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.
My Mind Keeps Movin'
Shel Silverstein Lyrics
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Look at the menu, I want roast beef and wine.
Waitress comes, I order baked beans and bread.
When she brings it, I want ham and eggs instead.
Because my mind keeps a-movin', bouncin' and a-groovin',
Flippin' floppin' every which way.
From minute to minute
Never know just what I'm do or say.
Sometimes I wake up happy.
Sometimes I wake up mean .
Sometimes I wake up missin' somethin' I ain't seen.
Might wake up wasted,
And I might wake up dead.
Might wake up and look around
And jump back into bed.
Because my mind keeps a-movin', bouncin' and a-groovin',
Flippin' floppin' every which way.
From minute to minute
If my mind ain't really in it,
Never know just what I do or say.
Sittin' home at midnight thinkin' 'bout Marie.
Go to the I 'phone Carol-Lee .
I say "Come by , baby, just as fast as you can!"
When she gets there I'm thinkin' 'bout Ann!
Because my mind keeps a-movin', bouncin' and a-groovin',
Flippin' floppin' every which way .
From minute to minute
If my mind ain't really in it,
Never know just what I do or say.
Fly away to Paris just to get away from home.
Get off in London and I grab a boat for Rome.
Go to St Louis. Be in St Paul.
Or else take a trip and go no place at all!
Because my mind keeps a-movin', bouncin' and a-groovin'
Flippin' floppin' every which way.
From minute to minute
If my mind ain't really in it,
Never know just what I do or say.
I go to a psychiatrist to straighten my head.
Then I decide I need a chiropractor instead.
Put salt in my coffee and ketchup in my tea.
Only dig a chick that don't dig me!
Because my mind keeps a-movin', bouncin' and a-groovin'
Flippin' floppin' every which way.
From minute to minute
If my mind ain't really in it,
Never know just what I do or say.
Sometimes I don't shave and I look kinda weird.
So I shave off my hair and I grow a beard.
Shave off my beard dye my eyebrows green.
Play myself a song upon a tambourine.
Because my mind keeps a-movin', bouncin' and a-groovin'
Flippin' floppin' every which way.
From minute to minute
If my mind ain't really in it,
Never know just what I do or say.
Dahdali-doo
The song "My Mind Keeps Movin'" by Shel Silverstein is a humorous commentary on the mercurial nature of the human mind. The singer of the song seems to be constantly changing their mind about everything, from what they want to eat to who they want to be with. Their mind is "bouncin' and a-groovin'" and "flippin' floppin' every which way" and they never know what they're going to do or say next.
The song starts with the singer walking into a restaurant with the intention of eating chicken, but then changing their mind and ordering roast beef and wine. When the waitress arrives with baked beans and bread, the singer changes their mind again and wants ham and eggs instead. This sets the tone for the rest of the song, as the singer continues to change their mind at every turn.
The singer's indecisiveness is not limited to their diet. They also change their mind about the people they want to be with, calling up Carol-Lee and inviting her over, only to change their mind and think about Ann instead. They even travel to different cities in search of something, only to realize they don't know what they're looking for.
Overall, the song is a lighthearted take on the fickleness of the human mind. The singer is not making any big decisions, but rather illustrating the way our thoughts can sometimes seem to have a mind of their own.
Line by Line Meaning
I walk into a restaurant with chicken on my mind.
I have a craving for chicken and it's on my mind as I enter the restaurant.
Look at the menu, I want roast beef and wine.
After looking at the menu, I decide that I actually want roast beef and wine instead of chicken.
Waitress comes, I order baked beans and bread.
When the waitress comes to take my order, I change my mind again and ask for baked beans and bread.
When she brings it, I want ham and eggs instead.
Once the food arrives, I change my mind yet again and now want ham and eggs instead of the baked beans and bread.
Because my mind keeps a-movin', bouncin' and a-groovin',
Flippin' floppin' every which way.
From minute to minute
If my mind ain't really in it,
Never know just what I'm do or say.
My mind is always changing and I can never make up my mind. I never know what I'm going to do or say next because my mind is always in flux.
Sometimes I wake up happy.
Sometimes I wake up mean .
Sometimes I wake up missin' somethin' I ain't seen.
Might wake up wasted,
And I might wake up dead.
Might wake up and look around
And jump back into bed.
My moods and feelings are also very erratic. I can wake up feeling happy, angry, or confused. I never know how I'll feel when I wake up or what the day will bring.
Sittin' home at midnight thinkin' 'bout Marie.
Go to the I 'phone Carol-Lee .
I say "Come by , baby, just as fast as you can!"
When she gets there I'm thinkin' 'bout Ann!
I can never stick to one thought for long. I may start thinking about one person, but then my mind jumps to someone else as soon as they are out of sight.
Fly away to Paris just to get away from home.
Get off in London and I grab a boat for Rome.
Go to St Louis. Be in St Paul.
Or else take a trip and go no place at all!
I'm always on the move and can't stay in one place for too long. I may change my mind about where I want to go or decide to not go anywhere at all.
I go to a psychiatrist to straighten my head.
Then I decide I need a chiropractor instead.
Put salt in my coffee and ketchup in my tea.
Only dig a chick that don't dig me!
I can't make up my mind about what kind of help I need or what I want. I may also do strange things, like put salt in my coffee or only be interested in people who aren't interested in me.
Sometimes I don't shave and I look kinda weird.
So I shave off my hair and I grow a beard.
Shave off my beard dye my eyebrows green.
Play myself a song upon a tambourine.
My appearance constantly changes based on my whims. I may grow a beard or dye my eyebrows green, and I enjoy playing music on unconventional instruments like a tambourine.
Because my mind keeps a-movin', bouncin' and a-groovin'
Flippin' floppin' every which way.
From minute to minute
If my mind ain't really in it,
Never know just what I do or say.
The fact that my mind is always changing means that I can never truly predict my actions or speech. I'm always bouncing around, and anything could happen from minute to minute.
Dahdali-doo
This line is likely just a nonsensical interjection, and doesn't have a specific meaning.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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