In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
I sell a line of plastics
And I travel on the road
And I have a case of samples
Which believe me is a load
Every night a strange cafe
A strange hotel and then
Early in the morning
I am on the road again
When the season's over
And my lonesome journey ends
That's the only time I see
My family and my friends
I drive up Ocean Parkway
And before I stop the car
My ma leans out the window
And she hollers, "Here we are!"
Shake hands with your uncle Max, my boy
And here is your sister Shirl
And here is your cousin Isabel
That's Irving's oldest girl
And you remember the Tishman twins
Gerald and Jerome
We all came out to greet you
And to wish you welcome home
Meet
Merowitz, Berowitz, Handelman, Schandelman
Sperber and Gerber and Steiner and Stone
Boskowitz, Lubowitz, Aaronson, Baronson,
Kleinman and Feinman and Freidman and Cohen
Smallowitz, Wallowitz, Tidelbaum, Mandelbaum
Levin, Levinsky, Levine and Levi
Brumburger, Schlumburger, Minkus and Pinkus
And Stein with an "e-i" and Styne with a "why"
Shake hands with your uncle Sol mein boy
And here is your brother Sid
And here is your cousin Yetta
Who expects another kid
Whenever you're on the road my boy
Wherever you may roam
We'll all be here when you come back
To wish you welcome home
And I travel on the road
And I have a case of samples
Which believe me is a load
Every night a strange cafe
A strange hotel and then
Early in the morning
I am on the road again
When the season's over
And my lonesome journey ends
That's the only time I see
My family and my friends
I drive up Ocean Parkway
And before I stop the car
My ma leans out the window
And she hollers, "Here we are!"
Shake hands with your uncle Max, my boy
And here is your sister Shirl
And here is your cousin Isabel
That's Irving's oldest girl
And you remember the Tishman twins
Gerald and Jerome
We all came out to greet you
And to wish you welcome home
Meet
Merowitz, Berowitz, Handelman, Schandelman
Sperber and Gerber and Steiner and Stone
Boskowitz, Lubowitz, Aaronson, Baronson,
Kleinman and Feinman and Freidman and Cohen
Smallowitz, Wallowitz, Tidelbaum, Mandelbaum
Levin, Levinsky, Levine and Levi
Brumburger, Schlumburger, Minkus and Pinkus
And Stein with an "e-i" and Styne with a "why"
Shake hands with your uncle Sol mein boy
And here is your brother Sid
And here is your cousin Yetta
Who expects another kid
Whenever you're on the road my boy
Wherever you may roam
We'll all be here when you come back
To wish you welcome home
Lyrics submitted by thedarkman
Shake Hands with Your Uncle Max Lyrics as written by Allan Sherman Busch Lou
Lyrics © GET SONGS DIRECT, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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