Shawn Lee is a multi-instrumentalist from Kansas. He has also released work… Read Full Bio ↴Shawn Lee is a multi-instrumentalist from Kansas. He has also released work as Shawn Lee's Ping Pong Orchestra and his current touring project is called AM & Shawn Lee.

Talent will out, they say, but sometimes the exit route is a long and winding road. For Shawn Lee, the journey began in Wichita, Kansas.

Shawn grew up in a rural area on the outskirts of the city. His mother is half Lebanese, half American Indian, his father Irish-American. While his peers got off on cheesy corporate rock and the kind of line-dancing tunes recently fashionable in Gap ads, Shawn was groovin' to the blaxploitation funk Sly and the Isleys. Later, his local Baptist Church widened his appreciation of black music, but when he sang in its gospel choir, he discovered some of his white 'friends' were racists who disapproved. "Fuck this," he thought. "I'm leaving the Mid-West" It was 1988.

Next stop Los Angeles. Already an able multi-instrumentalist (guitar,drums,bass,etc) Shawn now set about developing his songwriting. There were bands, publishing deals, relationships and day jobs: more notches on the bedpost of experience. This period also saw Shawn befriend the late Jeff Buckley, and somebody, somewhere has a tape of them jamming "Honky Tonk Woman" Be sure that Buckley would have recognized Shawn's talent.

In 1995, Shawn moved to London, where he recorded his solo debut. For all the wrong reasons, the album was never released. It was soul destroying; a bit like somebody erasing 3 years of your life." Resolving to write and record on his own terms, Shawn kept working. He passed CD's of songs to friends with no agenda other than "hope you enjoy it." As Shawn continued to do it his way, air play garnered by a self-financed EP prompted several major labels to phone him. He had no intention of re-boarding the corporate merry-go-round, though. Instead, he opted to sign a deal with Mark Jones at Wall of Sound. "The label's got real credibility," he says "and Mark was happy to put out a record which sounds exactly like I wanted it to." Subsequently Shawn became the flagship artist for the new Wall of Sound imprint, We Love You....

Which brings us to Monkey Boy, an inspired and beautifully crafted album which warrants your undivided attention. Like the best work by The Isley Brothers, it takes rock, soul, funk and folk textures, then fuses them with unquestionable panache. For afters, there's deft scratching, sumptuous bossa-nova and a dark waltz which evokes Burt Bacharach on downers. What's new pussycat? This is.

The bossa track is 'Happiness', all itch-scratching Latin percussion a la Sergio Mendez. Had Arthur Lee's Love formed in Rio rather than Los Angeles, they might have sounded like this. Further in, A&R Man of Love (yes, the title's ironic) was inspired by Vincent Gallo's fabulous soundtrack for Buffalo 66. You'll be pleased to know that as much as Shawn admires Gallo's many talents, he doesn't share his arrogance.

Shawn's album was self-produced, and although friends dropped by to add strings, double bass, brass and woodwind, Shawn's skills as a multi-instrumentalist hold court. You'll notice, too, that his voice is a marvel throughout; check out "Harmony In Falsetto" (a self-explanatory ballad), or his sweet-honey-in-the-rock delivery on "Floating" Class.

If Ian Brown is the king of the swingers, I'm a baboon's arse and Britney's Nina Simone..

It's time to swap bravado and pap for soul and a solid gold talent. Shawn Lee, aka Monkey Boy, is top banana....
http://www.facebook.com/amandshawnlee
http://www.shawnlee.net

Kill Somebody
Shawn Lee Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

There′s a light
A certain kind of light
That never shone on me
I want my life to be
Lived with you
Lived with you
There's a way
Everybody say

To do each and every little thing
But what does it bring
If I ain′t got you,
Ain't got?
Baby

You don't know what it′s like,
Baby, You don′t know what it's like

To love somebody
To love somebody
The way I love you

In my brain
I see your face again
I know my frame of mind
You ain′t got to be so blind
And I'm blind, so so so very blind
I′m a man,
Can't you see what I am
I live and I breathe for you
But what good does it do
If I ain′t got you,
Ain't got?
Baby

You don't know what it′s like,
Baby, You don′t know what it's like

To love somebody
To love somebody
The way I love you

Ahhhhhhh
You don′t know what it's like,
Baby, You don′t know what it's like

To love somebody
To love somebody
The way I love you

No no no no no no
You don′t know what it's like, baby
You don't know what it′s like (you don′t know what it's like)

To love somebody

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Shawn Lee's song "Kill Somebody" are actually a re-imagining of the classic Bee Gees song "To Love Somebody." The lyrics essentially describe the feeling of being deeply in love with someone but not being able to express that love or have it returned. The opening lines reflect the desire for a certain kind of love and a longing to live life with the person they love. However, despite everyone's advice and all the little things they try to do, nothing works if they don't have that special person by their side.

The chorus emphasizes their love and how the person they love could never truly understand the depth of their feelings. The third verse reveals the despair they feel with lines such as "you ain't got to be so blind" and "I'm a man, can't you see what I am." Finally, the song closes with a repetition of the chorus, once again emphasizing the unrequited nature of their love.

Overall, "Kill Somebody" is a powerful and emotional song that explores the theme of unreciprocated love. The lyrics illustrate the intense longing and pain that can come with loving someone who doesn't feel the same way, and the frustration that can arise from being unable to express those feelings.

Line by Line Meaning

There's a light
There is a certain brightness, a positive energy that I have not yet experienced.

A certain kind of light
This light is unique and special, not like any other I've seen before.

That never shone on me
I have yet to feel the warmth and positivity that this light can bring.

I want my life to be
I desire for my life to be filled with joy and fulfillment.

Lived with you
My happiness and fulfillment is directly correlated to being with you in my life.

There's a way
There are many paths that people suggest I take.

Everybody say
People often tell me what they think is best for me.

To do each and every little thing
They suggest I do everything in a particular way, micromanaging my life.

But what does it bring
But following these prescribed paths does not guarantee happiness or fulfillment.

If I ain't got you,
Without you, in my life, any success or achievement does not bring true happiness.

Ain't got? Baby
What's the point of anything if you are not there with me?

You don't know what it's like,
You cannot fully comprehend the depth and extent of my love and devotion to you.

To love somebody
To have a deep, passionate, and loyal love for another is a feeling that cannot be communicated or understood unless you experience it yourself.

The way I love you
The extent of my love is immeasurable, and it is something that only you, my beloved, can understand.

In my brain
I can't stop thinking about you.

I see your face again
I constantly see your beautiful face in my mind's eye.

I know my frame of mind
I am aware of my own state of mind, which is consumed by thoughts of you.

You ain't got to be so blind
Please don't be oblivious to the depth of my feelings for you.

And I'm blind, so so so very blind
Despite how clear it may be to others, I am blinded by my own love for you and cannot see anything else.

I'm a man,
I'm just a man, flawed and imperfect.

Can't you see what I am
Can't you see that I am devoted to you, despite all of my flaws?

I live and I breathe for you
My entire reason for living is to love and be with you.

But what good does it do
But my love, as pure and boundless as it may be, is often not enough in the face of life's challenges.

If I ain't got you,
Without you, in my life, everything else becomes meaningless.

Ain't got? Baby
Without you, in my life, everything else loses its value.

Ahhhhhhh
Expressing my deep and sincere emotions for you, my beloved.

No no no no no no
I cannot bear the thought of losing you, my love.

You don't know what it's like, baby
You may never truly understand the depth and intensity of my love for you.

You don't know what it's like (you don't know what it's like)
No one can truly understand what it's like to be consumed by such a powerful love for another person.

To love somebody
The act of loving another person deeply, wholly, and unconditionally is something that cannot be put into words.

To love somebody
It is the greatest expression of human emotion, and it is a privilege to experience it with you.

Writer(s): Shawn Lee

Contributed by Addison N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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