I agree - I think Shawn Colvin is an underappreciated musician and that this is a really underappreciated track. It's a magnificent song, almost the highlight of a magnificent album. Now to the meaning...
I don't know much about Shawn Colvin. I believe she suffered or suffers from depression. To me the song seems to be about support, her support for another sufferer who's in a worse place than her. The "you" in the song seems to be someone contemplating or at risk of suicide, and the singer is trying to encourage him or her not to do it. Lines like -
'let me be your wailing companion'
'You thought you were dreaming
But you could wake up dead
And you'll never know what's real
All this damage is runnin' loose in your head
And it really matters to me'
'But you don't have to be going down the dark hall
You're not tied to the chair, you're not nailed to the wall'
And of course the chorus -
'Oh, no, baby don't go
Walking down suicide alley'
seem to back up this interpretation.
As for the last verse, I think the singer is saying, "Look, I'm doing it tough too, just like you (ie I'm not preaching to you from outside, I'm in here with you) and we can survive this".
Not a very subtle reading of the song, but I think it might do for a start?
I agree - I think Shawn Colvin is an underappreciated musician and that this is a really underappreciated track. It's a magnificent song, almost the highlight of a magnificent album. Now to the meaning...
I don't know much about Shawn Colvin. I believe she suffered or suffers from depression. To me the song seems to be about support, her support for another sufferer who's in a worse place than her. The "you" in the song seems to be someone contemplating or at risk of suicide, and the singer is trying to encourage him or her not to do it. Lines like -
'let me be your wailing companion'
'You thought you were dreaming But you could wake up dead And you'll never know what's real All this damage is runnin' loose in your head And it really matters to me'
'But you don't have to be going down the dark hall You're not tied to the chair, you're not nailed to the wall'
And of course the chorus -
'Oh, no, baby don't go Walking down suicide alley'
seem to back up this interpretation.
As for the last verse, I think the singer is saying, "Look, I'm doing it tough too, just like you (ie I'm not preaching to you from outside, I'm in here with you) and we can survive this".
Not a very subtle reading of the song, but I think it might do for a start?