By the Way
Joe Scruggs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There′s not a minute to spare
Mom calls out, "Come on, let's go!"
As she finishes drying her hair
Now I'm in my place with a smile on my face
Just thinking about my day
Then I think of some things I′m supposed to bring
And that′s when I say, "Dear Mom...
Oh, by the way (oh, by the way)
I need an orange juice can
Four cotton balls (four cotton balls)
And six rubber bands
And by the way (and by the way)
I'm an angel for the play
I′m gonna sing (I'm gonna sing)
And I need some wings. (Mom, I need some wings.)"
Well, I guess I′ve induced some stress
Mom's smile begins to fade
As she runs to the kitchen and digs through the trash
For the can from the lemonade
Now I start to protest, but she′s doing her best
So then I tried to make it right
I say, "I need everything by 8:15
But I don't need the wings 'til tonight.
Oh, by the way (oh, by the way)
I need and orange juice can
If it′s lemonade (if it′s lemonade)
Will the teacher understand?
And by the way (and by the way)
They're having meatloaf today
If you don′t mind a bunch (if you don't mind a bunch)
I′m gonna need a lunch. (Mom, I need a lunch.)"
Sometimes I just don't believe
How resourceful moms can be
She gets the cotton balls and the rubber bands
From her vanity
I′ve got a lemonade can, not quite the right brand
But Mom says, "It will do."
Then we're out of the door at 7:54
I won't be late for school
Oh, by the way (oh, by the way)
Meatloaf is better than it seems
And for my lunch (and for my lunch)
Mom packed a can of sardines
And for the play (and for the play)
It′s sister′s costume from ballet
I'm gonna sing (I′m gonna sing)
In her butterfly wings (sing in her butterfly wings)
I'm gonna sing (I′m gonna sing)
In her butterfly wings (sing in her butterfly wings)
In Joe Scruggs's song "By the Way," we see the daily morning routine of a young boy and his mother as he gets ready for school. The boy realizes that he needs some items for his school play, and he asks his mom if she can provide him with an orange juice can, four cotton balls, and six rubber bands, along with a pair of wings. As his mom tries to find these items, tensions arise as they struggle to locate the required items, and the boy clarifies his needs. Eventually, his mother manages to do her best in getting all the items by improvising, and they leave for school together.
The lyrics of "By the Way" highlight the resourcefulness of mothers and how they can make do with what they have to fulfill their children's needs. The boy's mother faces challenges but persists in trying to provide her son with what he needs, even if it's not a perfect match. The song may serve as a reminder to listeners about the sacrifices parents make for their children, even if it means going out of their way to satisfy their needs or wishes. It also highlights the importance of communication and being clear about what one needs, so that misunderstandings can be sorted out.
Line by Line Meaning
It's Monday morning, I'm running late
Today is Monday and I am in a hurry
There's not a minute to spare
I'm running out of time
Mom calls out, "Come on, let's go!"
My mom is urging me to hurry up so we can leave
As she finishes drying her hair
My mom just finished fixing her hair
Now I'm in my place with a smile on my face
I am now at school with a happy expression
Just thinking about my day
I am contemplating the events of today
Then I think of some things I'm supposed to bring
I remembered some items that I need for later
And that's when I say, "Dear Mom...
I then ask my mom for some help
Oh, by the way (oh, by the way)
Speaking of which
I need an orange juice can
I require an empty can of orange juice
Four cotton balls (four cotton balls)
I need four cotton balls for a task
And six rubber bands
I need six rubber bands for my class
And by the way (and by the way)
Also
I'm an angel for the play
I have a role as an angel in the school play
I'm gonna sing (I'm gonna sing)
I will perform a song
And I need some wings. (Mom, I need some wings.)"
I require some wings for my costume
Mom's smile begins to fade
My mom's happy face turned sad
As she runs to the kitchen and digs through the trash
My mom goes to the kitchen and searches for an item in the garbage
For the can from the lemonade
She is searching for a can from the lemonade drink
Now I start to protest, but she's doing her best
I wanted to object, but my mom is trying to help me with what she has
So then I tried to make it right
I attempted to make the situation better
I say, "I need everything by 8:15
I need all my required items by 8:15
But I don't need the wings 'til tonight.
I only need the wings for tonight's play
If it's lemonade (if it's lemonade)
In case we only have a lemonade can
Will the teacher understand?
I wonder if my teacher will accept it
If you don't mind a bunch (if you don't mind a bunch)
If you are okay with it
I'm gonna need a lunch. (Mom, I need a lunch.)"
I require food for later
Sometimes I just don't believe
At times I cannot fathom
How resourceful moms can be
My mom is very resourceful
She gets the cotton balls and the rubber bands
My mom successfully found the cotton balls and rubber bands
From her vanity
She took them from her dressing table
I've got a lemonade can, not quite the right brand
I have a can from a different brand than the required one
But Mom says, "It will do."
My mom thinks it's good enough
Then we're out of the door at 7:54
We left the house at 7:54
Meatloaf is better than it seems
Meatloaf tastes good
And for my lunch (and for my lunch)
As for my food
Mom packed a can of sardines
My mom prepared canned sardines for my lunch
And for the play (and for the play)
Regarding the school play
It's sister's costume from ballet
I will wear my sister's butterfly costume for my role in the play
I'm gonna sing (I'm gonna sing)
I will perform a song
In her butterfly wings (sing in her butterfly wings)
While wearing the butterfly wings
I'm gonna sing (I'm gonna sing)
I will perform a song
In her butterfly wings (sing in her butterfly wings)
While wearing the butterfly wings
Contributed by Hannah W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@CharlesReinmuth
Love the animation of a great song from my childhood.
@rrobb786
Wow… I finally found it. This song brought back some extremely profound feelings of nostalgia for me from when I was a kid. Mom played these over and over and it just feels like yesterday. Haven’t heard this song in 20 years at least but I feel like I instantly knew every line! Who knew such a simple video would make my day
@malakoffmom
My grandchildren are repeating the same tricks my kid's tried in the 90s. Happening this morning and this song immediately played in my head.
Still a 90s greatest hits in my book.
@VSea-nz3cj
Joe Scruggs is a supreme talent and all my kids grew up loving and singing his songs!!!!
@chelsiirvine8970
THE FREAKING NOSTALGIA 😍😊☺️🥰😁
@nbenefiel
Every child should grow up with Joe Scruggs and Raffi.
@GG-pv6fi
My siblings and I used to watch this VHS over and over, and over, and over ❤❤❤❤
@nbenefiel
I just sent this CD for my grandson’s third birthday.
@nbenefiel
This was more my kids song than mine. My big singer when I was little was Burl Ives.
@gablit-gt8kk
You what the moral is don't change you're mind if you're running late for work, just be thankful for what you can use instead