I Got A Name

I love this song too. It expresses pride, not in the sense of a feeling of superiority, but in terms of self-respect. I think this song also recognizes that we owe a debt to our ancestors, and that it expresses gratitude for the opportunities that they didn't have. ("I've got a name, I've got a name/And I carry it with me like my daddy did/But I'm livin' the dream that he kept hid") I think that this lyric also has an interesting ambiguity. "I'm livin the dream that he kept hid" suggests not only Croce's gratitude for the chance to live his dream, but also a challenge to himself - to not be inhibited and lower expectations for himself as his father did.

There is also an interesting progression from name to song to dream. It symbolizes identity, expression and fulfillment. At the same time it seems to mark a life progression from childhood, to maturity, and completion with a soulmate.

Like nearly all of Croce's work, this song is thought-provoking, written artfully, yet clearly and undertstandably, and prompts an emotional response. A great song.

this song, to me, is about finding or creating individualism in a monotonous society. for example: "Like the singin' bird and the croakin' toad" the bird or toad aren't particularly special when viewed with other birds and/or toads, but there song is what sets them apart from one another; just as peoples' actions are one of the things that can be distinguished. not to get to Martin Luther King Jr.-like, or anything.
i'm fully aware that many bird songs sound alike, but we as people often rally together for particular causes. but i'm rambling.
this is an outstanding song, just for croce's skilled guitar work.
"Movin' ahead so life won't pass me by" don't get hung up on things, life goes on, we should too.
i suppose i should add frogs to the mix, toads and frogs look alot alike.

to me, this song is about finding yourself on life's journey, and maintaing your individuality along the way. staying true to your own beliefs, and not caring what others may say about you.

When he says the pine trees have a name...I took that to mean that to us, a tree is a tree, but to the tree, it is an individual, and they have names just like we do. Same for the bird and toad - they're all the same to us, but not to themselves. Think about what humans would look like to a bird -- we're all the same as far as they can tell!

For me this is one of the best songs about America.

I am surprised to learn from the comments that he did not write it himself. It is a perfect Jim Croce song.

WOW I cant believe this song has no comments, I love this song one of my favs, Jim was an awesome songwriter

I'll comment for you. I thought the lyric was" i'm living the dream that he can't live". Am i wrong? Fantastic song

oh, and it is "that he kept hid"

Agree with montyosis. This song sounds like it could be Johnny Appleseed's theme song.

this song to me is about a father and a son and i got a name means i am a me