Happy Birthday, Baby
Celebrating Love and Growth
Lyrics
Happy birthday, baby
Expressing birthday wishes to the recipient
Go love your brother now
Encouraging the recipient to show love to their sibling
It's a strange gift maybe
Acknowledging that the birthday gift is unusual or unique
Girl, you know me better
Asserting the speaker's familiarity with the recipient
Than I know myself
Stating that the recipient knows the speaker better than the speaker knows themself
I'm trying to repay you
Expressing a desire to repay the recipient for the miles traveled
All these miles that I roam
Reflecting on the extensive distance covered by the speaker
And when I'm far away, baby
Assuring the recipient of love even when physically distant
Know that I love you
Encouraging the recipient to remember the speaker's love
Sing this little song
Suggesting the singing of a special song for the occasion
One, was a lonely number
Highlighting the concept of loneliness associated with the number one
Two, you were born in thunder
Connecting the recipient's birth with powerful imagery of thunder
Three, it was lightning quick
Emphasizing the quick and striking nature of the birth
You lit up the house like a matchstick
Comparing the impact of the birth to lighting up a house like a matchstick
Four, child, you're a wonder
Complimenting the recipient as a wonderful child
Held me tight when the world went under
Recalling emotional support during challenging times
Five, sweet Ione, can I tell you I love you?
Expressing love to a person named Ione
Happy birthday, baby
Reiterating birthday wishes and advising love for the mother
Go love your mama now
Encouraging affection towards the recipient's mother
I guess we better face it
Acknowledging a challenging reality of being a lonely swimmer far from shore
I'm a lonely swimmer a long, long way from shore
Highlighting the speaker's storytelling role and isolation
Shall I tell the story
Pondering whether to narrate the story uniquely
Like there's only one to tell?
Suggesting a distinctive and personal way to tell the story
And when you think of me
Encouraging a positive perception when thinking about the speaker
Think of me better than I think of myself
Expressing a wish for the recipient to think positively about the speaker
One, was a lonely number
Reiteration of loneliness associated with the number one
Two, you were born in thunder
Connecting the recipient's birth with powerful imagery of thunder (repeated)
Three, it was lightning quick
Emphasizing the quick and striking nature of the birth (repeated)
You lit up the house like a matchstick
Comparing the impact of the birth to lighting up a house like a matchstick (repeated)
Four, child, you're a wonder
Complimenting the recipient as a wonderful child (repeated)
Held me tight when the world went under
Recalling emotional support during challenging times (repeated)
Five, sweet Ione, can I tell you I love you?
Expressing love to a person named Ione (repeated)
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