Know these blues are gonna rub me raw
Every single cure seems to be against the law

Went and told my psychic
I said "Keep it to yourself,
I don't wanna hear it and don't be telling no one else."

Word's out on the street
Whispers in the night
They come out of the woodwork, wanna see what it's like

Pickle ickle ickle
Gonna run that voodoo down
How the crowd gets fickle when your face is to the ground!

Oh no these blues are gonna rub me raw
Oh no these blues are gonna rub me raw

Now I'm shaking all over
I'm a shattering mass
But I'm gonna sit up straight
I'm going to take it with class

Old man used to tell me
"Son, never look back,
Move on to the next case.
Fold your clothes and pack."

To the green horned chicken hoppers I say
"Get yourself a trade,
Or go hack to the chat room and fade in the shade"

Oh no these blues are gonna rub me raw
Oh no these blues are gonna rub me raw

I know these blues are gonna rub me raw
Every single cure seems to be against the law

I was walking pretty well then I fell into a hole
I should climb out quick, but I hate doing what I'm told

Got a wang dang doodle wrapped in bog snake hide
This goat head gumbo is keeping me alive

I don't want your pity or your fifty dollar words
I don't share your need to discuss the absurd

Oh no these blues are gonna rub me raw
Oh no these blues are gonna rub me raw


Lyrics submitted by deleteme152

Rub Me Raw Lyrics as written by Warren Zevon Jorge A. Calderon

Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Rub Me Raw song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

1 Comment

sort form View by:
  • 0
    General Comment

    Warren, in my opinion, wrote politicallly/sociallly conscious blues-punk-folk-rock songs. A mutt genre that's pretty original and confined to him. This song is like 99% blues and 1% everything else... his bluesiest and most aggrivated moment

    TheThornBirdson March 20, 2009   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
Album art
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Album art
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
Album art
Magical
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
Album art
Page
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.