Warren wanted a Beach Boys thing for this one, and Carl Wilson and Billy Hinsche came in, with Carl arranging the vocal parts. The other harmony vocalists (credited as the "Gentlemen Boys") were Jackson Browne, J.D. Souther, Zevon's longtime backers Waddy Wachtel and Jorge Calderon, and Linda Rondstadt/Stone Poneys guitarist Kenny Edwards.
I'm not going down on my knees, begging you to adore me
Can't you see it's misery and torture for me?
When I'm misunderstood
Try as hard as you can, I've tried as hard as I could
To make you see
How important it is for me
Here is a plea from my heart to you
Nobody knows me as well as you do
You know how hard it is for me to shake the disease
That takes hold of my tongue in situations like these
Understand me, understand me
Understand me, understand me
Some people have to be permanently together
Lovers devoted to each other forever
Now I've got things to do
And I've said before that I know you have too
When I'm not there
In spirit, I'll be there
Here is a plea from my heart to you
Nobody knows me as well as you do
You know how hard it is for me to shake the disease
That takes hold of my tongue in situations like these
Understand me, understand me
Understand me, understand me
Here is a plea from my heart to you
Nobody knows me as well as you do
You know how hard it is for me to shake the disease
That takes hold of my tongue in situations like these
Here is a plea from my heart to you
Nobody knows me as well as you do
You know how hard it is for me to shake the disease
That takes hold of my tongue in situations like these
Here is a plea from my heart to you
Nobody knows me as well as you do
You know how hard it is for me to shake the disease
That takes hold of my tongue in situations like these
Can't you see it's misery and torture for me?
When I'm misunderstood
Try as hard as you can, I've tried as hard as I could
To make you see
How important it is for me
Here is a plea from my heart to you
Nobody knows me as well as you do
You know how hard it is for me to shake the disease
That takes hold of my tongue in situations like these
Understand me, understand me
Understand me, understand me
Some people have to be permanently together
Lovers devoted to each other forever
Now I've got things to do
And I've said before that I know you have too
When I'm not there
In spirit, I'll be there
Here is a plea from my heart to you
Nobody knows me as well as you do
You know how hard it is for me to shake the disease
That takes hold of my tongue in situations like these
Understand me, understand me
Understand me, understand me
Here is a plea from my heart to you
Nobody knows me as well as you do
You know how hard it is for me to shake the disease
That takes hold of my tongue in situations like these
Here is a plea from my heart to you
Nobody knows me as well as you do
You know how hard it is for me to shake the disease
That takes hold of my tongue in situations like these
Here is a plea from my heart to you
Nobody knows me as well as you do
You know how hard it is for me to shake the disease
That takes hold of my tongue in situations like these
Lyrics submitted by shut, edited by markydissod
Shake The Disease Lyrics as written by Martin Gore
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Like a lot of the other comments are saying, I think this mainly about voyeurism. If the song was about his girlfriend, then why would he use the word spy. If you are a spy it means you shouldn't be caught, that is kind of the whole point, and if you are a voyeur, the whole point of the pleasure you get from it, is the fact that the other people don't know you are watching them. See a bit of a connection there?
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I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
Most of you are idiots. Dave distinctly said in an interview before singing, or in this case, doing a playback of Shake the Disease, that its a love song. "I'm not going down on my knees/Begging you to adore me/ Cant you see its misery and torture for me?/ When Im Misunderstood/Try as hard as you can/Ive tried as hard as I could/To make you see/How important it is for me/ etc... Here is a plea/from my heart to you/ nobody knows me as well as you do/ You know how hard it is for me to Shake the Disease that takes hold of my tongue is situations like there..." Basically he gets tongue tied around the girl, might say the wrong thing, didn't mean it. The disease isnt Heroin, since his real addiction didnt take over till the mid 90s, and not cocaine. Its most definitely not AIDS, and as far as I know, none of those three things do anything to your tongue. The disease is love, he's love sick.
"I'm not going down on my knees, begging you to adore me"...that has to be one of the greatest lines ever written.
Anyways, this song seems to be about a person who is afraid to express their true emotions. He wants the other person to understand what he feels and wants to say, without him having to actually put it in words.
I respectfully disagree. Martin wrote "Some people have to be permanently together/Lovers devoted to each other forever." Then he goes on to contrast the way he feels about his affair. Why would he compare his relationship to other lovers if his relationship wasn't in the same category?
It seems to me that this song is a plea to someone to truly know him. Words always fail to truly capture thoughts, and this is goes doubly for men (generally) who have a very hard time saying “I love you” or express their emotions. He genuinely wants to speak what is in his heart, but when he tries “a cat gets his tongue” and he is unable to articulate. Despite this “disease,” he’s “tried as hard as [he] could.” It’s so sad, because despite the fact that whomever he is talking to knows him better than anyone in the world (“Nobody knows me As well as you do”), he is still isn’t understood. If his love cannot know him, no one ever can.
I love this song, because it so blatently defys the whole macho-tough-guy immage that most bands out there in the eighties tried to put out. Martin Gore said somewhere (Perhaps on the documentary of the Devotional DVD?) That he'd always hated that tough-guy-rock-and-roll persona, and I love how he so vilently defys that by blatently calling for someone to Understand him.
Emotion makes better music.
MY FAVOURITE DM song. well it express very well the feeling to be not very understood, and to have inside something 'hot' but could not talking about...It remember me in my adolescence in a relationship with my partents. I hear continuosly the words: understand me , understand me....
I don't think a cover could ever, EVER do this song justice. It's perfect how it is, one of DM's most amazing releases. I'm not too keen on your idea that it's about AIDS, mmm...martin, but I won't deny it if it's true. :) I'm going to agree with the other's that it's purely an emotional based song.
I agree with the anxiety part mentioned by asha1979, but I think it's couched within a fear of vulnerability teamed with a sort staunch independence that doesn't want to sacrifice their own identity and freedom when it comes being really and truly involved with as person. I feel the song illustrates a different kind of love, one that is not atomic picture perfect, but adapted to work with an individual's insecurities and fears, which I feel is more honest.
@lamelywishesill You are right on! I feel like the song is about one person being able to put everything out in the open without being afraid of the feelings and emotions that a relationship accosts. While the other person (the girl in the song) was never taught that its ok to talk about ones emotions and feelings, especially feeling toward their significant other. In turn he lashes out but in no way can justify it because its wrong to show that kind of anger toward someone you love. Also I love how you describe the "imperfect relationship" and how it can actually be more honest than not. That's why I love her.
Amazing song. These are lyrics that just keep coming into my head all the time.
one of few love songs in the world that I actully think is well writtien. Of course Martin Gore is a lyrical genuis.
I agree that the Hooverphonic cover is most excellent...although I always think she's saying "here is a key from my heart to you"