Sheldon Alan "Shel" Silverstein (25th September 1930 – 10th May 1999) was a… Read Full Bio ↴Sheldon Alan "Shel" Silverstein (25th September 1930 – 10th May 1999) was an American poet, songwriter, musician, composer, cartoonist, screenwriter, and author of children's books.

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.

They Held Me Down
Shel Silverstein Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

"This next song is dedicated to all the cop outs in the world. My friends mostly, including me."

It was Sat night at the slammer
The gavel was falling like a hammer
As they dragged in every freak
From off the road
One by one they entered the cell
And the stories that they had to tell

Were all different
But all seemed to end on the very same note

"They held me down and they put it on my nose
They even sprinkled a little bit on my clothes
Yeahâ?¦ I know what you're thinkin
But I ain't one of those
Noâ?¦ they held me down and put it in my nose."

This wino in the corner got up and shook himself outâ?¦.
He said,
"Well they held me down and poured it down my throat
That's what they did.
They even planted the bottle in my coat
Anybody want some?
Yeahâ?¦ the reason why my pants so wet
Is they pushed me off the boat
After they held me down and poured it down my throat."

And this chick in the next cellâ?¦
She said,
"I heard you guys talking
And let me tell you somethingâ?¦
He held me down and he put it you know where
Ohhhhâ?¦ I told him I was a virgin
But he didn't care
Nooooâ?¦ the pig!
Ahhhhâ?¦ you see his wallet's in my purse.
What's it doing there?
He held me down and put it you know where."

And then this cat got up.
Wellâ?¦ he half got up.
He lifted his head and,
He said,
"Hey, manâ?¦ hey held me down and they put it in my vein.
They even held a pistol to my brain
Or I wouldn'ta done it
Ohhh.. these scars on my arms are where I crashed through the window paneâ?¦
Tryin' to get awaaaaaaaaay
When they held me down and put it in my vein."

And then this cat.. a rollie-eyed cat in a raincoat, and shoes
And the bottom of his pants were cut off at the knees
He said,
"She held me down and put it in my face.
Oh, the disgrace.
And that's the fact on which I'm gonna base my case.
She was overweight and underage.
And we was at my place.
But she held me down and put it in my face."

They held me down and made me write this song..........

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Shel Silverstein’s song "They Held Me Down" depict stories of people who have been forced to undergo unpleasant or harmful experiences. The song begins in a jail cell where several people are sharing their stories. Each person describes how they were held down and subjected to various forms of mistreatment. As the stories unfold, it becomes clear that the victims were powerless to resist, and their tormentors held all of the power.

The song highlights a universal theme of powerlessness in the face of authority or force. It emphasizes how easy it can be for those in power to abuse their authority and take advantage of others. At the same time, the lyrics also suggest that the victims are not innocent. The third person’s story implies that they consented to a sexual act but still felt violated by the experience.

The song is a commentary on human nature, where people often feel powerless against the injustices of life. It highlights the need for greater empathy, compassion, and understanding of others’ experiences. The song is a warning against mistreating others and reminds everyone that they may one day find themselves in a position of powerlessness.

Line by Line Meaning

It was Sat night at the slammer
The singer was in jail on a Saturday night

The gavel was falling like a hammer
The judge was delivering harsh sentences

As they dragged in every freak
Many different types of people were being arrested

From off the road
They were not arrested in their homes

One by one they entered the cell
Each person was put into a cell individually

And the stories that they had to tell
Each person had a different story to tell

Were all different
None of the stories were the same

But all seemed to end on the very same note
All of the stories shared the common theme of being held down and forced to do something

They held me down and they put it on my nose
The artist was held down and drugs were forced up their nose

They even sprinkled a little bit on my clothes
The drugs were also sprinkled on the artist's clothes

Yeahâ?¦ I know what you're thinkin
The singer anticipates the listener's disbelief

But I ain't one of those
The artist is asserting their innocence

Noâ?¦ they held me down and put it in my nose.
The singer is summarizing the situation

This wino in the corner got up and shook himself outâ?¦.
A drunk man sitting nearby stands up

He said,
The drunk begins to speak

Well they held me down and poured it down my throat
The drunk was forced to drink alcohol while being held down

That's what they did.
The drunk is confirming the story

They even planted the bottle in my coat
The officers planted a bottle of alcohol on the drunk

Anybody want some?
The drunk is offering alcohol to those around him

Yeahâ?¦ the reason why my pants so wet
The drunk explains why his pants are wet

Is they pushed me off the boat
The officers pushed the drunk off a boat, causing him to fall in the water

After they held me down and poured it down my throat.
The drunk is summarizing the situation

And this chick in the next cellâ?¦
A woman in a nearby cell starts to speak

She said,
The woman begins to share her story

I heard you guys talking
The woman overheard the conversation

And let me tell you somethingâ?¦
The woman wants to share her own experience

He held me down and he put it you know where
The woman was sexually assaulted while being held down

Ohhhhâ?¦ I told him I was a virgin
The woman tried to resist by telling the man she was a virgin

But he didn't care
The man did not stop

Nooooâ?¦ the pig!
The woman is angry at the man who assaulted her

Ahhhhâ?¦ you see his wallet's in my purse.
The woman stole the man's wallet in revenge

What's it doing there?
The woman questions why the wallet is now in her possession

He held me down and put it you know where.
The woman is summarizing the situation

And then this cat got up.
A man sitting nearby stands up

Wellâ?¦ he half got up.
The man is not able to stand fully

He lifted his head and,
The man prepares to share his story

He said,
The man begins to speak

Hey, manâ?¦ hey held me down and they put it in my vein.
The man was held down and forced to inject drugs into his vein

They even held a pistol to my brain
The officers threatened the man with a gun

Or I wouldn'ta done it
The man was forced to inject drugs against his will

Ohhh.. these scars on my arms are where I crashed through the window paneâ?¦
The man tried to escape by breaking through a window, causing the scars on his arms

Tryin' to get awaaaaaaaaay
The man was trying to escape from the officers

When they held me down and put it in my vein.
The man is summarizing the situation

And then this cat.. a rollie-eyed cat in a raincoat, and shoes
A man wearing a raincoat and shoes, and with rolling eyes, stands up

And the bottom of his pants were cut off at the knees
The man's pants were cut to be shorter

He said,
The man begins to speak

She held me down and put it in my face.
The woman held the man down and forced herself on him sexually

Oh, the disgrace.
The man is embarrassed by what happened

And that's the fact on which I'm gonna base my case.
The man is going to use this story as evidence in court

She was overweight and underage.
The woman was young and fat

And we was at my place.
The man and woman were at the man's house

But she held me down and put it in my face.
The man is summarizing the situation

They held me down and made me write this song..........
The artist was inspired by the stories of these people being held down and forced to do things, and decided to write a song about it

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: SHEL SILVERSTEIN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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