Forbert signed a recording contract with Nemperor in 1978, and they released his debut album, Alive on Arrival, that same year. His song "Romeo's Tune", although "dedicated to the memory of Florence Ballard" on the sleeve of Forbert's second album Jackrabbit Slim (released in 1979), is not about Supremes singer Ballard who died in 1976. "Forbert admits that Ballard became a timely connection for "Romeo's Tune", written about a girl from Meridian. "That seemed like such bad news to me and such sad news. She wasn't really taken care of by the music business, which is not a new story". At around this time critics hailed Forbert as "The new Bob Dylan" because of a similar vocal timbre and thoughtful songwriting. The front cover of Jackrabbit Slim encourages such comparisons with its simplicity: a black and white photo of Steve Forbert playing a well-worn Martin acoustic guitar with a capo on it, his shirt tinted green. The record was recorded in Nashville and produced by John Simon who had worked with The Band.
After many successful years, Forbert sought out new inspiration and found it when he relocated to Nashville in 1985. Forbert's tribute to Jimmie Rodgers, Any Old Time, was nominated for a 2004 Grammy in the best traditional folk category. In 2006, he was inducted into the Mississippi Music Hall of Fame.
Recent albums include Strange Names & New Sensations (2007), The Place And The Time (2009), and Over With You (2012).
www.steveforbert.com
Leaving Blues
Steve Forbert Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
One for work and one for fun
One to go and one to stay
Little darlin', I'm goin' away
Well, I wish I was two somehow
That could make it all so easy now
One to stay and one to go
Little darlin', I love you so
(But/and) it's bye, bye
Time won't let me be
Bye, goodbye, babe
Oh, child, I swear
There ain't no one that's free
Well, I wish I was in control
Free to stay and let the good times roll
Stay with you, babe, I wish I could
Little darlin', you know I would
(But/and) it's bye, bye
Time won't let me be
Bye, goodbye, babe
Oh, child, I swear
There ain't no one that's free
Well, I wish I was dreamin' this
And wakin' up to your sweet kiss now
Free to stay with this love we've found
Little darlin', I'm highway bound
(But/and) it's bye, bye
Time won't let me be
Bye, goodbye, babe
Oh, child, I swear
There ain't no one that's free
The song "Leaving Blues" by Steve Forbert portrays the dilemma of having to choose between commitment and freedom. The lyrics imply the desire to have two simultaneous existences, one for work and responsibility and the other for leisure and carefree actions. The lines "Wish I was more than one / One for work and one for fun / One to go and one to stay / Little darlin', I'm goin' away" express this sentiment of wishing for the impossible—having two selves to be both loyal and adventurous at the same time.
The inner conflict continues in the second verse as the singer sings, "Well, I wish I was two somehow / That could make it all so easy now / One to stay and one to go / Little darlin', I love you so." The singer wishes he had control over his life and wasn't bounded by the limitations of time and obligations. He wants to be both present and absent, both committed and free, but knows that it isn't feasible.
The chorus brings it all together with the lines "But it's bye, bye / Time won't let me be / Bye, goodbye, babe / Oh, child, I swear / There ain't no one that's free." The singer acknowledges that he cannot have it all and has to choose. The reality of not being able to be in two places at once and having to make a decision is a hurdle he cannot overcome. The song ends with the hope of returning to the love he left behind, but the unknown future awaits him.
Line by Line Meaning
Wish I was more than one
I wish I had more options and could be in different places at once
One for work and one for fun
I'd like to have one version of me that focuses on work and another that can relax and have fun
One to go and one to stay
Another version of me could be content to settle down, while the other explores and travels
Little darlin', I'm goin' away
I'm leaving you, but I still care for you deeply
Well, I wish I was two somehow
I yearn for more control over my life and the ability to make decisions without sacrificing other things
That could make it all so easy now
If I had more versions of myself, I could handle everything I need to and the decision-making process would be simplified
One to stay and one to go
One version of myself would desire to stay with you, while the other wants to hit the road
Little darlin', I love you so
I care deeply for you and leaving is extremely difficult for me
But/and it's bye, bye
Despite my desires, I have to leave and say goodbye
Time won't let me be
The constraints of time make it impossible for me to have everything I want
Bye, goodbye, babe
I'm leaving and it's heartbreaking
Oh, child, I swear
I'm telling you the truth
There ain't no one that's free
Everyone is constrained in some way and cannot have everything they want
Well, I wish I was in control
I long for the power to make decisions with full knowledge of the consequences and no negative effects
Free to stay and let the good times roll
I want to be able to stay with you and fully enjoy the time that we have together
Stay with you, babe, I wish I could
I want to be able to stay with you, but I know I can't
Well, I wish I was dreamin' this
I hope that this is all just a dream and that I'll wake up
And wakin' up to your sweet kiss now
If this was all just a dream, I could return to the sweet comfort of your embrace
Free to stay with this love we've found
If the dream were true, we could be together and stay in love forever
Little darlin', I'm highway bound
I'm hitting the road and leaving you behind
Oh, child, I swear
I'm telling you the truth
There ain't no one that's free
Nobody can have everything they want and life is full of challenges
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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