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
Poor Boy
Steve Forbert Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With his hands in his pockets he's walkin' in the night
With his dark eyes lookin'; he's a poor boy
His dark eyes lookin'; he's a poor boy
He can't seem to keep any buttons on his clothes
And the shoes on his feet are pinching on his toes
And his hair wants a cuttin'; he's a poor boy
His hair wants a cuttin'; he's a poor boy
[Chorus:]
Hey (now, now) poor boy
What's it all about?
Hey, poor boy
Can you hear me when I shout?
Well, he's workin' everyday, slavin' for his pay
And all the pretty women - they love to swish and sway
And they always overlook him; he's a poor boy
They always overlook him; he's a poor boy
Well, May turns into June, walking through the park
And way off in his world he's a-dreamin' in the dark
With his mind on fire; he's a poor boy
His mind on fire; he's a poor boy
[Chorus]
Well, the streets are alive, every body laughs
People come and go, and they're snappin' photographs
And he's over by the river; he's a poor boy
He's over by the river; he's a poor boy
Well, spring has come and gone now
And how much time you got?
Time's a-flyin' by, yes, and summer's gettin' hot, and he's
Listenin' to the thunder; he's a poor boy
He's listenin' to the thunder; he's a poor boy
[Chorus]
The lyrics to Steve Forbert's song "Poor Boy" tell the story of a man who is struggling to make ends meet and feels overlooked by society. He is always alone, walking in the night with his hands in his pockets, and his dark eyes look sad and tired. The poor boy can't even keep the buttons on his clothes, and his shoes are pinching his toes. His hair is a mess and needs cutting. Despite his efforts to work hard and earn a living, he feels invisible to the pretty women who "love to swish and sway." He spends his time dreaming in the dark, and his mind is on fire, but he can't seem to catch a break.
As the song progresses, we learn that May turns into June and the poor boy is walking through the park, "way off in his world." He watches people laughing and snapping photographs, but he feels disconnected and unimportant. Even though spring has come and gone, time keeps flying by, and he's still listening to the thunder, feeling like a poor boy. The lyrics to "Poor Boy" capture the sad reality of living in poverty, feeling invisible and forgotten by the rest of society.
Line by Line Meaning
He's always alone, wrapped up in his plight
He is constantly lonely and deeply engrossed in his difficulties
With his hands in his pockets he's walkin' in the night
He wanders around the streets aimlessly in the dark with his hands in his pockets
With his dark eyes lookin'; he's a poor boy
He is identified as a poor boy by his gloomy stare
He can't seem to keep any buttons on his clothes
He often loses the buttons on his clothes, making it tough for him to dress neatly
And the shoes on his feet are pinching on his toes
The shoes he wears are too tight and hurt his feet
And his hair wants a cuttin'; he's a poor boy
His unkempt hair signifies him as a poor boy
Hey (now, now) poor boy
What's it all about?
Addressing the poor boy, the singer asks the meaning of his struggling life
Hey, poor boy
Can you hear me when I shout?
The singer questions if the poor boy can listen to him as loud as he is capable of shouting
Well, he's workin' everyday, slavin' for his pay
He does hard work every day to earn his wage
And all the pretty women - they love to swish and sway
Beautiful women enjoy dancing/celebration, but he is left alone to struggle
And they always overlook him; he's a poor boy
Being a poor boy, he is ignored by all the glamorous women
Well, May turns into June, walking through the park
Seasons come and go and while walking through the park in the transitioning time the poor boy gets lost within his thoughts
And way off in his world he's a-dreamin' in the dark
He is lost in the darkness of his thoughts and doesn't pay attention to what's happening around him
With his mind on fire; he's a poor boy
His mind is greatly disturbed; being a poor boy weighs heavily on him
Well, the streets are alive, every body laughs
The streets are lively with people and everyone is joyous
People come and go, and they're snappin' photographs
People around him are clicking pictures but the poor boy is just watching people go by
And he's over by the river; he's a poor boy
The poor boy stands near the river, isolated from all the joyous events happening around him
Well, spring has come and gone now
And how much time you got?
Spring passed on, and he has limited time left to achieve his aspirations
Time's a-flyin' by, yes, and summer's gettin' hot, and he's
Listenin' to the thunder; he's a poor boy
Time is passing quickly, summer has arrived, and he is still poor and struggling in life, maybe due to his lack of efforts to change. Listening to the thunder, he is pondering over his life
[Chorus]
Refrain from the music
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: STEVE FORBERT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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