Handle With Care
Traveling Wilburys (the) Lyrics


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Been beat up and battered 'round
Been sent up, and I've been shot down
You're the best thing that I've ever found
Handle me with care

Reputations changeable
Situations tolerable
Baby, you're adorable
Handle me with care

I'm so tired of being lonely
I still have some love to give
Won't you show me that you really care?

Everybody's got somebody to lean on
Put your body next to mine, and dream on

I've been fobbed off, and I've been fooled
I've been robbed and ridiculed
In daycare centers and night schools
Handle me with care

Been stuck in airports, terrorized
Sent to meetings, hypnotized
Overexposed, commercialized
Handle me with care

I'm so tired of being lonely
I still have some love to give
Won't you show me that you really care?

Everybody's got somebody to lean on
Put your body next to mine, and dream on

I've been uptight and made a mess
But I'll clean it up myself, I guess




Oh, the sweet smell of success
Handle me with care

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of the song Handle With Care by Traveling Wilburys express the artist's desire to be treated with love, care, and respect following years of disappointment and heartbreak. The singer alludes to having been beaten up and sent up, shot down and ridiculed, and stuck in various difficult situations. Despite all this, the artist remains hopeful and open to love, asking to be handled with care. The lyrics, "Everybody's got somebody to lean on, put your body next to mine and dream on" signify the artist's wish to share their life with somebody special intimately.


The Traveling Wilburys formed in 1988 as an American-British supergroup consisting of Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Roy Orbison, Jeff Lynne, and Tom Petty. Handle With Care was the first song that they recorded, and it became an instant hit, reaching number one on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart. The song itself was initially created as a B-side to the single This Is Love by Harrison. However, when Jeff Lynne and Harrison started working on a song together, they invited the other members to join in, and Handle With Care was born.


Line by Line Meaning

Been beat up and battered 'round
I have faced numerous hardships and struggles in my life so far.


Been sent up, and I've been shot down
I have experienced failures and setbacks before, leaving me feeling hopeless and dejected.


You're the best thing that I've ever found
Of all the things that I have experienced, you are the one good thing that I have come across.


Handle me with care
Please be gentle and patient with me since I may be emotional and fragile due to my past experiences.


Reputations changeable
Perceptions of individuals can change over time depending on their actions, making reputation a fluid concept.


Situations tolerable
Even difficult situations can be manageable and easy to bear if we have the right mindset and approach.


Baby, you're adorable
I find you charming and cute, further motivating me to want to be with you.


I'm so tired of being lonely
Feeling lonely is a constant struggle for me that drains me emotionally.


I still have some love to give
Despite my past experiences, I have a lot of love to offer and wish to share it with someone special.


Won't you show me that you really care?
Please demonstrate your affection towards me through your actions, so that I know that you truly care for me.


Everybody's got somebody to lean on
No matter how hard life gets, everyone always has someone that they can rely on for support and guidance.


Put your body next to mine, and dream on
Let us intertwine our bodies and lose ourselves in a shared dream of love and companionship.


I've been fobbed off, and I've been fooled
I have been cheated and deceived before, making me wary of trusting others.


I've been robbed and ridiculed
I have been treated unfairly and taken advantage of in the past, leaving me feeling humiliated and lost.


In daycare centers and night schools
The negative experiences that I have had in my life have occurred in both traditional and non-traditional learning environments.


Been stuck in airports, terrorized
I have been trapped in airports for extended periods of time, feeling helpless and afraid due to unforeseen circumstances.


Sent to meetings, hypnotized
I have been forced to attend meetings that have been dull and unexciting, leaving me in a trance-like state of boredom and disinterest.


Overexposed, commercialized
I have been exploited and overused for commercial purposes, making me feel like a commodity rather than a person.


I've been uptight and made a mess
I have been anxious and stressed, causing me to make mistakes and create chaos in my own life.


But I'll clean it up myself, I guess
Although the mess in my life is my own doing, I will try my best to fix it on my own.


Oh, the sweet smell of success
The feeling of accomplishment and triumph is a wonderful thing, giving us the motivation to try again and again.


Handle me with care
In conclusion, please be patient and kind with me, as I try to navigate through this unpredictable and often harsh world.




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Peermusic Publishing, THE BICYCLE MUSIC COMPANY
Written by: BOB DYLAN, GEORGE HARRISON, JEFF LYNNE, ROY K ORBISON, TOM PETTY

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@01270211136

I cannot confirm it as fact, but I believe Elvis was once interviewed and asked, what it felt like having the greatest singing voice ever?

Elvis relied... "I am not sure. Go and ask, Roy Orbison".

Southern class and incredibly humble.

I am 100% sure Elvis would have jumped in on this little sing along.

" Without a song. The day will never end"

My time will come to meet them. I hope!!



All comments from YouTube:

@wireless6

I'm 74 and realise how lucky I am that YouTube came along in my lifetime so I could watch great videos like these over and over again.

@user-nw6qp7yf2t

Me too. Sir!

@jimclarke1108

@@user-nw6qp7yf2t And me

@chabookproductions6997

Amen Brother!

@stargazer5797

Count me in. The beautiful songs remind me of my family which are all gone. I feel them through the music.

@lesliefuller1456

@@user-nw6qp7yf2tand me

141 More Replies...

@jimshea6593

Elvis once said that Roy Orbison's voice was the most pure and perfect voice he had ever heard.

@andrewrehnert4997

This song was probably written with Elvis in mind!

@grahamstrachan3555

Elvis wasn't wrong

@vanessaearly7490

That's so awesome. I have always related the 2 of their voices to each other.

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