Sometimes It Be That Way [Song]

Another one from my big book of great lyrics... Jewel is one of my favorite singers, such a nice voice and such a great writer... and really fits my taste for (acoustic) guitar-driven music... Pieces of You is one of my most-played records ever, and I really liked her follow-up too, Spirit. Somewhere shortly after that, she kinda got off-track, and her next records got worse and worse, finally coming to 0304, which is a giant-sized piece of crap. Thank God she got back on track with Goodbye Alice in Wonderland, which is a wonderful record, not yet on par with Pieces of You, but good enough to give us hope... :-) but, none of that is really the point here, because this song isn't in any of these records. I don't exactly when she wrote this song, but I first heard it in a bootleg sometime around the release of Spirit. And I was amazed!!! It's such a wonderfully written song!! It's easy to find on P2P networks (eMule, and others), it's usually referred to as "Bob Dylan Story", because in this particular version she tells a little story of how she'd played with Bob Dylan and he heard this particular song and asked about the lyrics... and she, naturally, was all excited over that... anothes live version of the song was later released on This Way, but I don't like it that much, it's slower, lost a lot of the energy of the "Bob Dylan" version, and has slightly different lyrics... so, here it is:

Night with its shattered teeth
Attempts to speak
My pen is present but
Courage left via the sink
And I'm sorry
I snuck up on you
From behind
I'm sorry not all
My love letters did rhyme
And I'm sorry that
Jesus died for my sins
And I swear to God
It won't happen again
And I'm sorry
If it was my swerve that
Tempted you to sway
Oh well
Sometimes it be that way

And Romeo was
A very nice man
He said
"Jewel, I don't think
You quite understand"
And I'm sorry if you had
To explain it like this
I'm sorry I was a point
You were destined to miss
And I'm sorry
I spoke to you irreverently
Down in the hollow
By the old olive tree
And I'm sorry
If my heart breaking
Ruined your day
Oh well
Sometimes It be that way

I said
"Oh well, I got nothing
Left to sell
This love was a bell that
Rang unheard in the air
I was bound to find out
That you didn't care
Oh well
Sometimes it be that way

And Aphrodite with
Her neon lamp
Kissed Neptune
They put her face
On a stamp
And I'm sorry
I used it to mail
A letter to you
I'm sorry I'm glue and
The rest bounces off of you
And I'm sorry not even
This jet's metal wings
Could get across
These simple things
And I'm sorry
If I ever sang
Your name in vain
Oh well
Sometimes it be that way

And Goldilocks
Well she knew three bears
They all ate oatmeal
And tiptoed upstairs
And I'm sorry
I never got to
Find you like this
Sleeping like a baby
And swaddled in bliss
And I'm sorry for
All the times
I forgot to imply something
In between the lines
And I'm sorry
If I caused you pain
Oh well
Sometimes it be that way

I said
"Oh well, I got nothing
Left to sell
This love was a bell that
Rang unheard in the air
I was bound to find out
That you didn't care
Oh well
Sometimes it be that way

And shadow's long fingers
They dance on the wall
Electricity chases
Its tail in the hall
And I'm sorry
If my arms to you
Were just empty rooms
I'm sorry
I never could comfort you
And I'm sorry
St. Petersburg is
A miserable town
And I'm sorry
If I am bringing you down
And I'm sorry
If I caused you pain
Oh well
Sometimes it be that way

And flame licks the air
With its silver tongue
Night has many hands
But I have just one
And I'm sorry
I walked in on you
Unexpectedly
I'm sorry
I never served you
Camomile tea
And I'm sorry
I didn't always have a match
That could start
A fire big enough
For your heart to catch
And I'm sorry
If it was my swerve that
Tempted you to sway
Oh well
Sometimes it be that way

Wow, huge lyrics!!! First of all, I love the whole energy of the song, it's really fast-paced, and her Jewel's voice is fantastic. But since this is all about the lyrics, let's talk about that... I love the slight sarcasm that comes with almost every verse, such as:

And I'm sorry
If my heart breaking
Ruined your day
Oh well
Sometimes It be that way

or even,

And I'm sorry
I walked in on you
Unexpectedly
I'm sorry
I never served you (both)
Camomile tea
And I'm sorry
I didn't always have a match
That could start
A fire big enough
For your heart to catch
And I'm sorry
If it was my swerve that
Tempted you to sway
Oh well
Sometimes it be that way

I tend to like these songs that sound a little bit like chanting, I don't know how to explain... and the lyrics to this song are a very well written, sarcastic way to describe a break-up... I just love it!