New York City
John & Yoko Plastic Ono Band Lyrics
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And midsummer new york my heart shakes in terror.
My heart, my hands, my legs, my mind,
Evrything I touch is shaking, shaking, shaking, shaking,
Shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, oooh.
Wake up in the morning, my beds wet in sweat.
And midsummer new york, scream in the mirror.
Evrything you see is aching, shaking, shaking, shaking,
Shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, oooh.
And you shake, shake, shake, shake, shake,
Shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, oooh.
Wake up in the morning, my minds dried up in pain.
Midsummer new yorks waiting for the rain.
The window, the trees, the park, the sun,
The whole world s shaking, is shaking, shaking,
Shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, oooh.
Shake, oh, shake, oh, shake,
Shake, oh, shake, shake.
Aching, aching, aching, aching, aching,
Oh, its aching, aching, aching, oh, aching,
Aching, aching, oh, its aching, aching, oh, oh.
Shaking, shaking,
Shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake,
Shake!
Shake, oh, shake, shake, shake, shake,
Shake, shake, shake.
Shake, shake,
Shake, shake, shake, shake.
Ooh, oh, shake, shake, shake, shake,
Oh, oh, oh, oh, aching, oh, oh, aching, aching, aching, aching.
Shake, shake, shaking, shaking, shaking, shaking,
Shaking, ooh, oh, shaking, oh, shake,
Oh, oh, shaking, shaking, shaking, shaking,
Oh, oh, shaking, shake, shake, shake, shake,
Shake, shake, shake,
Shake!
Oh, oh, oh, shake, shake.
The song 'New York City', written by John Lennon and performed by the Plastic Ono Band, is a powerful portrayal of the anxiety and fear that Lennon experienced upon moving to the city. The lyrics are vivid and raw, and they paint a picture of a man who is overwhelmed by the chaos and noise of the city, and who is struggling to make sense of his place in it.
The song begins with Lennon waking up in the morning, his hands cold with fear and his heart shaking in terror. He describes how everything he touches seems to be shaking, and how this feeling permeates his entire being. The second verse sees him screaming in the mirror, and realizing that everything he sees around him is also aching and shaking. By the time the third verse comes around, his mind is dried up in pain, and he is desperate for the rain to come and wash away the anxiety that is consuming him.
Throughout the song, Lennon repeats the phrase "shake, shake, shake", which serves to reinforce the feeling of instability and uncertainty that is at the core of the song. He also uses the word "aching" repeatedly, which suggests a deeper, more visceral pain that is beyond mere anxiety or nervousness.
Line by Line Meaning
Wake up in the morning, my hands cold in fear.
I wake up every morning with a feeling of fear that makes my hands cold.
And midsummer new york my heart shakes in terror.
During the summer in New York, I feel a sense of terror and my heart starts to shake.
My heart, my hands, my legs, my mind,
My heart, hands, legs, and mind are all affected by this overwhelming feeling.
Evrything I touch is shaking, shaking, shaking, shaking,
This feeling is so intense that everything I touch also starts to shake.
Shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, oooh.
This shaking continues and intensifies.
Wake up in the morning, my beds wet in sweat.
I wake up every morning sweating so profusely that my bed sheets are damp.
And midsummer new york, scream in the mirror.
During the summer in New York, I am so overwhelmed that I scream when I look at myself in the mirror.
And the door, and the chairs, and the floor, and the ceiling,
This feeling extends beyond myself and affects everything in the room including the door, chairs, floor, and ceiling.
Evrything you see is aching, shaking, shaking, shaking,
Everything I see appears to be in agony and shaking just like me.
Shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, oooh.
This shaking continues and intensifies. I cannot escape it.
And you shake, shake, shake, shake, shake,
And it's not just me, the feeling is ubiquitous.
Wake up in the morning, my minds dried up in pain.
In the mornings, my mind is unable to function due to the immense pain I am experiencing.
Midsummer new yorks waiting for the rain.
I am desperately waiting for some relief or release from my pain.
The window, the trees, the park, the sun,
Even nature itself appears to be affected by the same sort of pain and agony.
The whole world s shaking, is shaking, shaking,
The entire world seems to be shaking in pain and agony.
Shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, oooh.
The shaking continues and intensifies.
Shake, oh, shake, oh, shake,
I am repeatedly told to shake, dizzy with this pain and agony.
Shake, oh, shake, shake.
The command to shake continues.
Aching, aching, aching, aching, aching,
The feeling of agony is all-consuming.
Oh, its aching, aching, aching, oh, aching,
The sensation of agony is overwhelming.
Aching, aching, oh, its aching, aching, oh, oh.
The agony is pervasive and ongoing.
Shaking, shaking,
The act of shaking is constant and inescapable.
Shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake,
Again, the command to shake is repeated.
Shaking, ooh, oh, shaking, oh, shake,
I am gripped with an all-consuming feeling of shaking.
Oh, oh, shaking, shaking, shaking, shaking,
The feeling of shaking is all-encompassing, and it feels like the entire world is shaking with me.
Oh, oh, shaking, shake, shake, shake, shake,
The sensation is inescapable.
Shake, shake, shake,
It feels like I will never escape this endless cycle of shaking.
Shake!
The cyclical and involuntary shaking continues.
Oh, oh, oh, shake, shake.
The pain and agony I feel is beyond words.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: YOKO ONO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind