I Get By
Stealers Wheel Lyrics


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(Egan)

Woke up this morning, I got out of bed,
Too late to go to work â?? walked my dog instead.
I don't try too hard, but I get by.

You don't have to tell me I've got a lot to learn,
Think I gotta laugh at your overconcern.
I don't try too hard, but I get by.

You sit there with your fancy cigar and you think, â??I got it madeâ??,
I don't want no fast car, whoa no.

I'm never ready, don't have to wait,
Everybody knows I'm bound to get there late.
I don't try too hard, but I get by.

You sit there with your fancy cigar and you think, â??I got it madeâ??,
I don't want no fast car, whoa no.

I'm never ready, don't have to wait,
Everybody knows I'm bound to get there late.
I don't try too hard, but I get by..


Joe Egan: Vocals, Keyboard
Gerry Rafferty: Vocals, Guitar
Paul Pilnick: Lead Guitar




Tony Williams: Bass
Rod Coombes: Drums

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "I Get By" by Stealers Wheel touch on themes of laziness, contentment, and societal pressure to conform to a certain lifestyle. The singer wakes up late and decides to walk his dog instead of going to work, suggesting that he is not overly concerned with being responsible or ambitious. However, he also acknowledges that he has a lot to learn and is aware of others' judgement towards his lack of drive. Despite this, he is content with his life and is confident that he can still "get by" without conforming to society's expectations. The chorus reinforces this sentiment with the repeated line "I don't try too hard, but I get by".


The second verse contrasts the singer's modest approach to life with someone who is more materialistic and status-conscious. The person with the "fancy cigar" represents a type of person who is self-assured but also somewhat deluded about their own success. The singer rejects this lifestyle and says he doesn't want a "fast car", showing that material possessions do not hold the same value to him as they do to others. The song ends with another repetition of the chorus, emphasizing the idea that the singer's simplicity is enough to sustain him.


Overall, "I Get By" is a commentary on society's pressure to conform to certain standards of success, along with the idea that simplicity can be enough to live a happy life.


Line by Line Meaning

Woke up this morning, I got out of bed,
I woke up in the morning and got out of my bed.


Too late to go to work â?? walked my dog instead.
It was too late for me to go to work, so I decided to walk my dog instead.


I don't try too hard, but I get by.
I don't put in too much effort, but I still manage to succeed.


You don't have to tell me I've got a lot to learn,
You don't need to remind me that there's a lot I still need to learn.


Think I gotta laugh at your overconcern.
I think it's funny that you're overly concerned about me.


You sit there with your fancy cigar and you think, â??I got it madeâ??,
You sit there with your expensive cigar and think that you have everything figured out.


I don't want no fast car, whoa no.
I don't want a fast car, no way.


I'm never ready, don't have to wait,
I'm never fully prepared, but I don't have to wait either.


Everybody knows I'm bound to get there late.
Everyone's aware that I'm always running late.


I don't try too hard, but I get by.
I don't put in too much effort, but I still manage to succeed.




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

Pedro Henrique Machado Braz

Woke up this morning, I got out of bed
Too late to go to work — walked my dog instead
I don't try too hard, but I get by

You don't have to tell me I've got a lot to learn
Think I gotta laugh at your overconcern
I don't try too hard, but I get by

You sit there with your fancy cigar and you think, "I got it made"
I don't want no fast car, whoa no

I'm never ready, don't have to wait
Everybody knows I'm bound to get there late
I don't try too hard, but I get by

You sit there with your fancy cigar and you think, "I got it made"
I don't want no fast car, whoa no

I'm never ready, don't have to wait
Everybody knows I'm bound to get there late
I don't try too hard, but I get by.



All comments from YouTube:

Carbon Machine

These guys are just so horribly underrated.. love them love Joe's voice so much! ♥️

Eric Jay

That is probably because they were so short lived as a band but they were great while it lasted.

Shaun David Shaunathon

Joes amazing soulful rock voice and character is incredible! And the instrumentation ..what a band!!!❤

joevs21001

Rest in peace Gerry. Your music will endure.

Altamira

What a powerful voice !! Pure blues !!

Andrew Pollock

You just know this is a hot band-when you have Jesus on drums!

Nilo Marroko

JAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAAJAJAJAJAJAJJAJAJJJAJAJAJAJAAJJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAAJJAJAAJAJJAAJAJAJJAJA SURE MAN!!!!

AllcopsRcunts

Ian Anderson stole that mad peasant face at the end . Joe Egan Legend.

Jerry Mammoser

I saw the halo!

vinto34

Easy gig for him.

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