Dignity
Joe Cocker Lyrics

Fat man lookin' in a blade of steel
A person who is overweight is feeling depressed and searching for respect by looking into a sharp reflection.

Thin man lookin' at his last meal
A person who is underweight is struggling to survive and wants to be treated with respect before their time is up.

Hollow man lookin' in a cottonfield For dignity
A person who is feeling empty inside sees a field of potential and hopes to find respect by working hard.

Wise man lookin' in a blade of grass
Someone who is knowledgeable is searching for meaning and respect even in the smallest things.

Young man lookin' in the shadows that pass
A young person is trying to make sense of the world, and trying to find respect in the things that seem to be fleeting.

Poor man lookin' through painted glass For dignity
A person who is financially challenged is looking through rose-colored lenses and hoping to find dignity despite their circumstances.

Somebody got murdered on New Year's Eve
A tragedy occurred on New Year's Eve when someone lost their life.

Somebody said dignity was the first to leave
People are saying that respect and dignity disappeared first from the situation, before anything else bad happened.

I went into the city, went into the town Went into the land of the midnight sun
The artist is traveling to different places, looking for something he has lost.

Searchin' high, searchin' low Searchin' everywhere I know Askin' the cops wherever I go Have you seen dignity?
The artist is searching relentlessly for respect and dignity, asking anyone who may have information.

Blind man breakin' out of a trance Puts both his hands in the pockets of chance Hopin' to find one circumstance Of dignity
A person who is blind is trying to feel his way through life, and hoping for any circumstance that might bring him respect or dignity.

I went to the wedding of Mary-lou She said 'I don't want nobody see me talkin' to you" Said she could get killed if she told me what she knew About dignity
The artist goes to a wedding and is shunned by someone who is afraid to talk to him about something relating to respect and dignity.

I went down where the vultures feed I would've got deeper, but there wasn't any need Heard the tongues of angels and the tongues of men Wasn't any difference to me
The singer goes to a dark and dangerous place, but finds nothing that can distinguish between the divine and the profane.

Chilly wind sharp as a razor blade House on fire, debts unpaid Gonna stand at the window, gonna ask the maid Have you seen dignity?
The singer is in a dire situation, and despite the chaos around him, he still seeks respect and dignity by asking anyone who might know where to find it.

Drinkin' man listens to the voice he hears In a crowded room full of covered up mirrors Lookin' into the lost forgotten years For dignity
A person who drinks too much is searching for respect while surrounded by people who are hiding their true selves, and going back in time to try and find where respect and dignity were lost.

Met Prince Phillip at the home of the blues Said he'd give me information if his name wasn't used He wanted money up front, said he was abused By dignity
The artist meets someone who is demanding respect for himself, even though he has done things that may make him unworthy of it.

Footprints runnin' cross the silver sand Steps goin' down into tattoo land I met the sons of darkness and the sons of light In the bordertowns of despair
The artist is treading on uncertain ground, encountering both familiar and unfamiliar territory and people, in his search for respect and dignity.

Got no place to fade, got no coat I'm on the rollin' river in a jerkin' boat Tryin' to read a note somebody wrote About dignity
The singer is adrift and seeking any sign of respect or dignity, even settling for a message that may or may not be helpful, as long as it gives him something to hold onto.

Sick man lookin' for the doctor's cure Lookin' at his hands for the lines that were And into every masterpiece of literature For dignity
A sick person is trying to regain his health, but also trying to find respect and dignity in his own life, as well as in the art and literature around him.

Englishman stranded in the blackheart wind Combin' his hair back, his future looks thin Bites the bullet and he looks within For dignity
An Englishman is in a difficult and unfamiliar place, but he is looking for respect and dignity by examining himself and his own actions, instead of relying on others.

Someone showed me a picture and I just laughed Dignity never been photographed I went into the red, went into the black Into the valley of dry bone dreams
The idea of respect and dignity is elusive and cannot be captured in a simple image, and the artist feels despair and depression, as if he is in a barren valley of his own thoughts.

So many roads, so much at stake So many dead ends, I'm at the edge of the lake Sometimes I wonder what it's gonna take To find dignity
The artist has been on a long and difficult journey, with many setbacks and obstacles, and he is wondering what it will take for him to finally find respect and dignity.