It's said that the musical urge in Kellogg started with a mixture of his dad's records (Cat Stevens/Jim Croce) and his sister's (Mötley Crüe/Bon Jovi). The songwriting of the former and the showmanship of the latter was the beginning of the musical attitude that pervades Kellogg's work today. Kellogg got his start recording and touring while attending the University of Massachusetts Amherst from 1994-1998. He independently released several solo albums before being signed to Universal Records in 2004.
www.stephenkellogg.com
Who Am I?
Stephen Kellogg Lyrics
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I can't think, only sing.
There'll be no shutting these voices out.
The whisper builds to a deafening shout.
The lonely
The spirit questions them as they roll
They say,
Who am I
Am I a good man, Can I be trusted?
Or will your faith in my be exhausted
Is there peace in the life I live
Or are we victims in the life we give.
And I say, Who am I.
Who am I.
Who am I.
Could you let me be
And then let me see
The world is moving too fast
That the present gets dissolved somewhere deep within the past
I cannot say with any truth,
Just who I am or what I can prove
I waste my credit on a worth
I will distance myself from the things I hurt
I will say, Who am I (x5)
Who I am (x2)
Who am I
Got to know who I am, is who I am, Who am I (x6)
In Stephen Kellogg's song "Who Am I?", he sings about his struggle to understand his true identity. He starts by acknowledging his limitations as a writer and thinker and instead identifies himself as a musician and singer. He then talks about how the voices in his head won't let him ignore his sense of loneliness and isolation.
The chorus of the song is where he gets to the heart of his question: "Who am I?" He wonders if he can be trusted and if he's a good person. He questions if there's any peace in his life and if we're all just victims of circumstances beyond our control.
Throughout the song, Kellogg seems to be trying to make sense of his place in the world and his purpose in life. He doesn't have any answers, but he's asking the right questions. He wants to know who he is and what he's meant to do, but he's struggling to find those answers.
Overall, "Who Am I?" is a deeply introspective and heartfelt song about searching for meaning and identity.
Line by Line Meaning
I can't write, only play.
I am not capable of writing, but I am skilled in playing music.
I can't think, only sing.
My thoughts don't flow into words, but I can sing as a way of expressing myself.
There'll be no shutting these voices out.
I cannot ignore the voices in my head, which are clamoring to be heard.
The whisper builds to a deafening shout.
As the voices intensify, their message becomes louder and more urgent.
The lonely
As a lonely person, I am plagued by questions about my identity.
The spirit questions them as they roll
My inner self is constantly questioning my existence as I struggle with my identity.
They say, Who am I
An endless internal monologue repeats the question, 'Who am I?'
Am I a good man, Can I be trusted?
I constantly wonder whether I am a good person and whether others can trust me.
Or will your faith in my be exhausted
I fear that people will eventually lose faith in me, which makes me question my worth.
Is there peace in the life I live
I am uncertain whether I am living a peaceful life or not.
Or are we victims in the life we give.
I wonder whether our actions in life are predetermined or whether we are always victims of circumstance.
And I say, Who am I.
I continue to question my own identity.
Could you let me be
I wish to be allowed to contemplate my own identity in peace.
And then let me see
I want the space to gain clarity about who I am as a person.
The world is moving too fast
The fast-paced world we live in doesn't give us enough time to reflect on our own identities.
That the present gets dissolved somewhere deep within the past
The present often becomes muddled and obscured by the past in our minds.
I cannot say with any truth,
I am unable to speak the truth about my identity.
Just who I am or what I can prove
I am uncertain about who I am and what I can prove to others.
I waste my credit on a worth
I squander my value, which makes me question my worth further.
I will distance myself from the things I hurt
To protect myself from the pain, I will separate myself from the things that hurt me or the things I hurt.
I will say, Who am I (x5)
I will repeatedly ask the question 'Who am I?' to find the answers I seek.
Who I am (x2)
I keep reflecting on my identity to know who I am as a person.
Who am I
My quest for self-discovery and understanding continues.
Got to know who I am, is who I am, Who am I (x6)
I am determined to find my true identity, to know who I am and what I stand for.
Contributed by Benjamin K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.