Lyrics
Well, I was standin' at a big hotel, just wishin' everybody well
Reflecting on being outside a large hotel, expressing good wishes to everyone present
If anybody paid me any mind, it was hard to tell
Feeling unnoticed or ignored, uncertain if anyone is paying attention
Then a big cop on his beat, took out his pistol and pointed at me
Encountering a police officer who aims a gun, creating a moment of fear and intensity
Lookin' down the barrel, I swore I saw the gates of hell
Experiencing a heightened sense of danger and perceiving a connection to hell
Standing at the big hotel
Reiterating the experience of standing at the hotel, emphasizing the impact of the previous events
Well, I walked on down the avenue,
Continuing the journey through the avenue, searching for someone resembling a specific person
Just lookin' for someone that I looked like you
Unable to find a familiar face, indicating a sense of disconnection
I couldn't see a face that seemed to ring a bell
Expressing the inability to recognize anyone and connect with past memories
And then I stopped beside the five and dime
Stopping at a store, engaging in window shopping without a clear purpose
Just window shoppin' and wastin' time
Encountering a woman who sells everything she has, leaving the speaker in a vulnerable position
Along came a gal, she sold me all she had to sell
Describing a transaction with a woman who sold her possessions, contributing to a sense of loss
She left me standin' at the big hotel
Being abandoned or left alone at the big hotel
And then I lost my mind, in the wilds of Hollywood
Expressing a state of confusion and disorientation in the wilds of Hollywood
Then I spent some time in the shadows where I stood
Spending time in the shadows, symbolizing a period of uncertainty or difficulty
And I let those cards fall just where they fell
Allowing life events to unfold naturally, without intervention
And then I found myself, standin' at the big hotel
Finding oneself back at the big hotel after a series of experiences
Lord, Lord, what's the matter with me
Pondering personal challenges and questioning one's situation
I pay so much for the song I sing
Commenting on the cost paid for the songs sung, possibly alluding to personal sacrifices
And all I'm doin' is singin' em to myself
Singing songs to oneself, highlighting a sense of isolation or lack of external recognition
It's like standin' in a stagnant stream
Using a metaphor of standing in a stagnant stream with no water, conveying a sense of emptiness
With no water in the world left to drink
Describing a feeling of scarcity and deprivation in life
I was down at the bottom of a dried up wishin' well
Being at the lowest point, akin to a dried-up wishing well
Just standin' at a big hotel
Reiterating the experience of standing at the big hotel, underscoring a sense of stagnation
And then I lost my mind, in the wilds of Hollywood
Revisiting the theme of losing one's mind in Hollywood, suggesting ongoing challenges
Then I spent some time in the shadows where I stood
Returning to the shadows, indicating a recurrence of difficult times
And I let those cards fall just where they fell
Allowing life events to unfold naturally again, accepting the outcomes
And then I found myself, standin' at the big hotel
Finding oneself back at the big hotel, emphasizing a cycle of experiences and challenges
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