And only yesterday you thought
You were Peter the Great
With all, all your troops
And only yesterday you thought
Your name shall be carved in stone
But how slowly goes the night
For a shy kind of guy
That you have become tonight
You've never been
In this room of your mind

And only yesterday you were
Possessed by luck
And you, you knew no fear
And your savage wit
Where did it go?
Where did it disappear?
And how slowly goes the night
For a shy kind of guy
That you have become tonight
How strange
How strange to see you cry!

To see you cry
To see you cry
To see you cry


Lyrics submitted by orgnizedcnfuzion, edited by reverendlarry, Mellow_Harsher

Shy Kind of Guy song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

3 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +1
    General Comment

    Different side of the band, certainly. Their slower, quieter numbers like this have really grown on me.

    Also, the Russian speaking in the end is, "Nastupit vremya, sam poymesh, navernoe." "The time will come, you'll understand it all, perhaps." which is a line from the song "Mgnovenya" ("Moments") from the Russian 1973 espionage drama miniseries "17 Mgnoveniy Vesni" / "17 Moments of Spring" about a Russian spy - Maxim Isayev (undercover in the German SS as "Max Otto von Stirlitz") in the last 17 days of the Reich. It's a classic series, which is beloved in Russia. The songs from it (especially "Mgnoveniya") have become widely popular.

    subconsciuson August 23, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    im assuming this is just about someone who is usually very sure of themselves but has actually reached a point in his life when he's realized it was all a facade, even for himself. realization being the slow night, and crying signifying the end or break point in his 'big man' show.

    JaimeChienson January 02, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Makes me visualize Adolf Hitler in the bunker during the last few hours of the war. I don't know, just what it makes me think of. Amazing song. Amazing band. Vodka!

    Dirtylaundryon January 25, 2011   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
Standing On The Edge Of Summer
Thursday
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.
Album art
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
Album art
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve. The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future. Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere" The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
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.
Album art
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it. “I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.