Silverstein's passion for music was clear early on as he studied for a while at the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. As a songwriter, Silverstein kept a low profile but cast a long shadow. He tended to shun publicity and even photographers. Nonetheless, his musical output included many songs which were hits for other artists. Most notably, he wrote the music and lyrics for "A Boy Named Sue" that was performed by Johnny Cash (for which he won a Grammy in 1970); "One's on the Way" (which was a hit for Loretta Lynn), and "The Unicorn Song" which, despite having nothing to do with Ireland nor Irish culture, became the signature piece for The Irish Rovers in 1968 and is popular in pubs all over the world to this day. He wrote the lyrics and music for most of the Dr. Hook songs, including "Cover of the Rolling Stone", "Freakin' at the Freakers' Ball", "Sylvia's Mother", and the cautionary song about VD, "Don't Give a Dose to the One You Love Most". He also wrote many of the songs performed by Bobby Bare, including "Marie Laveau", "Rosalie's Good Eats Cafe", "The Mermaid", "The Winner", and "Tequila Sheila". The song "The Ballad of Lucy Jordan",] recorded in 1979 by Marianne Faithfull and later featured in the films Montenegro and Thelma & Louise, was also by Silverstein.
I'm So Good That I Don't Have to Brag
Shel Silverstein Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't stand too close to me 'cause you might catch fire
Now you're talkin' to a man in a whole other kind of bag.
Well, I'm three parts tiger and one part snake,
I'll ball you to sleep and I'll bite you awake
And I'm so good that I don't have to brag.
I need an adding machine to count up all the women I've ruined for other men
I can shift more gears and pump more juice
I'll turn you every which way but loose.
And I'm so good that I don't have to brag.
Now there's twenty, thirty beautiful women sleepin' at the foot of my bed.
And every night, every night I hear 'em sighin'.
They say that I don't miss a thing, they say that I'm the lovin' king
And I'm too nice a guy to say they're lyin'.
Now I've been makin' love professionally since I was only six years old.
And I really learned the way to wiggly wag
And still, I'm such a modest man, you know I'm twice as great as I think I am.
And I'm so good that I don't have to brag.
There's a line of chicks startin' at my window and reachin' across the street,
And it stretches 'way to the other side of town.
They come to me from across the seas, on their knees just sayin' "Please"
And I'm too nice a guy to turn 'em down.
Now I once got captured by some Amazon women down in the Fiji Isles.
They were fightin' over me to see who'd be my bride.
I had to kill them all and I will admit it and I won't tell you how I did it,
But I'll tell you each one was smilin' when she died.
Now the day I die, every woman in the country's gonna go around dressed in black,
And they'll probably add another star to the American flag.
And they'll build me a monument forty feet high sayin', "It's a shame he had to die.
He was so damn good he never had to brag."
And I'm tellin' you men, keep your eighteen year old daughters off of my back
And your wives, they like the way I carry on
And why don't you go look at your mother for a while.
You notice she's wearin' a funny sorta smile
Well, that just means I've been there and I've gone.
Now if you got a frigid woman, I'm gonna cure her for a hundred dollars.
You can bring her around my house at four o'clock,
And you can come and pick her up at 4:03 if you can pry her off of me.
I got a whole lot of others just waitin' 'round the block.
Now if you're wonderin' how you're gonna get to me,
Better bring a Cadillac full of money
'Cause I sure as hell ain't gonna swing without no swag.
I can make you creep, I can make you crawl, make you scream and climb the wall,
And I'm so good that I don't have to brag.
So Baby, don't call me up at three o'clock in the mornin', no more threatenin' suicide.
I mean go ahead and do it, Honey, 'cause wakin' me up is a drag.
And you can leave a note for all the rest sayin' at least you had the very best,
And he's so damn good that he don't have to brag.
Now I'm warnin' all you women, don't stand too close to me 'cause you might catch fire
Now you're talkin' to a man in a whole other kind of bag.
Well, I'm three parts tiger and one part snake,
I'll ball you to sleep and I'll bite you awake
And I'm so good that I don't have to brag.
The song "I'm So Good That I Don't Have to Brag" by Shel Silverstein features an exaggerated and humorous depiction of a boastful and promiscuous man who claims to be so great at lovemaking that he doesn't need to brag about it. The lyrics also include references to the man's ability to attract multiple women, his past experiences with Amazonian women, and his confidence in his own prowess. Through his comical and exaggerated portrayal of this character, Shel Silverstein seems to be poking fun at people who boast about their sexual abilities and exploits, highlighting the absurdity of such claims.
The song is told from the perspective of the man himself, who is warning women not to get too close to him as they might catch fire due to his supposed sexual prowess. He boasts about being a "whole other kind of bag," made up of three parts tiger and one part snake, and claims to have ruined many women for other men. He also makes references to Paul Bunyan and his own ability to shift gears and "pump more juice" than anyone else.
He goes on to claim that there are twenty or thirty beautiful women sleeping at the foot of his bed every night, and he describes himself as the "lovin' king" who doesn't miss a thing. He also makes a joking reference to having been "making love professionally" since he was six years old, before going on to describe a line of women stretching "way to the other side of town" who come to him on their knees begging him to service them.
He also takes a jab at men warning them to keep their daughters away from him and to look at their smiling wives for a while. He claims to be able to cure frigid women for the price of $100 and boasts about his ability to make anyone "creep" and "crawl." He even tells women not to call him up in the middle of the night because waking him up is a "drag."
Overall, the song is a humorous take on the tendency of some men (and people in general) to exaggerate their sexual abilities and exploits. By taking this theme to ridiculous levels, Shel Silverstein lampoons those who try to impress others with their supposed prowess and confidence.
Line by Line Meaning
Now I'm warnin' all you women,
Don't stand too close to me 'cause you might catch fire
I'm so desirable that being near me could be dangerous.
Now you're talkin' to a man in a whole other kind of bag.
I'm a unique and exceptional individual.
Well, I'm three parts tiger and one part snake,
I'll ball you to sleep and I'll bite you awake
And I'm so good that I don't have to brag.
I'm both fierce in bed and incredibly skilled, yet modest about my abilities.
I need an adding machine to count up all the women I've ruined for other men
I'm so good in bed that other men cannot compete with me.
Now compared to me, Paul Bunyan is a screamin' fag.
I can shift more gears and pump more juice
I'll turn you every which way but loose.
And I'm so good that I don't have to brag.
I am the ultimate alpha male with an unparalleled sexual prowess.
Now there's twenty, thirty beautiful women sleepin' at the foot of my bed.
And every night, every night I hear 'em sighin'.
They say that I don't miss a thing, they say that I'm the lovin' king
And I'm too nice a guy to say they're lyin'.
I am so skilled in bed that I satisfy many women at once and they praise me for it, yet I remain humble.
Now I've been makin' love professionally since I was only six years old.
And I really learned the way to wiggly wag
And still, I'm such a modest man, you know I'm twice as great as I think I am.
And I'm so good that I don't have to brag.
I have been a bedroom prodigy since childhood, but I still underestimate my true talents.
There's a line of chicks startin' at my window and reachin' across the street,
And it stretches 'way to the other side of town.
They come to me from across the seas, on their knees just sayin' "Please"
And I'm too nice a guy to turn 'em down.
Women are so enamored with me that they come from far and wide, begging for my attention, yet I remain gracious in my refusal.
Now I once got captured by some Amazon women down in the Fiji Isles.
They were fightin' over me to see who'd be my bride.
I had to kill them all and I will admit it and I won't tell you how I did it,
But I'll tell you each one was smilin' when she died.
Even royalty from far-off lands recognize my worth as a lover and are willing to fight for me, which I have proven I am capable of defending myself because I am that good in bed.
And I'm tellin' you men, keep your eighteen year old daughters off of my back
And your wives, they like the way I carry on
And why don't you go look at your mother for a while.
You notice she's wearin' a funny sorta smile
Well, that just means I've been there and I've gone.
I am so irresistible that both young women and married women desire me, even your own mothers. But don't worry, I've already satisfied them and moved on.
Now if you got a frigid woman, I'm gonna cure her for a hundred dollars.
You can bring her around my house at four o'clock,
And you can come and pick her up at 4:03 if you can pry her off of me.
I got a whole lot of others just waitin' 'round the block.
My sexual prowess is so great that I can turn any unresponsive woman into a passionate lover in minutes, and there are plenty of other women lined up for me to work my charms on.
Now if you're wonderin' how you're gonna get to me,
Better bring a Cadillac full of money
'Cause I sure as hell ain't gonna swing without no swag.
I can make you creep, I can make you crawl, make you scream and climb the wall,
And I'm so good that I don't have to brag.
I am in high demand, so if you want to experience my incomparable sexual expertise, you better come with deep pockets and the right attitude.
So Baby, don't call me up at three o'clock in the mornin', no more threatenin' suicide.
I mean go ahead and do it, Honey, 'cause wakin' me up is a drag.
And you can leave a note for all the rest sayin' at least you had the very best,
And he's so damn good that he don't have to brag.
Don't bother me with petty issues, I have more important things on my mind. If you must do something drastic, go ahead, but don't expect me to care. Just remember that you had the privilege of being with the best lover you'll ever have.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: SHEL SILVERSTEIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind