I can't decide if this sounds like Bruce Springsteen or Elvis Costello and that juxtaposition really confuses me.

I think this is the first comment I have made on this site.  "Noyou's" comment was what I was going to quote.  I also heard this interview when I lived in Chicago.  It gets extra points based on why he wrote it!

This entire album is excellent. If you get a chance to see his live show, do it! Very entertaining . . . and darn funny!

All the fish swimming in your quim ?

Here's an article that Peter wrote about this song.

 mojo423 wrote: 
I heard that interview as well.  So fascinating to understand the true meaning of the song.  Sad the rating is so low.  We took our grandkids to see him at the Old Town School of Folk Music last year.  They had no idea who he was, but he was absolutely entertaining and utterly hilarious.  

Thank goodness it's over. 

First time I think I have ever heard this song. Started out nice, then got very very good. Nice, keep this in rotation please!

noyou wrote: Peter Himmelman was interviewed on Chicago radio station WXRT several years ago and explained the origins of this song. He met a woman in Minnesota had made significant progress in "righting societal wrongs" through a campaign of letters to legislators. The interesting part is that the woman was a quadriplegic, and could only move her eyes and eyebrows. Through the use of a computer, she was able to write letters and communicate with others. The song is a description of his meeting with her, how she still maintained a positive attitude ("There ain't nobody alive that can keep your spirit down"), was able to make more of a difference in society than anyone else at the time ("You are the woman with the strength of 10,000 men"), and how humbled he felt for being healthy and not making more of his life ("From the moment I saw your face, I knew I could never take living for granted"). It's written as an apology for letting so many days go by without making full use of them (as the subject has done). It's really a terrific song. Peter Himmelman gave a much more eloquent explanation of the song when he was on WXRT but, it's been years, and I'm paraphrasing from memory.

leeminah wrote: I heard in an interview with him that it was about his meeting a lady with a disease that made her grow much larger than normal (real tall, huge feet, Etc...). Not a love song at all. But definately about respect.

This song makes me want to puke. My ex\'s name is Susan.

agreed.

The lyrics sound like they were written by committee in a junior high school creative writing class

Ughh - Sounds like it missed the cut for the Footloose soundtrack....

*Thought* I recognized that voice. I like some of his other work better, though, check out \"Flown This Acid World\" for some less poppy stuff.