Born Maria Garzia Rosa Domenica d'Amato on 12th September 1943 in Greenwich Village, New York, she performed in the early 1960s in Greenwich Village with Bob Dylan, John Sebastian, David Grisman, and Stefan Grossman. Later in the 1960s her distinctive vocals were heard in many of the tracks recorded by Jim Kweskin & the Jug Band.
She began her solo career in 1972 when her marriage to fellow Jug Band member Geoff Muldaur ended, retaining her married name. Her first solo album "Maria Muldaur", released in 1973, contained her hit single "Midnight at the Oasis", which reached number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1974. It also peaked at number 21 in the UK Singles Chart. Later that year, she released her second album Waitress In A Donut Shop. This included a re-recording of "I'm a Woman", the Leiber and Stoller number first associated with Peggy Lee and a standout feature from her Jug Band days. The title of this album is taken from a line in another song on the album, "Sweetheart" by Ken Burgan.
Around this time, Muldaur established a relationship with the Grateful Dead. Opening for some Grateful Dead shows in the summer of 1974, with John Kahn, bassist of the Jerry Garcia Band, would eventually earn her a seat in that group in the late 1970s, as a backing vocalist.
Later in her career, as her voice deepened, the blues were featured in more of her recordings. Her 2005 release Sweet Lovin' Ol' Soul was nominated for both a W.C. Handy Award and a Grammy award in the Traditional Blues Category.
In 2011 she released the album "Steady Love".
I Can't Stand It
Maria Muldaur Lyrics
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When you get all the love
I can't stand the pain of life
I can't even stand the shock.
But when I hear you say
That you will go away
And leave me someday
I can't stand itI can't stand it
When you stand close to me
You makes me kind of weak
And when you hold me tight
My poor heart skips a beat
And when I hear you say
That you will go away
And leave me someday
I can't stand it
When you're standin' close to me
You make me kinda weak
And when you hold me tight
My poor heart skips a beat
And when I hear you say
That you will go away
And leave me someday
I can't stand it
The lyrics of Maria Muldaur's "I Can't Stand It" express the feeling of being in love but also the fear of losing the person you love. The first two lines of the song establish this idea of pain when one is in love but does not receive the same kind of love back. The singer cannot bear the pain of not being loved equally in return. The second two lines talk about the overall pain in life that the singer is experiencing, so much so that they cannot even bear the shock of it.
However, the song really picks up when the singer hears their partner say that they will leave someday. The repetition of "I can't stand it" emphasizes how much this idea of losing their partner affects the singer. It is interesting to note that the singer's fear of loss overpowers the fear of the overall pain of life. The next two stanzas reiterate how the partner's presence can make the singer feel weak and vulnerable but also how every beat of their heart is tied to their partner. Overall, the song delves deeply into the idea of love and how it can be both beautiful and painful at the same time.
Line by Line Meaning
I can't stand the pain of love
The emotional pain of love is unbearable for me.
When you get all the love
It hurts me to see you receive all the love and attention.
I can't stand the pain of life
The difficulties of my life are too much for me to handle.
I can't even stand the shock.
Even minor surprises startle and upset me.
But when I hear you say That you will go away And leave me someday
The idea of being left behind by you one day is agonizing for me.
I can't stand it I can't stand it I can't stand it I can't stand it
I cannot bear the thought of losing you and being alone.
When you stand close to me You makes me kind of weak
Your presence near me makes me feel vulnerable and helpless.
And when you hold me tight My poor heart skips a beat
Your touch is so powerful that it takes my breath away and makes my heart race.
And when I hear you say That you will go away And leave me someday
Once again, the thought of losing you is terrifying and unbearable for me.
I can't stand it When you're standin' close to me You make me kinda weak And when you hold me tight My poor heart skips a beat And when I hear you say That you will go away And leave me someday I can't stand it
The repetition of my inability to handle the idea of losing you emphasizes the depth and intensity of my feelings for you.
Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing
Written by: LOU REED
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind