You can't judge a book
The Shadows of Knight Lyrics


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You can't judge an apple by looking at the tree,
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,
But I'm a lover,
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.

Overall Meaning

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
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Comments from YouTube:

@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

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