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Ordinary Man Lyrics
Try to understand
I'm not your ordinary man, still I can't deny
You go with me everywhere
When I'm dreamin' you still share my lonely nights
Try to see my side
It's not your ordinary pride that keeps drivin' me on
It's that lonesome, restless feelin' that you feel under the gun
And it leads me to the highway but it keeps my body warm
And as I wander to the cities and the towns
I get so lonesome knowin' you could be around
And when the show is over, there's a holiday motel
Another empty bottle and another tale to tell
Try to comprehend
I'm not your ordinary friend at the end of my life
I would pray that I could be
Returning to the shelter of your love
Try to see my side
It's not your ordinary pride that keeps drivin' me on
It's that lonesome, restless feelin' that you feel under the gun
And it leads me to the highways but it keeps my body warm
And as I wander to the cities and the towns
I get so lonesome knowin' you could be around
And when the show is over, there's a holiday motel
Another empty bottle and another tale to tell
Try to understand
I'm not your ordinary man, still I can't deny
You go with me everywhere
Like a shadow in the gloom
I remember all the good times
There's a ghost in every room
I'm not your ordinary man, still I can't deny
You go with me everywhere
When I'm dreamin' you still share my lonely nights
Try to see my side
It's not your ordinary pride that keeps drivin' me on
It's that lonesome, restless feelin' that you feel under the gun
And it leads me to the highway but it keeps my body warm
I get so lonesome knowin' you could be around
And when the show is over, there's a holiday motel
Another empty bottle and another tale to tell
I'm not your ordinary friend at the end of my life
I would pray that I could be
Returning to the shelter of your love
Try to see my side
It's not your ordinary pride that keeps drivin' me on
It's that lonesome, restless feelin' that you feel under the gun
And it leads me to the highways but it keeps my body warm
I get so lonesome knowin' you could be around
And when the show is over, there's a holiday motel
Another empty bottle and another tale to tell
I'm not your ordinary man, still I can't deny
You go with me everywhere
Like a shadow in the gloom
I remember all the good times
There's a ghost in every room
Song Info
Submitted by
popeyedoyle On Oct 28, 2005
More Gordon Lightfoot
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This song makes me think of highway patrol and the belief some people have that a good policeman is a rare breed... not your ordinary man. It's not pride that drives you on, but a lonesome restless feeling that you feel under the gun, and it leads you to the highway but it keeps your body warm. See what I mean?
Gordon Lightfoots reacurring theme of just a blue and meloncholy feeling is in this song... just as it is in most of his songs. Praying to return to the shelter of someones love at the end of his life. The strongest imagery is at the end: "You go with me everywhere. Like a shadow in the gloom. I remember all the good times, theres a ghost in every room." I don't think an author could write down feelings as eloquently as Gordon does in this song. My favorite gordon lightfoot song.
Gordy's telling us he's one of the few that's damned by restlesness.
To me, it's a love song. I see it as a message to a distant woman.
That part about the "show" indicates that it's about his life as an entertainer. And the "ordinary man" seems to be what most would be inclined to think Gord isn't
I think of this as autobiographical, and a theme he returns to in his songwriting time and time again, man on the road, and he has to be, due to his restless feeling. He wants his partner at home to understand.