Pop Song 648 of 1000 'What I am' Edie Brickell & New Bohemians 1988

Pop Song 648 of 1000 'What I am' Edie Brickell & New Bohemians 1988

Official MV    • Edie Brickell & New Bohemians - What ...  
July 12, 2024

Edie Brickell said:

The lyrics came from my one elective in my first year in college, world religions. From the time I could first think, I wondered, What does the rest of the world think? I know what these Texas folks think, but what’s going on in the rest of the world? So I took this world religions class, and I was immediately annoyed at the chatter going on in the classroom. To adopt behaviors, to adopt some sort of dogma, I felt defeated the purpose of evolution. That song just blossomed from irritation.[2]

On the "choke me in the shallow water" lyric, she said, "That’s the part that was irritating about the class. Everybody was getting so deep in terms of making things up—'Does this mean this and does that mean that?' I was just irritated, like, just kill me now before I get out there and lose myself and my sense of who I am.

I'm not aware of too many things
I know what I know, if you know what I mean
I'm not aware of too many things
I know what I know, if you know what I mean
Philosophy is the talk on a cereal box
Religion is the smile on a dog
I'm not aware of too many things
I know what I know, if you know what I mean, d-doo yeah
Choke me in the shallow water
Before I get too deep
What I am is what I am
Are you what you are or what?
What I am is what I am
Are you what you are or?
Oh, I'm not aware of too many things
I know what I know, if you know what I mean
Philosophy is a walk on the slippery rocks
Religion is a light in the fog
I'm not aware of too many things
I know what I know, if you know what I mean, d-doo yeah
Choke me in the shallow water
Before I get too deep
Choke me in the shallow water
Before I get too deep
What I am is what I am
Are you what you are or what?
What I am is what I am
Are you what you are or what?
What I am is what I am
Are you what you are or what you are? And
What I am is what I am
Are you what you are or what?
Choke me in the shallow water
Before I get too deep
Choke me in the shallow water
Before I get too deep
Choke me in the shallow water
Before I get too deep
Choke me in the shallow water
Before I get too deep
Choke me in the shallow water
Before I get too deep
Don't let me get too deep
Don't let me get too deep
Don't let me get too deep
Don't let me get too deep
What I am is what I am
Are you what you are or what?
What I am is what I am
Are you what you are or what?
What I am is what I am
Are you what you are or what you are? And
What I am is what I am
Are you what you are or what?