Throughout the years, and changing line-ups, the group maintained a strong fan-base among jazz fans of all ages.
Me and My Shadow
The Dave Brubeck Quartet Lyrics
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Standing on the corner feeling blue
Sweethearts out for fun
Pass me one by one
Guess I'll wind up like I always do
With only
Me and my shadow
Strolling down the avenue
Not a soul to tell our troubles to
And when it's twelve o'clock
We climb the stair
We never knock
For nobody's there
Just me and my shadow
All alone and feeling blue
When the sun sets on the far horizon
And the parlor lamps begin to glow
Jim and Jack and John
Put their slippers on
They're all set but we'restill on the go
So lonely
Me and my shadow
Strolling down the avenue
Me and my shadow
Not a soul to tell our troubles to
And when it's twelve o'clock
We climb the stair
We never knock
For nobody's there
Just me and my shadow
All alone and feeling blue.
The lyrics of “Me and My Shadow” describe the feeling of loneliness and isolation, which is symbolically represented by the singer's shadow that accompanies him as he walks aimlessly through the night. The song opens with the shades of the night falling, and the singer feeling lonely while standing alone on a street corner. He observes couples walking past him, having fun together and enjoying each other's company while he remains alone. He realizes that he is likely to end up lonely, just like he always does, with no one to share his troubles with except his shadow.
The second verse references the time of the day and how other people tend to settle down for the night, but still, the singer and his shadow are wandering around aimlessly, unable to find anyone to interact with. They keep each other company, albeit non-interactively, and carry on wandering the empty streets. The final lines emphasize the sense of loneliness and emptiness that the singer feels as he climbs the stair and goes home, knowing that he has no one to share his experience with except for his shadow.
In summary, the lyrics of “Me and My Shadow” symbolize the general feeling of isolation and loneliness that most people experience at times, particularly when they are disconnected from others.
Line by Line Meaning
Shades of night are falling and I'm lonely
As darkness sets in, I feel isolated and unhappy.
Standing on the corner feeling blue
I'm standing on this street corner, feeling down and out.
Sweethearts out for fun
Couples are out enjoying themselves.
Pass me one by one
One pair after another walks right past me.
Guess I'll wind up like I always do
I know I'll end up alone, same as always.
With only
I have no one beside me except for
Me and my shadow
my own shadow, my constant companion.
Strolling down the avenue
Walking aimlessly down this busy street.
Not a soul to tell our troubles to
There's no one to confide in or share my woes with.
And when it's twelve o'clock
As the clock strikes midnight,
We climb the stair
We ascend a staircase to a place of solitude.
We never knock
We never bother knocking on the door.
For nobody's there
No one is on the other side waiting for us.
All alone and feeling blue
So in the end, it's just me and my shadow, feeling sad and alone.
When the sun sets on the far horizon
As the sun disappears from the distant horizon,
And the parlor lamps begin to glow
And the lights inside people's homes turn on,
Jim and Jack and John
All the guys,
Put their slippers on
Settle in for the night, ready to relax.
They're all set but we're still on the go
While they're content to stay in, we're still out and about, restless and searching for something.
So lonely
The loneliness is palpable.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: Al Jolson, Billy Rose, Dave Dreyer
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind