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.
Invitation
Shel Silverstein Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar,
A hope-er, a pray-er, a magic bean buyer
If you're a pretender, come sit by my fire
For we have some fla-golden tales to spin
Come in, come in
The opening lines of Shel Silverstein's song "Invitation" present an open and welcoming invitation to a group of individuals. The song's first line sets the tone for what's to come by inviting dreamers to come in. Silverstein then lists a series of descriptions, including wishers, liars, hope-ers, pray-ers, and magic bean buyers. These descriptions are not meant to be taken literally, but rather represent various aspects of a person's personality or way of thinking.
The song's chorus, "If you're a pretender, come sit by my fire, for we have some flax-golden tales to spin," also invites those who may not fit within society's traditional mold. The "pretender" label can be interpreted as someone who doesn't fit in, but that's perfectly fine. The song welcomes these individuals to come share their stories and perspective.
Overall, the song is an uplifting and inclusive message to all individuals who may feel like they don't belong. It encourages them to come together, embrace their differences, and share their experiences with others who may be in similar situations.
Line by Line Meaning
If you are a dreamer, come in
If you possess a wild imagination, please join us inside
If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar,
If you believe in creating your own reality, whether you speak truth or falsehoods,
A hope-er, a pray-er, a magic bean buyer
a hopeful or prayerful being, or one who seeks mystical solutions
If you're a pretender, come sit by my fire
If you claim to be something you're not, still the invitation is extended
For we have some fla-golden tales to spin
we have some fantastic stories to tell
Come in, come in
Please do not hesitate to join us inside
Contributed by Penelope S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.