Martin Sexton is a musician originally from the Syracuse, New York area. Se… Read Full Bio ↴Martin Sexton is a musician originally from the Syracuse, New York area. Sexton migrated to Boston in 1990 where he built a following singing around Harvard Square and gradually working his way into the club scene. In the Journey, his 1992 collection of self-produced demo recordings, as well as his captivating live appearances earned him a number of Boston Music Awards not to mention The National Academy of Songwriters "Artist of the Year". Sexton has released five more studio albums and one live album since then. Sexton is committed to translating many American music forms into guitar-based folk; his influences include jazz, blues, rock, soul, gospel, doo-wop, and traditional country. His songs showcase his talents not only as a writer but also as a guitarist and vocalist.

His studio albums have become increasingly experimental. While they often feature full arrangements including horns, piano, bass, drums, and back-up singers, he has translated these arrangements on stage to just himself and his guitar without slowing the tempo or sacrificing components of the song. Like the folk-country and Delta blues singers that influence him, he uses his feet, the palm of his left hand, and his voice, to simulate drums and bass behind his vocals and guitar chords. Often Sexton will accentuate his songs by running his vocals through a guitar processor (similar to Peter Frampton), as well as a jazz trumpet-like singing style.

The Way I Am
Martin Sexton Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

The other night I had a crazy dream
'Bout a man in a fishing hat selling magazines
All the way from Kingston he'd worked his way down
I bought him a drink on the night they kicked him out of town

He said, "You know I don't like the way I am."
"No, I don't like the way I am."

And I saw an old fisherman out swayin' on a dock
Swigging a jug of something and a string of fish that he had caught
His wife had left him just a week before
She packed up her bags and waltzed on out the door

She said, "You know I don't like the way I am."
"No, I don't like the way I am."

And then she cried
And you and me walked down the shores of our youth
Chasing the sunrise, challenging the truth

It's all so distant now I've seen too many lies
Turning my vision into crumbling demise

Makes me want to say
You know I don't like the way I am
No, I don't like the way I am

But I'm gonna change the way I am
I'm gonna change the way I am

Overall Meaning

The song "Way I Am" by Martin Sexton seems to be about people reflecting on their lives and realizing they are not happy with who they are. The first verse depicts a dream where the singer encounters a man in a fishing hat who is selling magazines. This man expresses his dislike for himself, which perhaps implies that he is stuck in a mundane job and feels unfulfilled in life. The second verse shows an old fisherman who is swigging alcohol and holding a string of fish he has caught. The fisherman's wife has left him, presumably because he is not the type of person she wants to be with. The chorus repeats the phrase "you know I don't like the way I am," highlighting the overarching theme of self-dissatisfaction.

The final verse is more introspective, with the singer contemplating their own life and the crumbling of their vision due to the lies they have encountered. However, the singer also resolves to change the way they are, indicating a desire for self-improvement and personal growth. The line "chasing the sunrise, challenging the truth" adds a bit of optimism and suggests that despite the difficulties in life, it is important to keep striving for something better.

Overall, "Way I Am" appears to be a poignant exploration of the human condition and the constant struggle for self-improvement in the face of societal expectations and personal obstacles.

Line by Line Meaning

The other night I had a crazy dream
Martin Sexton had an unusual dream that he wants to share

'Bout a man in a fishing hat selling magazines
The dream featured a man in a fishing hat who was selling magazines

All the way from Kingston he'd worked his way down
The man in the fishing hat had travelled all the way from Kingston and made his living selling magazines

I bought him a drink on the night they kicked him out of town
Martin Sexton purchased a drink for the man in the fishing hat when he was forced to leave town

He said, "You know I don't like the way I am." "No, I don't like the way I am."
The man in the fishing hat expressed his dissatisfaction with who he was as a person

And I saw an old fisherman out swayin' on a dock Swigging a jug of something and a string of fish that he had caught
In the same dream, Martin Sexton saw an old fisherman who had caught fish and was drinking something

His wife had left him just a week before She packed up her bags and waltzed on out the door
The fisherman's wife had recently left him and taken her things with her

She said, "You know I don't like the way I am." "No, I don't like the way I am."
The fisherman's wife also expressed her unhappiness with who she was as a person

And then she cried And you and me walked down the shores of our youth Chasing the sunrise, challenging the truth
The dream shifted to Martin Sexton walking with someone, seeing the sunrise and questioning the truth

It's all so distant now I've seen too many lies Turning my vision into crumbling demise
Martin Sexton reflects on how the world has changed and how this has negatively affected his view of the world

Makes me want to say You know I don't like the way I am No, I don't like the way I am
Martin Sexton is also unhappy with who he is as a person

But I'm gonna change the way I am I'm gonna change the way I am
Martin Sexton is determined to change himself and become a better person

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: SAMOLIS, SEXTON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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