I Am... I Said
Neil Diamond
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L.A.'s fine, the sun shines most the time And the feeling is "lay back" Palm trees grow and rents are low But you know I keep thinkin' about Making my way back Well I'm New York City born and raised But nowadays I'm lost between two shores L.A.'s fine, but it ain't home New York's home But it ain't mine no more "I am"... I said To no one there And no one heard at all Not even the chair "I am"... I cried "I am"... said I And I am lost and I can't Even say why Leavin' me lonely still Did you ever read about a frog Who dreamed of bein' a king And then became one Well except for the names And a few other changes If you talk about me The story is the same one But I got an emptiness deep inside And I've tried But it won't let me go And I'm not a man who likes to swear But I never cared For the sound of being alone "I am"... I said To no one there And no one heard at all Not even the chair "I am"... I cried "I am"... said I And I am lost and I can't Even say why "I am"... I said "I am"... I cried "I am"
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Written by: NEIL DIAMOND
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
10 facts about this song
SONGWRITERNeil Diamond is both the artist and songwriter of "I Am... I Said." This shows his artistic abilities not just in singing but also in songwriting.
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OVERALL SUCCESSDespite not reaching number one on any charts, the song was a significant hit. It reached number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1971.
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INSPIRATION"I Am... I Said" was inspired by a period of Diamond's therapy sessions and symbolizes his struggle of finding his self-identity between his two hometowns - Brooklyn, New York, and Los Angeles.
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RECORDING TIMENeil Diamond confessed that it took him four months to pen this song. It’s also his most auto-biographical work to date.
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GRAMMY NOMINATIONThis classic song was nominated for Grammy awards in two categories in 1972 — Song Of The Year and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.
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LIVE PERFORMANCESEven decades after its release, "I Am... I Said" remains a mainstay of Diamond's live performances.
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COVER VERSIONSArtists like Bob Dylan, Benny Mardones, and Bobby Womack have covered this song.
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CULTURAL REFERENCEThe song was featured in an episode of the show "The Office." The character Michael Scott sings this song during karaoke.
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PROPIn a 1971 live version, Diamond explains his dialog with a chair refers to his visits to a psychiatrist. He later apologized for the metaphor in the live performance at the Greek Theater.
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SHARED EXPERIENCEDiamond once stated: "It was consciously an attempt on my part to express what my dreams were about, what my aspirations were about and what I was about. And without any question, it came out in the most raw form that a song of mine had ever been in."
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"I Am... I Said Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 23 Apr. 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/21990743/Neil+Diamond/I+Am...+I+Said>.
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