As teenagers, the band members, like most rock 'n' roll groups, were intent on becoming pop stars. Instead of creating a brand-new sound or striving for something different, their philosophy was to take popular styles of rock 'n' roll and push them to the edge. It was at that that the band excelled. The passion and soul they pumped into their music on is still in the grooves of each record. And although they set out to be nothing more than a "typical" rock group, they made some of the most atypical records of the 1960s!
Forming in late 1965, the Shadows of Knight were all friends and aquaintances, except for lead singer Jim Sohns, whom they stole from a rival group. The group's early sounds were highly influenced by black music and by white British interpretations of black music. Venturing into hard-edged R&B, the group made two LP' for Dunwich Records within its first year (both records now available again, thanks to Sundazed Records). Those albums are essential listening for anyone who loves the gritty early sounds of groups like the Rolling Stones and the Pretty Things. Of course, it's their version of Them's "Gloria" that shot the Shadows to the top of the American pop charts. Their rise to fame was fast, and the pressures were very hard for the group to handle. By 1967, the group, disillusioned by its mismanagement, began to fall apart. Guitarist Jerry McGeorge went on to form the understated H.P. Lovecraft. Both the bassist Joe Kelly and the drummer Tim Schiffour held out for more straight-ahead blues in the Joe Kelly Blues Band. Jim Sohns held on.
By late 1968, Sohns was the only surviving member, legally securing the Shadows of Knight name for himself. The "group" was then contracted with by bubblegum producers Kasenetz and Katz to record under that name for K&K's Teem Records label. Grabbing at any straw handed to him, Sohns quickly moved to New York, assembled a group of musicians, and went on to record some of the best records of the bubblegum genre.
A master at interpreting popular sounds, Sohns was able to take teen appeal and mix it with his gritty soulful voice for an unbelievable version of "Shake." Jim (under various psuedonyms) is also quite obviously the vocalist on many other soulful bubblegum songs pressed for K&K labels. Firmly grounded in the bubblegum genre and sensing another change in popular music, Jim began to have an interest in harder rock 'n' roll sounds. His last great single is perhaps the most perfect melding of rock and bubblegum sounds: "Run, Run Billy Porter"/ "My Fire Department Needs A Fireman."
Although Sohns kept the Shadows of Knight name alive, he lost his chart-topping drive in 1969 and began to rehash his earlier Chicago career, so his subsequent records are neither timely nor so impassioned.
On July 29th 2022, Jim Sohns passed away from complications due to a stroke. He was 75 years old.
You can't judge a book
The Shadows of Knight Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You can't judge honey by looking at the bee,
You can't judge a daughter by looking at the mother,
You can't judge a book by looking at the cover.
Oh can't you see,
Oh, well, you misjudge me.
I look like a farmer,
Can't judge a book by looking at the cover.
Yeah, that's right,
That's so good.
You can't judge a fish by lookin' in the pond,
You can't judge right by looking at the wrong,
You can't judge one by looking at the other,
You can't judge a book by looking at the cover.
Oh can't you see,
Oh, well, you misjudge me.
I look like a farmer,
But I'm a Lover,
Can't judge a book by looking at the cover.
You can't judge sugar by looking at the cane,
You can't judge a woman by looking at her man,
You can't judge a sister by looking at her brother,
You can't judge a book by looking at the cover.
Oh can't you see,
Oh, well, you misjudge me.
I look like a farmer,
But I'm a lover,
Can't judge a book by looking at the cover.
The Shadows of Knight's song "You Can't Judge a Book" is a classic tune that explores the theme that appearances can be deceiving. The song’s lyrics focus on how one cannot judge a person or a thing based on their external appearance. The opening lines of the song suggest that an apple cannot be judged by looking at the tree it came from, just like honey cannot be judged by looking at the bee that made it. Similarly, you cannot judge a person by looking at their mother or a book by its cover. The repeated chorus “Oh can’t you see, oh well you misjudge me” reinforces this message throughout the song.
As the song progresses, the lyrics become more specific, using different examples to explain the central message. The line "I look like a farmer but I'm a lover" is a perfect representation of how appearances can be misleading. The song goes on to suggest that fish cannot be judged by looking in the pond, nor can a book be judged by its cover, a sister by her brother, or sugar by looking at the cane it came from.
Overall, the song is a timeless message that encourages people to move beyond appearances and judgments, to look deeper into what is underneath the surface.
Line by Line Meaning
You can't judge an apple by looking at the tree,
Don't assume the quality of an item based on its outward appearance
You can't judge honey by looking at the bee,
Appearances can be deceiving; don't make assumptions based on them
You can't judge a daughter by looking at the mother,
Just because someone is related to another person doesn't mean they share the same characteristics
You can't judge a book by looking at the cover.
Don't judge a story based on its appearance; it might be different than you expect
Oh can't you see,
Can't you understand the message being conveyed?
Oh, well, you misjudge me.
You have made a mistake in your assumptions about me
I look like a farmer,
My appearance might suggest one thing
But I'm a lover,
But my true nature is something else entirely
Yeah, that's right,
That's exactly how it is
That's so good.
It's a positive thing to remember not to judge based on appearance
You can't judge a fish by lookin' in the pond,
Don't assume someone's qualities based on where they come from or the environment they live in
You can't judge right by looking at the wrong,
Don't assume someone is doing something wrong because it doesn't fit your expectations
You can't judge one by looking at the other,
Don't make assumptions about one thing based on what's around it
You can't judge sugar by looking at the cane,
Don't assume something's quality based on what it's made from
You can't judge a woman by looking at her man,
Don't make assumptions about someone based on their relationship to another person
You can't judge a sister by looking at her brother,
Just because two people are related doesn't mean they share the same qualities or characteristics
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Willie Dixon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@kenadams591
Just found this album, Woohoo!
@sandsoftime1954
+ Ken Adams I got it too, wonder if its worth anything ?
@kenadams591
Probably a few bucks, it's a great one to play. Sure would like to find their other albums..✌
@maxvigarotti7904
Ken Adams I'm jealous. This album rocks my socks off
@markvickroy6725
hell yes. this is EXACTLY how white guys should do this song. Fuxk the Strypes. but these guys still shoulda told me my radio was down too low - TURN IT UP!
plus the lyric changes are great.
this goes in my "best rock n roll there ever fucking was" playlist