words would only come out wrong
I'm just hoping you will somehow know
That baby that's the short and long
[Chorus:]
My whole world turned upside down
The day you rambled into to town
In Jim Lauderdale's song "Upside Down," the singer finds himself in a surreal world where nothing seems to make sense. The lyrics describe how hot winds blew down from the north while cold winds blew up from the south, and how sleigh bells rang on July fourth. The singer's car runs smoothly on low-cost gas, and the birds in the trees bark so fast that his hound dog starts to sneeze. However, despite these strange occurrences, it is the presence of a particular person in town that turns the singer's world "upside down."
The chorus of the song sings of how everything changed for the singer the day the love interest rambled into town. The sun set to the east and rose to the west, and the fish in the river even drowned. The devil hands out cookies and cake, and angels swear and spit on the ground. Time runs backward, and everything seems to be in a state of chaos. The singer's heart starts running fast, and he feels love deep down in his feet, but he doesn't dare say anything because his words would only come out wrong.
The song is a whimsical exploration of the transformative power of love. The singer's world is turned upside down by the presence of the love interest, and everything seems to change. The lyrics are full of contradictory imagery, and the song has a playful, almost dreamlike quality. It is clear that for the singer, the love interest holds the power to make a significant difference in his life, and he hopes that somehow they will know it.
Line by Line Meaning
Hot winds blew down from the north
Strange things were happening all around
Cold winds blew up from the south
The world was changing in unexpected ways
Sleigh bells ringing on July fourth
Things that normally don't happen were happening
So help me baby shut my mouth
I couldn't explain any of it
My wheels started running on low cost gas
Things were going smoothly
Without a single knock or a ping
There were no obstacles in my way
The birds in the trees began barking so fast
Animals were acting strangely
My hound dog started to sneeze
Even pets were affected by the strange happenings
My whole world turned upside down
My life changed completely
The day you rambled into to town
When you came into my life
The sun set east, the sun rose west
Things that were once predictable became unpredictable
And the fish in the river did drown
Even nature was affected by the changes
The devil he handed out cookies and cake
Even evil things seemed good
Angels swore and spit on the ground
Even good things seemed bad
My heart started running fast as it could
I fell in love
I felt love deep down in my feet
I felt love with my entire being
But turn it back around if you only would
If you loved me too, my life would be complete
Your love would make my life complete
Your love is all I need to be happy
The clocks ran backwards, going tock-tick-tock
Time seemed to move in reverse
The telephone chimed the hour
Even technology was acting strangely
I put my shoe on under my sock
Even my daily routine was affected
Added sugar to my coffee turned sour
Even the simple things went wrong
I don't dare tell you that I love you so
I'm afraid to express my feelings
The words would only come out wrong
I wouldn't know how to say it
I'm just hoping you will somehow know
I hope you can understand without me saying it
Contributed by Gianna Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
ringforthrev
Jim is such a great writer, perfect song for Patty
Dennis Schell
GREAT song!!!
Great Performance!!! 😎
buckize68
Patty Loveless can make any song sound superb!
Danella Cervasa
I am a big fan of Jim, this is awesome
Marlene Badyka
WOW!! AMAZING
Kevin Lasselle
Two of my favorite performers then and they still are. I've seen this before but still gives me chills.
Thomas Tommy
I am fan of Jim and Patty. They are great together.
paul levine
first rate contemporary country, this is the way to do it, Patty is my favorite singer of todays country and jim is such an underrated musician and songwriter, Great stuff !!!
Paul Anuszkiewicz
Wow! They shudda released this tune as a duet! Harmony with Patty was exquisite!
demonic alien cat princess
Two awesome musicians who know how to make true music and I am on cloud nine at the moment as I met Jim a couple of hours ago.