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.
Rooftop
Sam Shaber Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the south side of the Empire State takes a nap in the 6 o'clock sun
And I turn and watch the rising moon
Don't think I could ever refuse a chance to play this room
And if you hear from down on 12th street
Something that makes you stop
Don't worry baby
Snake eyes are two towers of woven steel
Stretching out across the East River into a Williamsburg afternoon
Makes me smile deep at a memory of a night spent between Brooklyn sheets
Shakes my head in disbelief
And hey there's that old man with his older dog on the street
And if you hear from down on 12th street
Something that makes you stop
Don't worry baby
I'm just singing on the rooftop
Come here, Baby, wrap yourself around my finger
Let's be one and one makes two, you and me, sit right here, against my knee,
Lean back, check out the view
I wanna be in the center of you
And if they hear from down on 12th street
Something that makes them stop
Don't worry baby
We're safe here on the rooftop
The lyrics to Sam Shaber's song Rooftop paint a vivid picture of the cityscape surrounding the singer as they sit on a rooftop. The first verse describes the smokestacks breathing into the city and the south side of the Empire State building basking in the six o'clock sun. The singer observes the rising moon and reflects on their love for performing in this particular room. The second verse mentions the two towers of woven steel stretching out across the East River and triggering memories of a night spent in Brooklyn. The singer takes note of an old man and his dog on the street below them. In the chorus, the singer reassures someone on 12th street that they need not worry, as they are just singing on the rooftop.
Overall, the song seems to convey a sense of contentment and safety, with the singer finding joy in their surroundings and the act of performing. The lyrics also offer glimpses of the city and its inhabitants, adding a layer of detail to the scene. The line "let's be one and one makes two, you and me" suggests a desire for intimacy and connection, further emphasizing the themes of safety and comfort.
Line by Line Meaning
Smoke stack breathes into the city
The smokestacks are emitting smoke into the city and polluting the environment.
And the south side of the Empire State takes a nap in the 6 o'clock sun
The southern part of the Empire State Building appears to be resting in the evening sun.
And I turn and watch the rising moon
The singer looks at the moon that is appearing on the horizon.
Don't think I could ever refuse a chance to play this room
The singer would never miss an opportunity to perform in this place.
And if you hear from down on 12th street
Something that makes you stop
Don't worry baby
I'm just singing on the rooftop
If the listener hears something unexpected from the street, the singer assures them that it's just her singing on the rooftop.
Snake eyes are two towers of woven steel
Stretching out across the East River into a Williamsburg afternoon
Makes me smile deep at a memory of a night spent between Brooklyn sheets
Shakes my head in disbelief
And hey there's that old man with his older dog on the street
The singer looks at the two tall buildings resembling snake eyes and stretching across the East River on a sunny afternoon in Williamsburg. She reminisces fondly about a night she spent in Brooklyn and is amazed at how much things have changed. She then notices an old man and his dog on the street.
Come here, Baby, wrap yourself around my finger
Let's be one and one makes two, you and me, sit right here, against my knee,
Lean back, check out the view
I wanna be in the center of you
The singer invites her lover to come close to her, sit beside her, and enjoy the view. She wants to feel close to her lover.
And if they hear from down on 12th street
Something that makes them stop
Don't worry baby
We're safe here on the rooftop
If someone on the street hears something unusual and stops, the singer reassures her lover that they are safe on the rooftop.
Contributed by Riley W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.