What I Really Mean
Robert Earl Keen Lyrics
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Fortsmith Arkansas,
All the way to New Orleans,
And time for Martigraw.
You should have seen,
The crazyness down there.
What i really mean,
I wish you were here.
And we were down on Beetle Street,
in Memphis Tennessee,
The blues, and Booze, and BBQ's
and our names on the marquie
And you should have seen,
The crowd we drew in there
What i really mean
I wish you were here
I'm sendin you this postcard,
To tell you that i'm fine.
And to let you know wherever i go,
You never leave my mind.
Broke down in Kentucky
Richmond there was snow,
We saw our friends in Charolette,
We played on the radio
And you should have seen
Us singin on the air
What i really mean
I wish you were here
I'm sendin you this postcard,
To tell you that i'm fine.
And to let you know wherever i go,
You'll never leave my mind.
Tonight were in the city,
It's like disneyland,
but i'm sick and tired, and i can't wait,
To get back home again
And i had this dream
You'd be waitin there
What i really mean
I wish you were here.
What i really mean,
I wish you were here.
The song "What I Really Mean" by Robert Earl Keen tells the story of a musician or band traveling across the United States, performing, and experiencing the various sights, sounds, and experiences in different cities. The lyrics suggest that the musician or band is living a vibrant and exciting life, but they miss someone who is not with them, and they wish that person were there to share in their joy.
The first stanza of the song describes the band arriving in New Orleans for Mardi Gras after driving through Albuquerque and Fort Smith. The stanza paints a picture of the craziness of Mardi Gras and how exciting it is, but the singer is sad because the person he misses is not there with him to experience it.
The second and third stanzas describe the band playing in Memphis, Kentucky, Charlotte, and on the radio. The first part of the stanzas describe the experience they have in these cities, such as the crowd they draw, the snow, and the city lights. The second part of the stanzas reveal the singer's feelings, that he wishes the person he missed was there with him to share in these experiences. The last stanza describes the singer's dream of the person waiting for him at home, which he hopes will come true.
Overall, the song is a nostalgic reflection on the joy and excitement of travel and performing, but also a poignant reminder of the importance of having loved ones to share those experiences.
Line by Line Meaning
Drove in Albercerkie,
I traveled through Albercerkie.
Fortsmith Arkansas,
I went through Fortsmith, Arkansas.
All the way to New Orleans,
I travelled all the to New Orleans.
And time for Martigraw.
Arrived just in time for the Martigraw celebration.
You should have seen,
I wish you could have seen.
The crazyness down there.
The wild party and the chaos that ensued.
What i really mean,
What I truly want to say is.
I wish you were here.
I wish you could be here with me.
And we were down on Beetle Street,
We were on Beetle Street in Memphis.
in Memphis Tennessee,
In the state of Tennessee, where Memphis is.
The blues, and Booze, and BBQ's
An exciting combination of blues music, liquor, and barbecues.
and our names on the marquie
Our names were on the marquee of the venue.
And you should have seen,
I wish you could have seen.
The crowd we drew in there
The number of people who came to see us perform.
What i really mean
What I want to say is.
I wish you were here
I wish you could have been here with me.
I'm sendin you this postcard,
I'm sending you a postcard.
To tell you that i'm fine.
To let you know that I am well.
And to let you know wherever i go,
To inform you that no matter where I go.
You never leave my mind.
You are never far from my thoughts.
Broke down in Kentucky
My vehicle broke down while in Kentucky.
Richmond there was snow,
It was snowing in Richmond at the time.
We saw our friends in Charolette,
We visited and hung out with our friends in Charlotte.
We played on the radio
Our music was played on the radio.
And you should have seen
I wish you could have seen.
Us singin on the air
Our performance on the radio.
What i really mean
What I truly want to say is.
I wish you were here
I wish you could have shared this moment with me.
And i had this dream
I had a dream.
You'd be waitin there
You would be waiting for me.
What i really mean
What I want to say is.
I wish you were here.
I wish you were with me right now.
What i really mean,
What I want to say is.
I wish you were here.
I wish you were here beside me.
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