Praised all over the globe by critics and fans including BEN HARPER and JEFF BUCKLEY's ex-manager DAVE LORY, MICK has played support to BOB DYLAN, COLDPLAY, STING, VAN MORRISON, PAUL WELLER, GOMEZ, TAJ MAHAL, ZWAN, THE PRETENDERS, PAUL KELLY, JOHN BUTLER TRIO and many more.
Possessing an earthy, soulful and angelic voice, MICK's music is a brilliant mix of rock/pop/blues/roots with MICK playing guitars, lapsteel, keyboards and harmonica and backed by an amazing band in Australia consisting of DAMIAN LEONARD (bass), TONY CHUBB (drums) and EVAN BROWETT (percussion).
Mick has just released his fourth studio album "FINDING HOME", an acoustic masterpiece written and recorded in France and England in 2006/2007. The album has a very raw and intimate old school quality, laying somewhere in the vain of early Bob Dylan, Ryan Adams, Nick Drake , Ben Harper and Elliot Smith along with Mick's unique voice and touch and possessing a wealth of songwriting inspiration.
Mick has released 3 other highly acclaimed albums and several EP's...
STILL THE FLOWERS BLOOM (2001)
UPSIDE DOWN IN THE FULL FACE OF OPTIMISM (2002)
NO COMPROMISE (2004)
RELEASE EP (1998)
KILL YOURSELF FOR LOVE (1999)
IF YOU COULD (2003)
REWIND (2006)
plus Mick's dirty rocking side project Monkey Boy
Bananas And Other Things 2005
www.monkeyboy.net.au
Chameleon
Mick Hart Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
can I claim something sweet
can I eat my words
when they win again, against you
lock you in a stare
lose yourself like I do
promise to say slow down
I am the adulteress
and the penitent man
I'm the cunning culprit
and the little lamb
and I love all God's children
all but one
this chameleon
can I ride it in
can I take it on
can you try to tell me why I haven't had you yet
oh yeah
I am the adulteress
and the penitent man
I'm the cunning culprit
and the little lamb
and I love all God's creatures
all but one
this chameleon
forsake it and you roll
forsake it and you feel
forsake it and you go
its such a changed change
it feels so on
such an on
and the guilt being inside
and you take it alright
promise not to say slow down
when it's racing slick white jets up there
I'm the adulteress
and the penitent man
I'm the cunning culprit
and the little lamb
and I love all God's creatures
all but one
this chameleon
The opening lines of “Chameleon” by Mick Hart are an invitation, really, to indulge in a little sensuality. “Can I indulge your skin? Can I claim something sweet? Can I eat my words when they win again, against you?” This last line is a bit difficult to decipher but it could be a suggestion that he is willing to go against his own convictions if it means he can win over this person he is singing to. The next lines are somewhat confusing, as he seems to be saying that he wants to lose himself in this person, but then he is also promising to say “slow down” when things get too intense.
The chorus of the song is where we get the main message: Mick Hart is many things, he is an “adulteress and a penitent man,” a “cunning culprit and a little lamb,” but he cannot seem to love this “chameleon.” It’s a bittersweet admission, and it makes us wonder what it is about this person that makes them so unlovable. Perhaps it is because they are something of a chameleon themselves, always changing, never staying still.
Overall, “Chameleon” is a song that explores the many different facets of human nature, the good and the bad, the beautiful and the ugly. It is a song about how we are all complex creatures, full of contradictions and secrets, and how we can never truly know another person.
Line by Line Meaning
can I indulge your skin
May I touch your body?
can I claim something sweet
Can I have something nice from you?
can I eat my words
Can I take back the things I said?
when they win again, against you
When my words are more convincing than yours?
lock you in a stare
Look at you intensely?
lose yourself like I do
Become as engrossed as I am?
promise to say slow down
Pledge to ask you to stop or suspend certain acts?
when it's racing white horses up there
When thoughts are rushing through my head?
I am the adulteress
I am not faithful to one individual?
and the penitent man
But I feel guilty?
I'm the cunning culprit
I am deceptive?
and the little lamb
Also, I am meek and mild?
and I love all God's children
I feel compassion for everyone?
all but one
Except a specific person?
this chameleon
This person who changes like a chameleon?
can I ride it in
May I join you in your activities?
can I take it on
May I take part in the challenge?
can you try to tell me why I haven't had you yet
Can you explain why we have not been intimate yet?
oh yeah
Expressing an affirmative response.
forsake it and you roll
If you give up or abandon it, you will fail?
forsake it and you feel
If you quit, you will regret your decision?
forsake it and you go
If you abandon it, you will leave it behind?
its such a changed change
It is a significant transformation?
it feels so on
It feels accurate or true?
and the guilt being inside
Feeling remorseful internally?
and you take it alright
Accepting or handling it well?
promise not to say slow down
Pledge not to ask to halt a particular action?
when it's racing slick white jets up there
When thoughts are rushing through my mind?
I'm the adulteress
I am not faithful to one person?
and the penitent man
But I feel guilty?
I'm the cunning culprit
I am a sneaky offender?
and the little lamb
I am meek and mild?
and I love all God's creatures
I feel compassion for all beings?
all but one
Except for a specific person?
this chameleon
This individual who changes like a chameleon?
Contributed by Hailey L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.