If You Don't Look Around
Navigating City Shadows: Unseen Stories in 'If You Don't Look Around'
Lyrics
They told me doncha go down to that city
People warned me not to go to the city.
Don't you go down to that city, I say
Repeated warning against going to the city.
For there's trouble there for sure and it's no concern of yours
The city has definite troubles, but they are not my concern.
And it's all I have to hear them people say
Hearing negative things about the city is all I've heard from those people.
If you don't look around
If you don't pay attention to your surroundings...
You won't see my a-goin', see me a-goin' that way
...you won't notice my departure in that direction.
If you don't look around
If you're not observant...
You'll have no way of knowin', I don't think you even know what I say
...you won't understand what I'm trying to communicate.
And I saw children just walkin' 'long and singin'
The narrator witnessed children happily singing while walking.
When a voice from behind me rang through
A voice interrupted the narrator from behind.
Then I saw an ugly man with a mad dog in his hand
An aggressive-looking man with a threatening dog confronted the narrator.
He said, "Stand right there, I'll turn him loose on you"
The man threatened to set the dog loose on the narrator.
If you don't look around
If you're not observant...
You won't see my a-goin', see me a-goin' that way
...you won't notice my departure in that direction.
If you don't look around
If you're not observant...
You'll have no way of knowin', I don't think you even know what I say
...you won't understand what I'm trying to communicate.
So don't tell me there ain't no time for singin'
Don't tell me there's no time for joy or singing.
'Cause I don't need no empty words from you
The narrator rejects empty words from someone.
If they're sayin', who ain't free then they're sayin' it right to me
If someone is discussing freedom, it directly concerns the narrator.
So, go back home, I'll wake you when we're through
The narrator advises someone to leave and promises to wake them when it's over.
If you don't look around
If you're not observant...
You won't see my a-goin', see me a-goin' that way
...you won't notice my departure in that direction.
If you don't look around
If you're not observant...
You'll have no way of knowin', I don't think you even know what I say
...you won't understand what I'm trying to communicate.
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