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.
Paranoïd
Shel Silverstein Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They all think I'm crazy
They all smile to my face
But they'd like to see me die
They put poison in my coffee
They put ground glass in my oatmeal
They put spiders in my tennis shoes
It's hard to stop and figure out
Where it all began
You see, my father wanted a little girl
And my mother wanted twins
And my grandpa admired Hitler
So everything I did was wrong
And I'm gonna stop now
'Cause even though you're smilin'
I know ya hate this song
Yeah, and I know you're only listenin'
'Cause you don't want to hurt my feelins
And you're just waitin for me to leave
So you can laugh about my open fly
You put the poison in my coffee
You put the ground glass in my oatmeal
You put the spiders in my tennis shoes
And you shit in my pecan pie
I know! Don't deny it, I know! I know, I know
The lyrics of Shel Silverstein's song Paranoid speaks about the feeling of being constantly watched and mistreated to a point where the character feels as though everyone around him is conspiring against him. The song starts with the character being labeled as paranoid while he feels that everyone else is crazy to think that way. He feels that people are pretending to be his friends and well-wishers but secretly wish for his death. The first verse goes on to state that people have been actively trying to harm him by putting poison in his coffee, putting ground glass in his oatmeal, spiders in his tennis shoes, and feces in his pecan pie.
As the song progresses, the character tries to reflect on the reason for his paranoia. He mentions that his father wanted a girl but got him, and his mother wanted twins so presumably that leads him to believe that he was unwanted. On top of that, his grandfather admired Hitler, which might have influenced his upbringing, leading him to believe that he is always wrong.
In the final verse, the character starts to get accusatory and points out that the person listening to him is doing it out of politeness, and once he is gone, they will gossip about him. He then accuses the listener of being behind the attempts to harm him by putting poison in his coffee and so on. The character ends by saying that he knows the truth and that he cannot be denied.
Overall, the song speaks about the impact that neglect, lack of acceptance, and mistreatment can have on a person's mental health. It talks about how one can become paranoid and feel that everyone around them is conspiring against them, leading to self-destructive behaviors.
Line by Line Meaning
Everybody says I'm paranoid
People claim that I am overly suspicious of others
They all think I'm crazy
They believe that I have lost touch with reality
They all smile to my face
Others pretend to be friendly in front of me
But they'd like to see me die
Despite their friendliness, others secretly wish harm upon me
They put poison in my coffee
Someone has intentionally contaminated my food or drink
They put ground glass in my oatmeal
My food has been tampered with by malicious individuals
They put spiders in my tennis shoes
Someone has placed spiders in my footwear to frighten or harm me
And shit in my pecan pie
Someone has defecated in my food as a way to humiliate me
It's hard to stop and figure out
I struggle to determine the root cause of my paranoia
Where it all began
I cannot pinpoint the exact trigger for my fear
You see, my father wanted a little girl
My family life growing up may have contributed to my feelings of persecution
And my mother wanted twins
My parents' desires for their children may have created additional pressure on me
And my grandpa admired Hitler
My family may have held extremist beliefs or values that influenced my upbringing
So everything I did was wrong
I may have received excessive criticism or punishment for minor mistakes
And I'm gonna stop now
I am ending this song on a note of frustration and exhaustion
'Cause even though you're smilin'
Others may still be hiding their true feelings or motives
I know ya hate this song
Others may be listening to this song out of obligation rather than enjoyment
Yeah, and I know you're only listenin'
I am aware that some may not be giving me their full attention
'Cause you don't want to hurt my feelins
Some may not want to cause me any further distress or anxiety
And you're just waitin for me to leave
Others may be counting down the seconds until I am no longer present
So you can laugh about my open fly
Others may find amusement in my mistakes or weaknesses
I know! Don't deny it, I know! I know, I know
I am resolute in my beliefs and suspicions, and others cannot convince me otherwise
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Shel Silverstein
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Astro Zombie
My dad had this on vinyl when I was a little kid long, long ago. I've been wanting to hear it for years. Thanks!!!
dave idmarx
Just picked up the LP today - Songs And Stories from 1978!
Brent E.
glad you found it on here to listen!
bri
why am i just finding out he sang? man
jim34morrison
He was a national treasure.
Ann Chovey
He wrote “Sylvias’s Mother” made famous by Dr Hook and the Medicine Show.
jrox911
brianna banana ikr. What a Promethean.
MrBlodsven Nilsson
Good ole Shel. Always unpredictable. Thx Brent
Brent E.
Glad you enojoyed it!
linda donahue
I LOVE this one! Thanks Brent!