At last night's Godspell rehearsal, we were learning the music for "By My Side." And someone asked what did this line mean: "I shall call the pebble 'dare.'" We didn't have time for a discussion as to the meaning, so I thought I'd take a moment to analyze the lyrics and open the comments up for discussion.
First, the lyrics, so you, dear reader, can form your own opinions:
Where are you going?
Where are you going?
Can you take me with you?
For my hand is cold
And needs warmth
Where are you going?
Far beyond where the horizon lies
Where the horizon lies
And the land sinks into mellow blueness
Oh please, take me with you
Let me skip the road with you
I can dare myself (I can dare myself)
I can dare myself (I can dare myself)
I'll put a pebble in my shoe
And watch me walk (watch me walk)
I can walk
I can walk!
I shall call the pebble Dare
I shall call the pebble Dare
We will talk about walking
Dare shall be carried
And when we both have had enough
I will take him from my shoe, singing
"Meet your new road!"
Then I'll take your hand
Finally glad
That you are here (you are here)
By my side
This is my interpretation. Well, if you haven't figured it out yet, this song is ultimately about walking the road with JC, not literally, but figuratively. In a sense, it's about the path of Christianity and being saved.
The author/singer of the song is talking to Jesus through out. In the first paragraph above, he asks Jesus if he can be a follower of his teaching. The imagery of "my hand is cold and needs warmth" refers to a soul being spiritually dead. Something in this person is missing and s/he needs help finding it. So, in essence, the singer is asking Jesus to warm him spiritually.
The phrasing of the second paragraph suggests that the singer is has never ventured beyond the lands that s/he is familiar with. It is obvious to the author that Jesus’ path leads to unfamiliar territory, yet s/he feels the need to walk with Jesus. In order to find the missing part of his/her life, the singer realizes they must venture to these unknown places. S/he asks Jesus if s/he can go with him to these lands. Symbolically, this represents what a person must do become a Christian – that is follow Christ’s teachings.
The third paragraph talks of daring oneself. Here’s my take on it. When someone dares you, they tempt you to do something. “I dare you to…” is simply another way to tempt someone into some good or bad action. Add to that this image: the schoolyard playground – home of the “double-dog dare.” What do I mean by that? Children are generally the instigator of the dare. This brings about the idea that, at least spiritually, the singer is a child or at the beginning of his/her Christian faith.
With that in mind, “I can dare myself…” I am tempted to walk with you, Jesus, for I am like a child. The singer is so child-like that to prove to Jesus that he wants to follow him he will dare himself to do it. “Look, Jesus, look at me,” seems to be the intent, like a child starving for attention. The author is certainly starving for Jesus’ attention.
The “pebble in my shoe” acts as a constant reminder that the walker is on a spiritual journey. Not that the journey (faith walk) has to be painful, but that it’s not easy to keep walking the path (or following JC’s teachings). “And watch me walk,” is another child-like attempt to garner Jesus’ attention. “Look at me, Jesus, I’m walking, I can do it” seems to be the thought. It’s like the child riding a bike for the first time. His/her father is holding on to the bike then lets go without the child realizing it. When the child sees dad has let go, they are a little scared but they also see they can do it. The person following Christ is also proving to him/herself that they can do it.
So, why call the pebble “dare?” At this point, the person has discovered the path of Christianity and is trying to lead a righteous life. But, temptation is always around to make us stray from the road. “Dare” represents those temptations.
“We will talk about walking” simply represents the singer listening to Jesus’ teachings. Jesus talks and teaches about “walking” the path and the singer talks with him learning the same.
While all this “talk about walking” is going on, “dare” is still being carried. In other words, the singer is trying to follow Christ’s teachings, but there still is the temptation to sin. The temptation is there no matter if the person sins. “And when we both have had enough/I will take him from my shoe” means that the singer has learned from Jesus not give into temptation. S/he can live his/her life righteously, as Jesus taught. “Singing, ‘Meet your new road!” shows that s/he is no longer tempted by evil and sin.
Salvation has been reached. And, now that salvation has been reached through Jesus, “I’ll take your hand finally glad that you are here by my side.” I think last line’s pretty self-explanatory. The singer has received the “warmth” that s/he was looking for with Christ. S/he can live a righteous life with JC there by his/her side.
I think I’m just now putting the “pebble in my shoe…”
39 comments:
I think you said this very well. I love Godspell and was listening to this song this morning and wondering about others' interpretations of it. I always found a little odd the idea of putting a pebble in your own shoe, but I guess the point is that deciding to follow God is NOT about the easy, always comfortable path.
And isn't it funny how you can write this years ago and today I read it and am delighted by your thoughts. The power of internet searches makes surprising connections.
You know it's funny. This post is probably the one that is most googled. And, your comments reminded me to read this again and see where I'm at... Thank for that and for reading :)
Thank you for the explanation. I too, was listening to this song and wondered about the lyrics. I figured they meant something along those lines, but wanted to know what other people thought. So, thanks again!
(I found this through Google as well, the first result!)
I,too was wondering about the meaning of this song so I googled it and came to your blog. I like your analysis of it and it gives a whole new level of meaning for this song. Thanks!
I love this interpretation -- I too was listening to this beautiful song and decided to google its meaning. Thank you for this wonderful post!
I do like the interpretation. The only thing I thought differently is when they take the pebble from their shoe. The Bible teaches that we will always face temptaion as long as we are on this Earth. I see taking the pebble from the shoe as leaving this earth to be with Jesus (hence the next verse). The pebble represents the hard path to follow Jesus on Earth and now they can finally take the pebble from their shoe to go home with Jesus.
As a pre-boomer, I saw Godspell on stage several times. My interpretation is different. I did not get hung up on JC or Christianity because they are both so emotionally and politically charged. Instead, more generally, I think the song is talking about the Path, the Tao, the middle way, the Flow. The pebble represents not only daring but the obstacles that we encounter. We need to dare ourselves to accept and overcome obstacles. Then we talk about walking: we are talking about the right way or the path that may contain obstacles but whose obstacles we can accept and overcome and therefore cease to be obstacles and cease to be significant. When we both have had enough: We can follow the right way through life without noticing the obstacles blocking us (we can easily deal with them) and at that time we can take the pebble from our shoe - since it has served its purpose. If we can go through life, put pebbles in our shoes, and not notice them, the Path becomes easy. Obstacles are no longer the emotional drains they used to be. They are just pebbles we step on and ignore.
I like the interpretation as well, but I don't think that it is good song writing to make lyrics so obscure that you need a big interpretation. When one sings this song, those listening basically don't know what you are talking about, and I don't care for that.
I, for one, love songs with "obscure" meanings that leave the interpretation to the listener. This song has alot of meaning to me, which led me getting a tattoo of the line "Meet your new road." with a pebble at the end as a period, on my foot. It is a constant reminder that no matter what path it is I choose to walk down in life, I am strong enough to do so with pebbles in my shoes and obstacles in my way. Kudos to you ML...your interpretation is very close to that of mine!
It is astounding to me that after 6 years since posting this, people still find and read it.
I guess there are a lot of hurt people out there that are looking for comfort. God bless you if you found your way to this post. Keep looking to God. He will help. He does love you.
Here's a link to what the writer of the song says it's about: http://www.stephenschwartz.com/vBulletin/showthread.php?354-Meaning-of-By-My-Side
I've "dared" myself to learn the meaning of this song again and again and never could come up with something feasible. Your interpretation is wonderful and from my point of view perfect. BUT, as a poet who shares his work with others the reader/listener has interpretations, just as on point and often surprising to me, to the point where I think, "Wow, I hope that lyric meant that 'cause it sounds really intelligent'". The beauty of love and art is that potential for paradox.
Beautiful
We will talk about walking, refers to dialogue with the pebble Dare, not Jesus.
I have always always thought it was, "I shall call the pebble death, I shall call the pebble death, we will talk together about walking. Death shall be carried; and when we both have had enough, I will take him from my shoe, singing, 'Meet your new road'" I can't seem to hear it any other way����
I found Richard's comments most closely match what I think the pebble represents. For me, the pebble is the problem we have in our life that we are not yet ready to let go of. We sometimes hold onto things we need to change that are uncomfortable, but familiar, and we are afraid to let them go. "Meet your new road" means I am letting you go. I am letting go of this discomfort I have carried with me and I am now free of it.
Excellent !
Having been in Godspell in high school almost 15 years ago (met my husband during our production), it's been a long time since I've thought about the song lyrics in their context. I've found myself singing this song to my young son as a lullaby in his first and second year of life. My brain always starts with the line "by my side" and then continues through the song, I'm obvious referencing that my son is by my side. From a parent to child perspective, it's that he's by my side. Parenthood is the pebble in my shoe that I've dared to put there. When my season of Parenthood is over (parenting an infant is mostly what my brain is referring to) a new chapter begins, "meet your new road." One of my newly postpartum intrusive thoughts was of the crushing dread of my son growing up and leaving me, "where are you going, take me with you."
I haven't been religious in a long time but I googled to find what the religious take on this song might be, and it is as I expected. I love that this song came back to me as a new mother. I always thought it was beautiful and one of my faves in the show. Thanks for reading my rambles!
For some reason I woke up this morning thinking of this song snd wondering what the songwriter had in mind when he wrote it. I remember many years ago sitting by a camp fire and I began to sing this song. No one there were Christians and they had no idea what I was singing or what it was about. Thank you for your interpretation. I think everyone’s interpretation will be a little bit different. But we are all want to be by His side. Praise God.
Here is the true meaning from Peggy Gordon herself..."The meaning of "By My Side"
Ironically, "By My Side" was written for a project we were working on in my freshman year at Carnegie Mellon University. It was originally a love song sung by a character named Marigold to her love, Elkin, so, it was called Marigold's song.
The song's lyricist, Jay Hamburger, was actually the author of the play Marigold and Elkin. (He is also a fine poet and writer/director for a theater, currently in Vancouver Canada.) In the song, Marigold must dare herself to not just declare her love for Elkin, but follow him on his journey. So when John Michael decided to put it into that spot in GODSPELL, it somehow seemed to fit the same need.
In other words, after my character survives the attempts to stone her, Jesus says lovingly that he doesn't condemn her. "You may go. Do not sin again." She, in that moment, knows that she wants to go with him, wherever he goes -- but does she have to courage to ask. So, the lyrics simply mean:
"Where are you going? Where are you going? Can you take me with you?
For my hand is cold, and needs warmth. Where are you going?"
Now, he doesn't verbally respond, but because his back is to the audience facing her, what we played was that he spoke to my heart and told me that he was going...
"Far beyond where the horizon lies, where the horizon lies, where the land sinks into mellow blueness" (a pretty heavy spiritual metaphor)
She realizes and then asks him again... "Oh, please, take me with you." She realizes that she must test herself to make the journey with him, so she says, "Let me skip the road with you. I can dare myself. I can dare myself."
She feels she must prove it so she says, "I'll put a pebble in my shoe and watch me walk. I can walk and walk." And, let me tell you, walking with a pebble is a test of will. While she walks she gains strength and realizes...
"Dare shall be carried" (and "dare" is really a metaphor for her own growing commitment to him)
"and when we both have had enough" (in other words, when she's ready),
"I will take him from my shoe, singing meet your new road" (for there will surely be another who needs to test him or herself to make the journey).
Then she knows she can say, "Then, I'll take your hand, finally glad that I am here by your side."
Now, she knows she'll never "sin no more," but she also knows she'll never leave him. It's metaphorical, but it worked and I built my shy, timid clown from the lyrics of the song.
My clown was the most fearful of the audience, of "stepping forward." That's why the metaphor of daring oneself on a spiritual quest is so meaningful. It was odd that the song fit as well as it did since it was written for another project.
It was Steve Nathan's idea that when they reach out their hands to each other, they should never actually touch because his time on earth was coming to an end. Most of the metaphorical business came from Steve Nathan and John-Michael, one of the reasons there was so much subtext in the show.
Some productions over the years have understood it inherently and some others haven't. It's always wonderful to see a production that's faithful to our original intent. To have the show be about each clown's unique moment of revelation and commitment and through their individual realization build a true community. Perhaps that's why it's endured theatrically."
Thank you. I've been listening to this soundtrack and seeing the show since the 1970's and here we are in 2022. I always thought the climactic line was, "Meet your new LORD." It doesn't really change the meaning for what leads up to it. I see where most of the time we do put our own pebbles in our own shoes (accountable mindset), but the calling it Dare part still doesn't resonate with me. It's too bad that the Stephen Schwartz page someone tried to share is no longer functioning; I'd love to get his perspective. I tried Googling his name and the song title but can't find the article. God bless.
Very wise interpretation. I am an atheist, but I was a teen when Godspell was released, with my brother buying the LP. I've always loved this song, and I listen to it quite often. Knowing that Godspell was religious in nature, I often wondered about the song's meaning. Settled!
Here is the link. It is really helpful and interesting! http://www.musicalschwartz.com/godspell-peggy-gordon.htm
http://www.musicalschwartz.com/godspell-peggy-gordon.htm
I agree with you. Maybe that is how God wants you to hear it?
I just now listened to this song again after many, many years. I love this song and I like your interpretation. The funny thing is, ever since I first heard this song in the ‘70’s, whenever I get a pebble in my shoe I sing this song (usually just in my head :))
Thank you. I sing this song to put my grandsons to sleep. I need to tell them the meaning that you described. My last grandson also loves this song but is fighting going to sleep so he puts the hand stop sign and saids, "stop!". So lately I slip in a low volume of the internet songs of Godspell starting with this song. It works well, then I stumbled on your post. Thank you, I will share with my grandsons ages 9, 7, 5 and 2.
Spot on:)
Love this interpretation, I used to interpret it differently, thank you.
Thanks, going to check it out right now:)
I remember back in the mid-1970’s when I was in high school, a friend of mine brought Peggy Gordon to my house with Jeffrey Mylett, who he’d gotten to know, and they graced my family with a rendition of this gorgeous song. I’ve thought about it a lot since then and love to find new layers of meaning some 50 years later. What a beautiful gift! Thank you, Peggy!
http://www.musicalschwartz.com/godspell-peggy-gordon.htm
I tried the previous link to the song’s meaning and it didn’t go through. Here is the meaning and history of the song by Peggy Gorgon (original singer/cast member).
It's now 2024, so it's been 19 years since you wrote it and I just found it. ❤️ (The Internet really is forever.)
I've seen it many times, but first saw Godspell at 13 years old; I'm now 58. For some reason I woke up singing the "pebble" line and finally decided to look it up. Thank you so much for sharing your interpretation.
I found this story that I think is worth sharing.
https://thepriest.com/2021/12/15/pebble-in-my-shoe/
God bless you.
-Kim
I really liked your commentary. I looked it up because I was wondering if anyone interpreted the song as I do, and I think you come pretty close. I used to sing this song as a duet with a good friend of mine, and never tired of it. I now see it as a deep devotional song expressing the love for a teacher [such as Jesus was] and devotion to their path and teachings. The way my interpretation differs is that I envisioned this to be a song from someone who knew their teacher was departing in the flesh, and trying to reconcile their view of him/her as an earthly being as well as a spiritual being; so that when the teacher passes on (for example, if the singer knows they are going to sacrifice themself), the follower can carry them in their heart and soul enough to persevere in their devotion. To me, that explains why it is both a very sorrowful song, but has that feeling of transcendence when "meet your new home" is song with emotion and swelling harmony.
Thank you! God bless you too!
Very nice comments! 👍🙏🥰
Exactly! 👍🙏🥰
https://www.musicalschwartz.com/godspell-peggy-gordon.htm
I always thought it was " death," as well. Death to one's autonomy and learning the way of a disciple, a pilgrim.
Unless one gives over the reins to God, one cannot truly have life and freedom. We clutch at these things, but only in relinquishing them can we fully grow into them. And, eventually, sin will claim our corruption; but in death, we are resurrected to Life with God.
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