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.
It Does Not Pay to Be Hip
Shel Silverstein Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That like I’m alright but like the world is square.
So I’ll tell all you people you can take my tip
It does not pay to be hip.
Now just last week I found myself in the red
With no way to meet my overhead
So like I went to my buddy
And here is what he said:
He said, “You want white bread,
Rye bread, pumpernickel, whole wheat
Cracked wheat, challa or bialy?”
I said, “Later”.
He said, “You mean three or four o’clock?”
I said, “Later”.
He said, “You mean Thursday or Friday?”
I said, “Forget it”.
Now I was feelin uptight, so like I went to see the man.
I heard he always had some stuff on hand.
I said, “Tell me, baby, can you spare some pot?”
He said, “You’re welcome to anything I got.
And I’ve got steel pots, brass pots, cast iron, aluminum
Pyrex, Winbex.”
I said, “Cool it”.
He said, “You mean put it in the refrigerator?”
I said, “Cool it”.
He said, “You mean turn on the air conditioning?”
I said, “Forget it”.
Now I was feeling strung out
And hung up and brought down.
There was nobody hip like in the whole damn town.
So I run upon a chick, and she was long and tall
And asked her would she care to ball.
And she said, “Football, baseball, volleyball, or basketball,
Handball, pinball, bowling ball?”
I said, “You’re putting me on.”
She says, “On the train, on the plane,
On the bus or on the sidewalk?”
I said, “I wanna make it”.
She said, “Make what?”
I said, “A scene.”
I said, “I want to make a scene!”
She said, “Shakespeare, Clifford Odetts,
Arthur Miller or Pirandello?”
I said, “Forget it”.
She says, “you know what I’d like to do?”
I said, “No, what?”
And she said, “I’d like to make love to you”.
And I said, “Go, baby, go!”
And she left.
The song "It Does Not Pay to Be Hip" by Shel Silverstein is a cynical commentary on the societal pressure to be cool and hip. The opening lines suggest that the singer is aware of his outsider status and perceives himself as square compared to the rest of the world. He offers the advice that trying to be hip is not worth the effort. The rest of the song tells the story of the singer's attempts to fit in and his constant failures.
The first verse shows the singer in a financial crisis and asking for help from a friend. Instead of simply being offered money, the friend bombards him with options for types of bread, further highlighting the superficiality of trying to be hip. In the second verse, the singer turns to drugs to alleviate his stress and is met with a drug dealer who also tries too hard to be hip by offering an assortment of pots. Finally, the singer attempts to find a partner and is faced with a woman who lists off various sports as potential activities, showing that even the dating scene has been contaminated by the attitude of always trying to be cool.
The final lines of the song are perhaps the most telling. The singer is finally presented with an opportunity to make a genuine connection with a woman, but instead of accepting it, he insists on "making a scene." When she offers to make love, he responds with a callous "go, baby, go!" emphasizing the importance of being cool over cultivating genuine relationships.
Overall, the song mocks the superficial nature of trying to be hip and encourages listeners to prioritize authenticity over conformity.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, for a long time now I’ve been aware
I have known for a while that I am okay, but the world around me is outdated.
That like I’m alright but like the world is square.
I am comfortable and modern, but everyone else is not.
So I’ll tell all you people you can take my tip
My advice to everyone is to avoid trying to be modern or cool.
It does not pay to be hip.
Being modern or hip will not result in any gain or benefit.
Now just last week I found myself in the red
Recently, I was in debt and in financial trouble.
With no way to meet my overhead
I was unable to pay for my expenses.
So like I went to my buddy
I asked my friend for help.
And asked him for some bread,
I asked him to lend me some money.
And here is what he said:
This is how he responded to my request.
He said, “You want white bread,
He offered me several kinds of bread as a joke or to avoid lending me money.
Rye bread, pumpernickel, whole wheat
He listed multiple bread types again.
Cracked wheat, challa or bialy?”
He continued listing more types of bread.
I said, “Later”.
I declined his offer or the opportunity to borrow money.
He said, “You mean three or four o’clock?”
He asked for a specific time frame, thinking that I would change my mind or request the bread.
I said, “Later”.
I declined his requests for more details.
He said, “You mean Thursday or Friday?”
He asked for a specific date, hoping that I would accept his offer.
I said, “Forget it”.
I let him know I was not interested or ready to borrow any money.
Now I was feelin uptight, so like I went to see the man.
Feeling stressed and anxious, I turned to someone who might be able to help.
I heard he always had some stuff on hand.
The man had a reputation for having drugs available.
I said, “Tell me, baby, can you spare some pot?”
I asked if he had marijuana that he could share with me.
He said, “You’re welcome to anything I got.
He offered me all kinds of cooking pots instead of marijuana.
And I’ve got steel pots, brass pots, cast iron, aluminum
He listed various types of pots he had available.
Pyrex, Winbex.”
He listed two brand names of glass containers.
I said, “Cool it”.
I told him to stop making jokes or that I was not interested.
He said, “You mean put it in the refrigerator?”
He thought I was asking him to help 'cool' (hide) the marijuana, so he asked if I wanted it refrigerated.
I said, “Cool it”.
I repeated my previous statement that I was not interested or did not want to hear any more from him.
He said, “You mean turn on the air conditioning?”
He made another joke, suggesting I was 'heated' or angry and asked if I wanted the air conditioning on.
I said, “Forget it”.
I declined his offer or request.
Now I was feeling strung out
I was anxious, nervous or upset.
And hung up and brought down.
I was depressed and discouraged.
There was nobody hip like in the whole damn town.
No one was cool or trendy in my town.
So I run upon a chick, and she was long and tall
I encountered a woman who was tall or attractive.
And asked her would she care to ball.
I asked her to have sex with me.
And she said, “Football, baseball, volleyball, or basketball,
She misunderstood my request and thought I was proposing playing sports.
Handball, pinball, bowling ball?”
She kept suggesting sport games that she knew.
I said, “You’re putting me on.”
I told her that she was teasing me or not taking me seriously.
She says, “On the train, on the plane,
She kept going on with the joke and suggested more places we could play games.
On the bus or on the sidewalk?”
She made another suggestion, asking if we could play somewhere in public.
I said, “I wanna make it”.
I told her I wanted to have sex with her.
She said, “Make what?”
She did not understand what I was trying to say.
I said, “A scene.”
I clarified that I was trying to create a moment or memory.
I said, “I want to make a scene!”
I emphasized again my desire for a memorable moment.
She said, “Shakespeare, Clifford Odetts, Arthur Miller or Pirandello?”
She suggested several playwrights instead of understanding my request for a memorable moment.
I said, “Forget it”.
I gave up or declined to explain my request further.
She says, “you know what I’d like to do?”
She asked me if I wanted to try something different.
I said, “No, what?”
I was curious to hear her idea.
And she said, “I’d like to make love to you”.
She proposed having sex with me.
And I said, “Go, baby, go!”
I gave her permission and was enthusiastic about the idea.
And she left.
She ended the conversation and walked away.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: SHEL SILVERSTEIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind