Shame
robbie; barlow williams Lyrics


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Well there's three versions of this story mine and yours
And then the truth
Now we can put it down to circumstance, our childhood, then our youth
Out of some sentimental gain I wanted you to feel my pain,
But it came back return to sender
I read your mind and tried to call,
My tears could fill the Albert Hall,
Is this the sound of sweet surrender?

What a shame we never listened
I told you through the television
And all that went away was the price we paid
People spend a lifetime this way
Oh what a shame.

So I got busy throwing everybody underneath the bus, oh
And with your poster 30 foot high at the back of Toys-R-Us
I wrote a letter in my mind,
But the words were so unkind,
About a man I can't remember
I don't recall the reasons why,
I must have meant them at the time
Is this the sound of sweet surrender?

What a shame we never listened
I told you through the television
And all that went away was the price we paid
People spend a lifetime this way
And that's how they stay
Oh what a shame.

Words come easy
When they're true
Words come easy
When they're true

So I got busy throwing everybody underneath the bus
And with your poster 30 foot high at the back of Toys-R-Us
Now we can put it down to circumstance, our childhood then our youth.

What a shame we never listened
I told you through the television
And all that went away was the price we paid
People spend a lifetime this way
And that's how they stay
People spend a lifetime this way
Oh what a shame
What a shame.

Ooh




Such a shame what a shame
Beautiful shame, real shame, and stuff double shame (shame, shame shame)

Overall Meaning

The song "Shame" by Barlow Williams explores the different perspectives of a past relationship. The lyrics suggest that there are three versions of the story: two from the different individuals involved and the actual truth. The singer seems to be reflecting on their past experiences and attributing their behavior to their childhood and youth. The song goes onto say how they wanted the other person to feel their pain, but it didn't work out as they'd planned, leading to a sense of 'sweet surrender' and shame.


The line "I told you through the television" suggests that the relationship may have been long-distance or that the two parties didn't communicate effectively which ultimately led to their separation. However, the singer seems to understand the role they played in the relationship's downfall and expresses regret at not listening more closely and communicating more effectively with their partner.


The song's tone is somewhat melancholy, but it's also reflective and introspective. It's about learning from one's mistakes and moving on from a previous relationship, with a sense of acceptance that things didn't work out. In summary, the song explores the theme of regret and recognizing one's part in a failed relationship.


Line by Line Meaning

Well there’s three versions of this story mine and yours
There are different perceptions of what happened between us


And then the truth
However, there is an objective truth to what actually happened


Now we can put it down to circumstance, our childhood, then our youth
We can try to explain our issues as being caused by external factors such as our upbringing


Out of some sentimental gain I wanted you to feel my pain
I wanted to make you sympathize with me for my own emotional satisfaction


But it came back return to sender
But my attempt to gain sympathy was unsuccessful


I read your mind and tried to call
I knew how you felt and attempted to reach out to you


My tears could fill the Albert Hall
My emotions about our situation are overwhelming and intense


Is this the sound of sweet surrender?
Is admitting defeat and giving up on our relationship a positive thing?


What a shame we never listened
It's unfortunate that we didn't pay attention to each other


I told you through the television
I communicated with you through a one-sided medium without real interaction


And all that went away was the price we paid
Our inability to listen to each other caused us to lose our relationship


People spend a lifetime this way
Many people struggle with communication in their relationships for their entire lives


And that’s how they stay
This pattern of poor communication often persists


Words come easy
It's easy to say things


When they’re true
Especially when those things are sincere and honest


So I got busy throwing everybody underneath the bus, oh
I started blaming everyone else for our problems instead of taking responsibility


And with your poster 30 foot high at the back of Toys-R-Us
Your image was everywhere and it reminded me of what we had lost


I wrote a letter in my mind
I composed a message to you in my thoughts


But the words were so unkind
But the message was harsh and critical


About a man I can’t remember
The message was about someone I don't recall


I don’t recall the reasons why
I don't remember why I was angry or resentful


And that’s how they stay
Our issues remained unresolved and led to our separation


Oh what a shame.
It's truly regrettable




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: MARLON LU'REE N WILLIAMS, PAUL YEBUAH

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@thanhla7080

Being a real man is not about being flawless, being a real man is about having balls to face your own flaws and apologize. Both of these dudes have grown into real men that way

@jonsouthtv9629

This song reunited me and my brother after 12 years. Forever glad.

@ameliabedelia7018

@Jonsouthtv by brother do you mean lover?

@simondennis9460

This is delightful to hear!!

@evviesands

Those who see sexual tension between them don't know these guys have a huge history together: they were childhood friends, grew up together as members of a super successful boy band, then their egos clashed, friendships were broken and both went their separate way. Now that they're older and more mature they can reconcile their differences. Awwwwww! I love this bromance!

@NankoRi

This is probably the most beautiful song ever when you know the background of it.

@tallbrowngal

I've very rarely heard voices harmonize so beautifully. Two of the best male voices in the industry coming together is just love

@Lark1610

Simon & Garfunkel, Everly Brothers, Bee Gees, The Beach Boys.

@subhadeepray2848

Sahi kha

@monikaszymanowska5142

Forgive me but if those two were close to best at anything in the industry, the industry would fall.

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