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.
Pathetic Way Of Getting Over Me
Shel Silverstein Lyrics
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A gettin' in an out of some millionare's long custom made limousine
She may fool you with her smile but I can see
That's just her poor hopeless heartless helpless pathetic way of gettin' over me
So you were down at Joe's on the night she broke her zipper
And some wane brain drunk champagne out of her slipper
And she danced on the piano and she screamed hurray I'm free
That's just her poor hopeless heartless helpless pathetic way of gettin' over me
Of course forgettin' me is gonna take her lots of years
So I call her now and then just out of pitty when she laughs at me
That's just her way of bravely holding back her tears
What's that you say she got married oh the poor little fool
To some handsome movie star with the mansion and a swimming pool
And she's looking good and she's got a kid or two or three
That's just her poor hopeless heartless helpless pathetic way of gettin' over me
(Pathetic way of tryin' to get over me but she ain't never gonna make it honey
I mean those guys those guys you see her with now
They're they're the relatives maybe business assiciates
I mean I know this woman and she's sittin' home bitin' her fingernails
Let me tell you she's just readin' magazines
She she may look like she's enjouin' herself
That's the way she looks when she's really gettin' bad I know this woman)
The song "Pathetic Way Of Getting Over Me" by Shel Silverstein is a satirical and sarcastic commentary on the ways people try to get over heartbreak. The song tells the story of a woman who is desperately trying to move on from a failed relationship with the singer, and yet failing to do so in any meaningful way.
The lyrics begin with the woman being seen getting in and out of a millionaire's limousine, which the singer sees as an attempt to make him jealous. However, he is not fooled by this, and sees it as the woman's "poor hopeless heartless helpless pathetic way of getting over me." The woman's actions are portrayed as sad and desperate, and not something to be envied or admired.
The singer then recounts a night when the woman was seen partying with another man, drinking champagne out of her slipper and dancing on a piano, again as a way to cope with her broken heart. He calls her out on this behavior, and sees it as another example of her pathetic attempts to move on.
The song ends with the woman getting married to a movie star and having children, but the singer is still not convinced that she is truly over him. He believes that she is only trying to put on a brave face and is secretly still pining for him.
Overall, the song critiques the clichéd behaviors that people engage in after a breakup instead of truly moving on and finding happiness.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh if you read in the papers that she's been seen
If you happen to come across a news article that reports her sightings
A gettin' in an out of some millionare's long custom made limousine
While getting in and out of a limousine owned by a wealthy man
She may fool you with her smile but I can see
Although she may appear happy, I know the truth
That's just her poor hopeless heartless helpless pathetic way of gettin' over me
She is trying to move on from me in a shameful, pitiful manner
So you were down at Joe's on the night she broke her zipper
Were you there at the moment she had a wardrobe malfunction at Joe's bar?
And some wane brain drunk champagne out of her slipper
And a foolish individual drank champagne from her shoe
And she danced on the piano and she screamed hurray I'm free
And she danced on top of a piano while shouting with joy about her newfound freedom
That's just her poor hopeless heartless helpless pathetic way of gettin' over me
Her actions are just her sad attempt to let go of me
Oh she'll do anything she can just to make me jealous
She will go to great lengths to try and make me envious
Of course forgettin' me is gonna take her lots of years
Naturally, it will take her a long time to move on from me
So I call her now and then just out of pitty when she laughs at me
Sometimes I pity her and call her, but she just laughs at me
That's just her way of bravely holding back her tears
Her laughter is a way to hide her sadness and tears
What's that you say she got married oh the poor little fool
Did you say she got married? That's too bad for her
To some handsome movie star with the mansion and a swimming pool
She married a famous actor with a big house and pool
And she's looking good and she's got a kid or two or three
She appears happy and has one or more children
That's just her poor hopeless heartless helpless pathetic way of gettin' over me
Despite her improved appearance and family, she is still trying to move on from me in a pitiful way
(Pathetic way of tryin' to get over me but she ain't never gonna make it honey
(Her attempt to move on from me is sad, but she will never succeed)
I mean those guys those guys you see her with now
The men she is with now
They're they're the relatives maybe business assiciates
They are probably just related to her or business associates
I mean I know this woman and she's sittin' home bitin' her fingernails
I know her well and I am sure she is at home anxiously biting her nails
Let me tell you she's just readin' magazines
Trust me, all she's doing is reading magazines
She she may look like she's enjouin' herself
Although she may appear to be enjoying herself
That's the way she looks when she's really gettin' bad I know this woman)
That's just how she looks when she is feeling down, and I am very familiar with her character
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