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.
So Good to So Bad
Shel Silverstein Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So good, to so bad, so soon
But nobody told me, so I never knew
It goes from so good, to so bad, so soon
It went from sunshine, to shade, to rain
It went from passion, to pleasure, to pain
From singing sweet love songs, to cryin' the blues
It started with words like forever
And went from always, to sometimes, to never
From give me some lovin', to give me some room
So good, to so bad, so soon
It went from so good, to so bad, so soon
So good, to so bad, so soon
But nobody told me, so I never knew
It goes from so good, to so bad, so soon
So good, to so bad, so soon.
Shel Silverstein's song "So Good to So Bad" is a melancholic and poignant reflection on the fragility and unpredictability of love. The lyrics describe a relationship that started off well, with promises of forever and love, but quickly turned sour. The song is a universal exploration of how relationships can unexpectedly fall apart and leave us feeling confused and alone.
The first stanza of the song sets the tone for the rest of the piece as Silverstein sings, "It went from so good, to so bad, so soon. So good, to so bad, so soon. But nobody told me, so I never knew. It goes from so good, to so bad, so soon." The repetition of the phrase "so good to so bad" emphasizes the suddenness of the change and how it caught the singer off guard. The line "But nobody told me, so I never knew" suggests that the person was unaware of the warning signs that may have signaled the impending end of the relationship.
The second and third stanza depict the progression of the relationship from sunshine to shade, passion to pain, and love to loss. The lines "From singing sweet love songs, to cryin' the blues," shows how the happiness of a love song has changed to the sadness of the blues. The fourth stanza ties the lyrics together in a tragic reflection with the words "So good, to so bad, so soon."
Overall, Silverstein's song is a poignant reminder that love can be fleeting and unpredictable. He sings with a heavy heart the reality that relationships can change quickly, and the things we think are sure to last forever can disappear in a moment.
Line by Line Meaning
It went from so good, to so bad, so soon
The situation that was once good turned bad quickly
So good, to so bad, so soon
The change from good to bad happened quickly
But nobody told me, so I never knew
The person was unaware of the change because no one informed them
It went from sunshine, to shade, to rain
The mood shifted from happy to sad to miserable
It went from passion, to pleasure, to pain
What was once exciting and enjoyable became painful
From singing sweet love songs, to cryin' the blues
The music went from happy to sad
It started with words like forever
The relationship began with promises of lasting love
And went from always, to sometimes, to never
The love and attention shifted from constant to occasional to nonexistent
From give me some lovin', to give me some room
The desire for affection turned into needing space
So good, to so bad, so soon
The rapid change from good to bad
It went from so good, to so bad, so soon
The situation that was once good turned bad quickly
But nobody told me, so I never knew
The person was unaware of the change because no one informed them
It goes from so good, to so bad, so soon
The situation changes from good to bad quickly
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: ROBB GOLDSTEIN, SHEL SILVERSTEIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind