I'm Down
Neal Schon & Jan Hammer Lyrics
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You can't cry 'cos you're laughing at me
I'm down (I'm really down)
I'm down (Down on the ground)
I'm down (I'm really down)
How can you laugh when you know I'm down
(How can you laugh) When you know I'm down.
Man buys ring woman throws it away
I'm down (I'm really down)
I'm down (Down on the ground)
I'm down (I'm really down)
How can you laugh when you know I'm down
(How can you laugh) When you know I'm down.
presented by happyhuang :)
We're all alone and there's nobody else
You still moan: Keep your hands to yourself!
I'm down (I'm really down)
baby I'm down (Down on the ground)
I'm down (I'm really down)
How can you laugh when you know I'm down
(How can you laugh) When you know I'm down.
Don't you know that I'm down (I'm really down)
Don't you know that I'm down (I'm really down)
Down on the ground (I'm really down)
Don't you know that I'm down (I'm really down)
Down, down, down.
Down, down, down.
The lyrics of "I'm Down" by Neal Schon & Jan Hammer are about a person who is going through a tough time, possibly a breakup or some other kind of emotional distress, and the people around them are not taking them seriously. The singer is expressing their frustration towards others who are lying to them and laughing at them while they are struggling. The lyrics suggest a sense of hopelessness and powerlessness, as the singer is down on the ground and unable to get up.
The first verse suggests that someone is lying to the singer and laughing at them, even though they know that the singer is struggling. The next verse uses a metaphor of a man buying a ring and a woman throwing it away to illustrate the idea that the same patterns keep repeating in life. The third verse seems to address someone specifically and tells them to keep their hands to themselves. Overall, the lyrics convey a sense of anger and disappointment towards people who are not empathetic towards others.
Line by Line Meaning
You telling lies thinking I can't see
You're being dishonest, but you think I'm not perceptive enough to realize it.
You can't cry 'cos you're laughing at me
You're not able to feel genuine sadness for me because you're finding my situation amusing.
I'm down (I'm really down)
I'm feeling extremely low and unhappy.
I'm down (Down on the ground)
I'm so low that I feel as if I'm on the ground.
I'm down (I'm really down)
I'm feeling extremely low and unhappy.
How can you laugh when you know I'm down (How can you laugh) When you know I'm down.
How can you find humor in my difficult situation when you're aware of how much I'm struggling?
Man buys ring woman throws it away
A man buys an engagement ring for a woman, but she then rejects it and throws it away.
Same damn thing happens everyday
This is a repeated occurrence that happens on a daily basis.
We're all alone and there's nobody else
We are the only two people present and there is no one else around.
You still moan: Keep your hands to yourself!
You complain and tell me to refrain from touching you.
I'm down (I'm really down) baby I'm down (Down on the ground)
I'm feeling extremely low and unhappy, to the point where I feel as if I'm on the ground.
I'm down (I'm really down)
I'm feeling extremely low and unhappy.
How can you laugh when you know I'm down (How can you laugh) When you know I'm down.
How can you find humor in my difficult situation when you're aware of how much I'm struggling?
Don't you know that I'm down (I'm really down)
Don't you realize how low and unhappy I'm feeling?
Down on the ground (I'm really down)
I'm feeling so low and unhappy that I feel like I'm on the ground.
Don't you know that I'm down (I'm really down)
Don't you realize how low and unhappy I'm feeling?
Down, down, down.
I'm feeling so low and unhappy that I feel like I'm descending further and further down.
Contributed by Jack J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@magicktrick777
i love that Hodgkinson wrote this jam but Schon just blazes to infinity during it. One of the best fusion cuts ever laid down in my humble opinion. just glory. thanks for posting it.
@KevinLanganVA
Far and away my favorite Neal Schon solo.
@benthemiester
Thanks for post. Brings back memories of the fusion days and with one of the few rock guitars players that could hold his own with these guys.
@rollacoastaride1937
priceless, so raw, power trio tribute to Hendrix, but this is a power duo, absolute class
@garythomas4431
This is an arthritic workout. I could play along with this in my twenties when this came out. Cool drop-D fusion.
@coolrocknroll
I doubt Maestros Schon or Hammer could possibly have been arthritic to play this stellar groove. What a bizarre comment.
@JamesLongPDX
That bridge leading up to the solo is no piece of cake, either. I love how in this shredding that you here his chord changes. And it just gets even more sick at 3:21. I totally stole that bend from Neal, but I told him.
@coolrocknroll
+James Long Brilliant solo isn't it. This song just doesn't let up. Neal's mind-bending space-rock java erupts like lava from a volcano. One of my favourite Schon solos.
@mabemabry
On the Beach. Please, On the Beach! Thanks for this though. I've been looking to replace this for 20 years. I always appreciated Hammers drumming on this album. He never repeats a series on this album. There is always something a little bit different from one stanza to the next.
@daedrmr2dae
for such an in-the-pocket groove and off the chain guitar solo, it's a bizarre travesty how few people have watched this.
Is the solo just Schon? Or is is part of that Hammer? For example, at 2:44 how is that done? At first I thought it was whammy bar< but it goes too cleanly from a D to a D an octave higher, then I thought it was keyboard, now I'm thinking it might be octave pedal along with a wah pedal? I'm pretty sure this is not done on the fretboard, but how TF do you get this effect??