Shaber took this one step further on February 18th, 2006 when she recorded her new live album, in my bones (live in chicago). Fans from all over the country were encouraged to email requests and the result is a collection of previously unreleased songs that have long been crowd favorites, such as the passionately yearning title track "In My Bones;" If I was alone on a desert island/ I wouldn't be alone/I'm never alone/'cause you're in my bones; the upbeat summer anthem "Jersey to O.C.;" Grab the great unknown/Lean in to every breeze/Unturn every stone/From Jersey to O.C.; and the most requested song, "Cryin' Shame," about a lovesick teenage Scottish boy (complete with accent!); It's a cryin' shame/That you don't even know my name/An' ah swear sometimes it smarts/To feel you breathing down my heart.
There are also some tracks of pure Shaber banter, covering everything from high school crushes to Grey's Anatomy to a dinner party filled with sexually charged guests. Always impromptu, these moments are another large reason people love to see Sam live in concert. She is known for sending the audience from roaring laughter to deep saddness and back again in a matter of minutes. After a recent show, an audience member put it best when she sighed, "That was a work-out." Gene Shay at WXPN-fm in Philadelphia says Shaber is "Stark, raving, great!" Folkweb.com calls her "a riveting performer," and Femmusic.com voted her Top Female Performer.
Touring nationally year 'round, Shaber has won awards in the John Lennon, Billboard, and USA Songwriting Competitions for her driving melodies, smart lyrics, and soaring voice. She also won the ear of Columbia recording artist/producer Shawn Mullins ("Lullabye"), who produced her last album, eighty numbered streets, released in 2003 to great critical acclaim. Said Paste Magazine, "eighty numbered streets is confessional and emotional, but Shaber's salty falsetto and the stark beauty of this CD won't leave you drowning in your own tears." Daughter of late-screenwriter David Shaber (The Warriors, Nighthawks) and artist Alice Shaber, Sam uses her observer's eye and sharp wit. Her strong guitar style and broad voice have won comparisons as diverse as Alanis Morissette, Joni Mitchell, and Stevie Wonder. And her passion for showing an audience a good time is never more clear than in this intimate, raw, live release. Because in my bones is put together without pauses, the listener lives an entire show from beginning to end, a true document of one night, one Shaber, in Chicago.
Bare
Sam Shaber Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No crystal jar perfume
Just leaves falling by the window
Of this Autumn room
And here I am, as I am anywhere
And here I go
Bare
No bar chords, no solos
No fancy footwork spin
Just branches, empty and waving
Against cloudy Michigan
And here I am, as I am anywhere
And here I go
Bare
So far from the four walls
Too small but all mine
And the paint peels over the window
After rainstorms every time
And the drag queens pumping cabarets
Seem suddenly divine
No poetry, no pillowshams
No lipstick-treated smiles
Just an oil change, and two deep breaths
And thousands of miles
And here I am, as I am anywhere
And here I go, as I go anywhere
And here I am, as I am anywhere
Bare
The lyrics of Sam Shaber's song "Bare" paint a picture of a stripped-down existence, where everything is laid bare and devoid of embellishment. The first verse speaks of the absence of poetry, pillowshams, and perfume, and instead, the only adornment is the leaves falling by the window in an autumn room. The second verse echoes this minimalistic tone, with the absence of bar chords, solos, and fancy footwork spin, and instead, the only movement comes from the branches waving against the cloudy skies of Michigan. The repetition of the line, "And here I am, as I am anywhere/ And here I go/ Bare," emphasizes the sense of universality and reflects the idea that this stripped-down existence can be found anywhere, regardless of location or circumstance.
The third verse offers a glimpse into the singer's current living situation, where the four walls feel too small, but still belong to her. The paint peels over the window after rainstorms, and the drag queens pumping cabarets become a sudden source of divine inspiration. The final verse brings the song to a close, with two simple actions - an oil change and two deep breaths - and the promise of thousands of miles to traverse. Once again, the repetition of the "And here I am" line reinforces the idea that the singer is always present, always herself, and always bare.
Line by Line Meaning
No poetry, no pillowshams
There's no fancy decoration here, none of the fluff that people use to embellish their lives.
No crystal jar perfume
There's no manufactured smell, like that of expensive perfume. Instead, there's just the natural scent of leaves falling outside.
Just leaves falling by the window
Of this Autumn room
The only thing decorating the room is the natural beauty provided by the falling leaves outside, as Autumn moves in.
And here I am, as I am anywhere
No matter where she is, she'll always be the same person. She is comfortable with who she is.
And here I go
Bare
She's not bringing with her the clothes or props that people often use to hide their true selves.
No bar chords, no solos
There's no flashy performance here. Instead, it's the simple beauty of branches swaying in the wind.
No fancy footwork spin
There's no choreography, no dance moves to be performed. Instead, it's just the natural sway of the branches.
Just branches, empty and waving
Against cloudy Michigan
The only visual spectacle here are the natural branches dancing against the backdrop of the cloudy Michigan sky.
So far from the four walls
Too small but all mine
She's far away from the small, cramped room she used to occupy, but even so, it was her space, something she could call her own.
And the paint peels over the window
After rainstorms every time
The room may have been small, but it was full of the little quirks and traits that made it hers. Every time it rained, the paint would peel off the window frame.
And the drag queens pumping cabarets
Seem suddenly divine
Even something as far-removed as drag queens hosting a cabaret show suddenly takes on a divine aspect when it's not something she's been exposed to in a while.
No poetry, no pillowshams
No lipstick-treated smiles
There's no grand displays here, no poetry, no lipstick or other cosmetics to enhance her appearance.
Just an oil change, and two deep breaths
And thousands of miles
The only things necessary here are an oil change for her car and a couple of deep breaths before embarking on a new journey. That's all that's needed.
And here I go, as I go anywhere
And here I am, as I am anywhere
Bare
No matter where she goes or what she does, she knows that she'll always be true to herself, as bare and authentic as can be.
Contributed by Taylor Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.