Story Behind The Song
The writer loves "B" movies from the '50s. He was about to turn 30 at the time he saw the classic "The Incredible Shrinking Man" which help to pull the imagery of this song together.
Song Description
This song touches on dreams that begin at childhood, only to become lost in the maze of adulthood. In the best case, one grows up feeling special but eventually succumbs to feeling like a "thinking grain of sand" in the beach that is humanity.
| Song Length |
4:11 |
Genre |
Folk - Contemporary, Rock - Indie/Low-Fi |
| Tempo |
Medium (111 - 130) |
Lead Vocal |
Male Vocal |
| Mood |
Content, Gracious |
Subject |
Loneliness, Healing |
| Similar Artists |
Elvis Costello, Bruce Springsteen |
Language |
English |
| Era |
2000 and later |
| |
Lyrics
Shrinking Man
I'm on the inside looking outside
I'm in my place to hide
Because I'm shrinking
Yeah, I'm just a shrinking man
I'm looking for a reason
To be remembered
I've got no children
I'm not a hero from the war
I'm not a strongman
I was not born rich
But I know there is a reason
(chorus)
I'm a shrinking man
Hiding in my can
In world too big for me
I'm just a thinking grain of sand
(repeat)
When I was just a boy
I believe that I could be president
Or a movie star
But now I'm not quite so young
And my ego
Won't take me quite so far
Well I work by the hour
And my home is not my own
I watch the movies just to see
Where all my dreams did come from
(chorus)
I'm just shrinkin' yeah
Just a liitle shrinkin' man
When I knew that i was shrinkin'
I began to start thinkin'
Thinkin' 'bout the little, little things
Things that used to not
Mean a thing
I was thinkin' 'bout the good ol' days
I was thinkin' 'bout my younger days
I was thinkin' 'bout the good ol' days
'Cause I'm just a little shrinking man!