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.
Plastic
Shel Silverstein Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Knockin' at my front door,
He walked right in, sat right down
Started nibblin' on the kitchen floor
He chewed on the walls and the ceilings and the halls
Lord knows he tried
But he kept a-gettin' thinner
And he never got no dinner
He said, "It's plastic, good Lord, it's plastic!
I know it ain't no wood
And it can't do me no good,
Because it's plastic -- and you can't eat plastic,
Everything's gonna be plastic by and by!"
Then one afternoon in the month of June
I went down to the beach.
There were cuties and beauties in little bathin' suits
And all of them within my reach.
Then a 38-24-36 miss just happened to be passin' my way.
I said, "Please don't think I'm nervy, but you look so very curvy
Please tell me how you got that way!"
She said, "It's plastic it's only plastic,
It's pretty as can be, but you know that it ain't me,
Because they're plastic, oh yes they're plastic,
Everything's gonna be plastic by and by."
The song "Plastic" by Shel Silverstein, is a humorous take on the emergence of plastic as a dominant material in modern society, as well as a critique of its negative effects on the environment, and its superficial and false nature. The song consists of two verses, each depicting a different scenario in which the singer encounters the negative impact of plastic. In the first verse, a little termite enters the singer's house looking for food, but is unable to find anything substantial to eat because everything is made of plastic. The termite cries out in frustration, realizing the futility of his search, and the singer comments on how everything around us is becoming plastic, and we won't be able to eat it soon.
In the second verse, the singer goes to the beach and encounters a woman with a curvy figure, which he admires. When he asks her how she got such a beautiful figure, she explains that she had plastic surgery. The singer remarks on how plastic has become a material that is used to enhance beauty, but ultimately can never match the real thing. The song ends with the repeated refrain that "everything's gonna be plastic by and by", suggesting a dystopian future where everything we encounter is false, and our connection to nature has been severed.
Overall, "Plastic" is a satirical commentary on the modern world's obsession with plastic, and its negative impact on our environment, health, and sense of self. Through this song, Silverstein invites us to reflect critically on the consequences of our actions, and to challenge the status quo.
Line by Line Meaning
Now a little bitty termite, he come knockin'
A small termite comes knocking at the singer’s door
Knockin' at my front door
The termite knocks at the front door of the singer's home.
He walked right in, sat right down
The termite came inside speaker’s home and sat down.
Started nibblin' on the kitchen floor
The termite started biting the kitchen floor.
He chewed on the walls and the ceilings and the halls
The termite chewed on walls, ceilings, and halls.
Lord knows he tried
The termite tried his best.
But he kept a-gettin' thinner
The termite was getting thinner.
And he never got no dinner
The termite didn’t get any food.
And finally he sat up and cried
The termite started crying.
He said, "It's plastic, good Lord, it's plastic!
The termite realized that he was eating plastic.
I know it ain't no wood
The termite recognizes that plastic is not wood.
And it can't do me no good,
The termite understands that plastic has no nutritional value.
Because it's plastic -- and you can't eat plastic,
Plastic is not edible, according to the termite.
Everything's gonna be plastic by and by!"
The termite sees a future where everything is made out of plastic.
Then one afternoon in the month of June
It was a summer afternoon in June.
I went down to the beach.
The artist went to the beach.
There were cuties and beauties in little bathin' suits
There were attractive people in swimsuits at the beach.
And all of them within my reach.
The singer had access to all of these people.
Then a 38-24-36 miss just happened to be passin' my way.
A woman with a curvy body walked by the singer.
I said, "Please don't think I'm nervy, but you look so very curvy
The artist complimented the woman’s appearance.
Please tell me how you got that way!"
The artist asked how the woman achieved her physique.
She said, "It's plastic it's only plastic,
The woman disclosed that her curves were due to plastic surgery.
It's pretty as can be, but you know that it ain't me,
The woman acknowledges that her body is artificial.
Because they're plastic, oh yes they're plastic,
The woman acknowledges that her curves are due to plastic implants.
Everything's gonna be plastic by and by."
The woman foresees a future where artificial enhancements will be the norm.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: SHEL SILVERSTEIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind