Focusing primarily on instrumental composition and playing, Kottke also sings sporadically, in an unconventional yet expressive baritone described by himself as sounding like "geese farts on a muggy day".[1] In concert, Kottke intersperses humorous and often bizarre monologues with vocal and instrumental selections from throughout his career, played solo on 6- and 12-string guitars.
You Tell Me Why
Leo Kottke Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
By Ron Elliot
Copyright 1965 Clears Music, Inc./Bmi
Recorded by Leo Kottke on:
1973 "Ice Water" (Capitol)
You tell me that I must not cry
You tell me all good things must die
You ask me why I get upset
Tell me why
You tell me I won't be blue for long
You say I'll find a love that's strong
You tell me she was not for me
That's just the way love's got to be
Tell me why
You tell me I will find my way
Tomorrow won't be like today
You tell me life was meant to be
One-third good two-thirds misery
Tell me why
You tell me that I must not cry
You tell me all good things must die
You ask me why I get upset
You tell me that I will forget
In Leo Kottke's song "You Tell Me Why," Ron Elliot's lyrics express a sense of confusion, uncertainty, and sadness that comes with a break-up. The song's verses present different pieces of advice that the singer is getting to cope with the pain of lost love: the repetitive refrain "tell me why" is an appeal to try to make sense of mixed advice and conflicting emotions.
The first two lines already juxtapose opposites: the listener is told not to cry while being informed that all good things must come to an end. The other verses continue with a series of platitudes: one will forget and, eventually, find love again; that love was not meant to last, that life is a mix of good and bad. There is irony in the fact that the delivery of these trite, if well-intentioned, phrases is not helpful but may even cause more confusion and hurt. In a way, "You Tell Me Why" is a song about the inadequacy of words to heal emotional pain or fully understanding the complexity of human relationships.
The blend of Kottke's intricate guitar playing and Elliot's melancholic, though somewhat tongue-in-cheek lyrics, create a mood that is both introspective and playful, making the song an excellent example of the singer-songwriter genre it represents.
Line by Line Meaning
You tell me that I must not cry
You try to console me by telling me that I shouldn't cry.
You tell me all good things must die
You explain to me that all good things come to an end.
You ask me why I get upset
You express curiosity about why I become upset.
You tell me that I will forget
You assure me that I will move on and forget about my troubles.
Tell me why
You ask for an explanation or reason for my feelings.
You tell me I won't be blue for long
You reassure me that my sadness won't last forever.
You say I'll find a love that's strong
You tell me that I will find a stronger and better kind of love.
You tell me she was not for me
You explain that the person I was interested in wasn't the right match for me.
That's just the way love's got to be
You suggest that this is simply how love works and there's no other way around it.
Tell me why
You ask again for an explanation or reason for my feelings.
You tell me I will find my way
You express confidence in my ability to figure things out and find my path.
Tomorrow won't be like today
You believe that tomorrow will bring new things and a change of circumstances.
You tell me life was meant to be
You hold a belief that life has a certain purpose or destiny.
One-third good two-thirds misery
You describe life as being mostly difficult, with only a few good moments.
Tell me why
You ask yet again for an explanation or reason for my feelings.
You tell me that I must not cry
You reiterate that I shouldn't cry.
You tell me all good things must die
You repeat the idea that all good things eventually come to an end.
You ask me why I get upset
You repeat the question about my emotional state.
You tell me that I will forget
You repeat the assurance that I will get over my difficulties.
Contributed by Asher C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
St Pauli
Leo did some excellent covers.i've seen him in cocert several times and own many LP's and Cd's.very special!
brimo109
I haven't heard this in a generation. Real nice isn't it ?
Madonna Jacobson
one of my all time favorites
jbarsinister
great song, lovesick boy and haven't we all sung this song at least once (or twice if we're really lucky).
Photo Not Available
Very nice. BTW, I ran into Sal Valentino, lead singer of The Beau Brummels, last weekend at Westfield Galleria at Roseville, Calif. near Sacramento, who was Christmas shopping with his wife. He's was receptive to my saying, "Hello." He's 76 and still performs locally.
SouthCarolinaPicker
.. WoW .. how cool is that!
daveb714
Great cover. Thanks for posting.
SouthCarolinaPicker
.. Thanks for stopping by.. Much appreciated
GastHN
Leo...forever
Dave Carrett
luvit