I'M A MAN
John E Sharpe and The Squires Lyrics
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And the day is, too
There's nothing left here to meet me
But the velvet moon
All my loneliness I have felt today
It's like a little more than enough
To make a man throw himself away
To burn the midnight lamp
Alone
Now the smiling portrait of you
Is still hangin' on my frowning wall
It really doesn't, really doesn't bother me too much at all
It's just the ever falling dust
That makes it so hard for me to see
That forgotten earring layin' on the floor
Facing coldly towards the door
I continue
To burn the midnight lamp
Lord, alone
Loneliness is such a drag
So here I sit to face
That same old fire place
Gettin' ready for the same old explosion
Goin' through my mind
And soon enough time will tell,
About the circus in the wishing well
And someone who will buy and sell for me
Someone to toll my bell
And I continue
To burn this old lamp
Lord, alone
Darlin' can't ya hear me callin' you?
So lonely
Gonna have to blow my mind
Lonely
The lyrics of John E Sharpe and The Squires’s song “I’m A Man” is a melancholic reflection on loneliness and isolation. The singer describes how he feels like there is nothing left for him in the morning, and the day is devoid of any significance with only the velvet moon to keep him company. He’s been feeling lonely all day, and it’s almost too much to bear. The implication of “make a man throw himself away” is somewhat dark and suggests that the singer may be contemplating self-harm or suicide.
The next verse features a smiling portrait of someone the singer knows, perhaps an ex-lover, hanging on his wall. Despite the smile, the portrait does nothing to ease his loneliness. It’s the constant reminder of an absent presence. The forgotten earring on the floor facing coldly towards the door is a poignant image that suggests a careless abandon of things that mattered to the singer. As the loneliness persists, the singer continues to burn the midnight lamp alone.
The last verse signals a desperate cry for help, as the singer calls out to someone to break his loneliness. He sits by the fire and is preparing himself for the next explosion in his mind. The mention of the circus in the wishing well suggests a reference to traditional stories of wishes not coming true, and the final plea to tolls his bell is an appeal for someone to rescue him from his misery.
Line by Line Meaning
The morning is dead
The morning is over and gone
And the day is, too
The day has also ended
There's nothing left here to meet me
There are no more events or activities for me to attend to
But the velvet moon
Only the moon is visible in the sky
All my loneliness I have felt today
I have been feeling incredibly lonely all day
It's like a little more than enough
The loneliness is becoming unbearable
To make a man throw himself away
It's causing mental distress that may lead to self-harm
And I continue
I persist
To burn the midnight lamp
To stay awake late into the night
Alone
Without companionship
Now the smiling portrait of you
I still have your picture on the wall
Is still hangin' on my frowning wall
Although I am unhappy, your picture remains on display
It really doesn't, really doesn't bother me too much at all
I am not particularly bothered or affected by it
It's just the ever falling dust
The picture is covered in dust
That makes it so hard for me to see
This makes it difficult for me to see the picture clearly
That forgotten earring layin' on the floor
There is an earring on the floor that has been forgotten
Facing coldly towards the door
The earring appears to be turned away from me
Loneliness is such a drag
Being lonely is extremely burdensome
So here I sit to face
I am sitting down to confront
That same old fire place
The fireplace that always looks the same
Gettin' ready for the same old explosion
Mentally preparing for an outburst of emotions
Goin' through my mind
Thoughts are on repeat in my head
And soon enough time will tell,
Eventually, the future will reveal what will happen
About the circus in the wishing well
Regarding the commotion in the hopes and dreams that have not been fulfilled
And someone who will buy and sell for me
A person who will take care of everything for me
Someone to toll my bell
Someone to take care of my problems
Darlin' can't ya hear me callin' you?
Addressing a loved one to ask for help and affection
So lonely
Feeling an intense sense of loneliness
Gonna have to blow my mind
A possibility of losing one's sanity
Lonely
Repetitive emphasis on intense loneliness
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT
Written by: Ellas McDaniel
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