This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
I can't stand to fly
I'm not that naive
I'm just out to find
The better part of me
I'm more than a bird, I'm more than a plane
I'm more than some pretty face beside a train
And it's not easy to be me
I wish that I could cry
Fall upon my knees
Find a way to lie
'Bout a home I'll never see
It may sound absurd, but don't be naive
Even heroes have the right to bleed
I may be disturbed, but won't you concede
Even heroes have the right to dream
And it's not easy to be me
Up, up and away, away from me
Well, it's all right, you can all sleep sound tonight
I'm not crazy or anything
I can't stand to fly
I'm not that naive
Men weren't meant to ride
With clouds between their knees
I'm only a man in a silly red sheet
Digging for kryptonite on this one way street
Only a man in a funny red sheet
Looking for special things inside of me
Inside of me
Inside of me
Yeah, inside of me
Inside of me
I'm only a man
In a funny red sheet
I'm only a man
Looking for a dream
I'm only a man
In a funny red sheet
And it's not easy, ooh ooh ooh
It's not easy to be me
I'm not that naive
I'm just out to find
The better part of me
I'm more than a bird, I'm more than a plane
I'm more than some pretty face beside a train
And it's not easy to be me
I wish that I could cry
Fall upon my knees
Find a way to lie
'Bout a home I'll never see
It may sound absurd, but don't be naive
Even heroes have the right to bleed
I may be disturbed, but won't you concede
Even heroes have the right to dream
And it's not easy to be me
Up, up and away, away from me
Well, it's all right, you can all sleep sound tonight
I'm not crazy or anything
I can't stand to fly
I'm not that naive
Men weren't meant to ride
With clouds between their knees
I'm only a man in a silly red sheet
Digging for kryptonite on this one way street
Only a man in a funny red sheet
Looking for special things inside of me
Inside of me
Inside of me
Yeah, inside of me
Inside of me
I'm only a man
In a funny red sheet
I'm only a man
Looking for a dream
I'm only a man
In a funny red sheet
And it's not easy, ooh ooh ooh
It's not easy to be me
Lyrics submitted by Xine, edited by dani100006
Superman (It's Not Easy) Lyrics as written by John Ondrasik
Lyrics © Reservoir Media Management, Inc., Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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To me this song seems to be about someone who is struggling to simply be who they are inside...to get away from the surface views that life and society generally base everything on. And to be allowed to do so, in spite of all that others have preconceived them to be already!
On a personal level, I likened it to being placed on pedestals by others who never seem to get past the surface of looks and their own blinders...never seeing into the heart, into the humanism of the person they have so deemed to deserving of pedestalism and so boldly lifted them right on up there without ever asking or even considering how the person feels, REALLY, inside.
Yet the other person is saying that they are more than meets the eye and NOT all the others view them to be. That they are simply on lifes journey just like everyone else is, in hopes of finding the best of all that they are, and are to become...knowing that others think it bonkers that they aren't content with all they view and think them to be already. Yet this person seeks, in spite of oposition and others views, something REAL...something better than being chosen as someones hero or role model. They seek something that no one can ever take from them unless they willingly hand it over...They seek...THEMSELF, and all that they are meant to be.
I feel the meaning of the song is the same way.