I'M A MAN
John E Sharpe and The Squires Lyrics


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The morning is dead
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
And I continue
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

Overall Meaning

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

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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