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I'll Be You Lyrics

If it's a temporary lull
why'm I bored right outta my skull?
Man, I'm dressin' sharp an' feelin' dull

Lonely, I guess that's where I'm from
If I was from Canada
then I'd best be called lonesome
[BTW, I read in an interview that Paul was struck with how some people in
Canada used the word "lonesome" instead of "lonely," hence this lyric.]

And if it's just a game
Then I'll break down just in case
Oh yeah, we're runnin' in our last race

Well, I laughed half the way to Tokyo
I dreamt I was Surfer Joe
An' what that means, I don't know

A dream too tired to come true
Left a rebel without a clue
And I'm searching for somethin' to do

And if it's just a game
Then we'll hold hands just the same
So what, we're bleeding but we ain't cut

And I could purge my soul perhaps
For the imminent collapse
Oh yeah, I'll tell you what we could do
You be me for a while
I'll be you

A dream too tired to come true
Left a rebel without a clue
Won't you tell me what I should do?

And if it's just a lull
why'm I bored right outta my skull?
Oh yeah, keep me from feeling so dull

And if it's just a game
Then we'll break down just in case
Then again, I'll tell you what we could do
You be me for a while
You be me for a while
and I'll be you
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19 Meanings

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Cover art for I'll Be You lyrics by Replacements, The

I love this song and this band...fucking great

Cover art for I'll Be You lyrics by Replacements, The

No, the Goo Goo Dolls wish they were the Replacements.

Cover art for I'll Be You lyrics by Replacements, The

The Strokes wish they were the Replacements.

Cover art for I'll Be You lyrics by Replacements, The

This song was not on The Replacements Soundtrack. It's about wishing for excitement because your current state is quite boring.

Cover art for I'll Be You lyrics by Replacements, The

I don't understand how you can say this song sucks ebow. Ok, it was the only song that broke into the mainstream? So be it, it's catchy and the general society likes that kind of stuff. It's not inferior writing by Paul or inferior musicianship IMO. Two great lines from this song get me every time: "And I could purge my soul perhaps for the imminent collapse" "A dream too tired to come true left a rebel without a clue."

Cover art for I'll Be You lyrics by Replacements, The

I think this is a good song, although not their absolute best, and the fact that it was their one big hit is criminal. The user above who said that this song and the Don't Tell A Soul album suck obviously has no idea what he is talking about, as evidenced by his referring to "Here Comes A Regular" as "Here Comes A Replacement." I see each album as a pretty logical progression from the one before, and I don't think they could have put out a bad album if they tried. As for the slick production of Don't Tell A Soul, you can hardly blame Paul for wanting a product with a more main-stream sound, given that he'd put out so many incredible albums before that were largely ignored by the record buying public. As far as Tom Petty goes, the Replacements were opening for the Heartbreakers on tour at the time and Petty was a fan and included the "rebel without a clue" line in his song more as a tribute than a rip-off.

Cover art for I'll Be You lyrics by Replacements, The

This song was my introduction to the Replacements and I liked the wordplay and the attitude. There wasn't really anything this wry and snotty, or with as much heart, on the radio in 1989. So when I see all these self styled 'mats Purists sneer at this song and this album as being crap, all I really get out of it is that they didn't want the band to succeed commercially - it would have made them look un-cool. Which is really sad - as Slim Dunlap said around that time, Paul Westerberg's songs really did deserve a bigger audience than they've ever gotten.

Cover art for I'll Be You lyrics by Replacements, The

This is truly a great song and one of my all time faves. I guess the vocal phrasing of it tops and pulls you in more than the average rock song.

I don't know what the song is about, but it is strange.

Cover art for I'll Be You lyrics by Replacements, The

I wish I was in a band that was half as good as the Replacements. The fact that they are so unknown tells you alot about mainstream music.

Cover art for I'll Be You lyrics by Replacements, The

I agree, there's so many great non-mainstream bands out there that are so great and unknown. The goo goo dolls aren't bad.. they come in joint place with the replacements. I love the way this song makes you try and empathise with him at end.