After attending Brown University, he wound up getting a job writing for David Letterman's late night television show. He wound up winning an Emmy as part of Letterman's writing team in 1986, but quit to pursue his love of music. From 1987 to 1989 he was the co-owner of Manhattan Recording Company and wrote many commercial jingles.
An accomplished musician, Yazbek has released three rock albums to date which highlight his unique perspective and wry sense of humor. He has also written many songs and background music for children's television shows, especially those produced for Disney's cable television channel. He also wrote the theme song to the children's television game show "Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego." This hit show featured the musical group Rockapella, of which Yazbek's college friend Sean Altman was a member.
Yazbek has produced tracks for the band XTC, and its lead singer Andy Partridge has collaborated on Yazbek's solo albums. He also has written for or produced recordings by Spacehog, Tito Puente, The Persuasions, Queen, and Sarah Saturday. XTC also contributed a track to the "Carmen Sandiego" soundtrack album, which Yazbek produced.
In 2000, Yazbek was approached by Broadway producer Jack O'Brien to write the music and lyrics for a musical based on the hit movie The Full Monty. The show was a success, although it was overshadowed that year by Mel Brooks' musical The Producers. The Full Monty ran for two years before closing, and for his work Yazbek was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Original Score and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics, and won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music. In 2002 he was a contributing lyricist for the musical Bombay Dreams.
Yazbek also wrote the music and lyrics to the musical adaptation of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, which opened on Broadway in 2005, featuring John Lithgow and Norbert Leo Butz. Yazbek was again nominated for the 2005 Tony Award for Best Original Score, and Drama Desk Awards for Outstanding Music and Outstanding Lyrics.
Why Me
Yazbek Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But the funny thing is that when I'm gone I'll kill you
When I tell you, I don't want you here
I've been around and around but I got nowhere to go now
But the funny thing is that when I'm gone I'll kill you
I've been around and around but I got nowhere to go now
But the funny thing is that when I'm gone I'll kill you
When I tell you, when I tell you, oh now when I tell you
I don't want you here!
Yazbek's Why Me is a song filled with intense emotions and confessions of an individual who is struggling to find his way out of a difficult situation. The first set of lyrics, "I've been around and around but got nowhere to go now, but the funny thing is that when I'm gone, I'll kill you" portrays the person's feeling of being lost and helpless. He seems to be going in circles, trying to find his destination, but to no avail. The second line, however, is a stark contrast to the first one. He talks about killing someone when he's gone, which could be taken figuratively or metaphorically. Perhaps he means that his actions and words might hurt someone so much that it might feel like killing them.
The next set of lyrics, "When I tell you, I don't want you here" emphasizes the fact that the person wants to be left alone rather than be with someone. The repetition of the previous line indicates his determination to be alone, and he wants the other person to understand it. The repetition of "I've been around and around" means that the person has been trying to get out of this situation for a long time, and he is tired of it. Through this song, Yazbek paints a picture of a person who is struggling with his emotions, and it seems like he is slowly losing his mind.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been around and around but I got nowhere to go now
Despite my efforts, I feel trapped and directionless in life
But the funny thing is that when I'm gone I'll kill you
Ironically, the only way that I can escape my situation is through death, which would cause harm to those around me
When I tell you, I don't want you here
I am expressing my desire for someone to leave me alone, likely because they are unable to provide the help that I need
When I tell you, when I tell you, oh now when I tell you
I am emphasizing the importance of my message and the urgency with which it needs to be heard
I don't want you here!
I am making it clear that someone's presence in my life is causing more harm than good and that I need them to stay away
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DAVID N YAZBEK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
J M Hibbs
Lovely!