Hard To Make A Stand
Sheryl Crow Lyrics


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Old James Dean Monroe
Hands out flowers at the Shop-N-Go
Hopes for money but all he gets is fear
And the wind blows up his coat

And this he scribbles on a perfume note
"If I'm not here, then you're not here"
And he says, "Call me Miscreation,
I'm a walking celebration"

[Chorus]
And it's hard to make a stand
Hard to make a stand
Hard to make a stand
Hard to make a stand

My friend, o lawdy,
Went to take care of her own body,
And she got shot down in the road
She looked up before she went,

Said, "This isn't really what I meant"
And the daily news said,"Two with one stone"
And I say, "Hey there, Miscreation,
Bring a flower, time is wasting"

[Chorus]

We got loud guitars and big suspicions,
Great big guns and small ambitions,
And we still argue over who is God
And I say, "Hey there Miscreation,
Bring a flower time is wasting
we all need a revelation"





[Chorus]

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Sheryl Crow's Hard To Make A Stand are rather poignant and thought-provoking. The song revolves around the misfortunes and the struggles faced by the marginalized and the downtrodden in society. In the first half of the song, the lyrics talk about Old James Dean Monroe, who is often seen at the Shop-N-Go, distributing flowers. Although he hopes for money in return, all he receives is fear. The wind blows up his coat, and he scribbles on a perfume note, "If I'm not here, then you're not here." This line suggests that James feels invisible and forgotten, and he might be thinking that if something were to happen to him, nobody would even notice.


The song's chorus, "And it's hard to make a stand," is a repetition of the phrase that reflects the struggle that James and others like him have to face. The second half of the song talks about Crow's friend, who went to take care of her own body, but unfortunately, she got shot down in the road. She looked up before she went and said, "This isn't really what I meant." The daily news said, "Two with one stone," which is a reference to the statistics of violence and crime in society. The song's lyrics conclude by talking about how even with modern technology and immense progress, society still cannot find answers to its most fundamental questions. The line, "And we still argue over who is God," suggests our inability to find common ground and shared values, reflecting the futility of human existence.


Line by Line Meaning

Old James Dean Monroe
Refers to a man who is trying hard to gain attention and acceptance by distributing flowers, but his efforts often land him in trouble.


Hands out flowers at the Shop-N-Go
He often distributes flowers to impress people at Shop-N-Go where he hopes to blend in and be a part of a community.


Hopes for money but all he gets is fear
Old James Dean Monroe wants to earn some money, but his actions often scare people away, leaving him empty-handed.


And the wind blows up his coat
Suggests that Old James Dean is alone in the cold and is struggling to keep himself warm.


And this he scribbles on a perfume note
He writes his thoughts on a perfume note, giving himself a voice and a chance to be heard.


"If I'm not here, then you're not here"
James Dean's quote suggests that he feels invisible and that his existence is a reflection of others around him.


And he says, "Call me Miscreation,
James seeks an identity for himself and wants recognition for who he is but he comes to terms with his failure and own it.


I'm a walking celebration"
Despite his struggles, he celebrates his own existence, expressing a sense of pride and optimism in himself.


[Chorus] And it's hard to make a stand
The chorus suggests that it is hard to find one's ground and create an identity in a turbulent world.


My friend, o lawdy,
The singer talks about her friend who died, possibly due to a senseless act of violence.


Went to take care of her own body,
Her friend had gone to prioritize her body and health but found herself on the receiving end of an unfortunate event.


And she got shot down in the road
Her friend died a violent death, which suggests that the world can be unforgiving and unfriendly.


She looked up before she went,
Even in her final moments, the singer's friend showed resilience and hope by looking up.


Said, "This isn't really what I meant"
This line refers to a sense of regret in her final moments, as she had other dreams and wishes for her life.


And the daily news said,"Two with one stone"
The news was insensitive and treated her death as a number or a statistic rather than a life lost.


And I say, "Hey there, Miscreation,
The singer addresses James Dean by calling him Miscreation and suggests that he should continue spreading love in the world.


Bring a flower, time is wasting"
The singer encourages James Dean to continue his efforts of spreading love and making moments beautiful, despite the impossible nature of his dreams.


We got loud guitars and big suspicions,
The lyrics draw a stark contrast between the beauty of flowers and the violence and suspicion present in our culture.


Great big guns and small ambitions,
Our ambitions do not match the size of our weapons, which the singer suggests is a problem that leads to violence.


And we still argue over who is God
The lyrics suggest that humans are more likely to argue about things that cannot be seen or proven, while ignoring the beauty right in front of them.


And I say, "Hey there Miscreation,
The singer repeats her call to James Dean, asking him to continue spreading love and life, despite the often-violent world.


Bring a flower time is wasting
She repeats the same line, encouraging James Dean to continue despite the odds.


we all need a revelation"
The final line suggests that it is time for us to rethink our priorities and start focusing on more important things such as kindness and love.


[Chorus] Hard to make a stand Hard to make a stand Hard to make a stand Hard to make a stand
The chorus repeats, emphasizing the struggle to create an identity and make a stand in a violent and unforgiving world.




Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC , Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Bill Bottrell, R S Bryan, Sheryl Suzanne Crow, Todd Stewart Wolfe

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

Roiy Benkel

Old James Dean Monroe
Hands out flowers at the Shop-N-Go
Hopes for money but all he gets is fear
And the wind blows up his coat
And this he scribbles on a perfume note
"If I'm not here, then you're not here"
And he says, "Call me Miscreation,
I'm a walking celebration"

[Chorus]
And it's hard to make a stand
Hard to make a stand
Hard to make a stand
Hard to make a stand

My friend, o lawdy,
Went to take care of her own body,
And she got shot down in the road
She looked up before she went,
Said, "This isn't really what I meant"
And the daily news said,"Two with one stone"
And I say, "Hey there, Miscreation,
Bring a flower, time is wasting"

[Chorus]

We got loud guitars and big suspicions,
Great big guns and small ambitions,
And we still argue over who is God
And I say, "Hey there Miscreation,
Bring a flower time is wasting
we all need a revelation"

[Chorus]



All comments from YouTube:

Ici Daimon

This song... This whole album is so upbeat and raw simultaneously. Some of my favourite songs of all time are on here! So underrated! Brings me back to a wonderfully in over by and naive time. Love the nostalgia. Thanks for the good music Sheryl!

ThisIsBrick

One of those forgotten little album tracks better than half of the radio hits she had. Redemption Day off that same album is the same way.

RetrolutionGames

This track got radio play in the UK in early 97', I always liked it

R W

This was released as a single in the UK. I remember it from back then.

Brian Kelly

ThisIsBrick I agree. Found an old tape. Rocked it in. The truck today. Great song. Exceptional rythym guitar

Kool Kitties

ThisIsBrick Redemption day is my top 5 Sheryl song all time.

Feukka 1

ThisIsBrick sup brick. lol. both are awesome.

Rob L

Definitely going to add this to my playlist !!

Ashley Jo

My high school soundtrack, this album ❤

Flint Eastwood

My mom used to play this album, as a kid growing up in my elementary years. Somethin about Sheryl Crowe is just great

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