Come Back Little Sheba

Song Meaning

Patti Smith's "Come Back Little Sheba" isn't a straightforward narrative; it's a fragmented, almost hallucinatory plea layered with religious and personal symbolism. The title itself, borrowed from William Inge's play, immediately suggests a lost innocence, a yearning for something irretrievable. But Smith quickly subverts this simple reading. Sheba isn't just a lost pet or a romanticized memory; she's a figure being summoned, coaxed with promises of worldly riches and status-"lights of the city," "robes of saffron," "a road of crimson." This isn't a gentle invitation, but a high-pressure seduction. The insistent repetition of "Come back little Sheba, I hear them calling" underscores the relentless nature of this external pressure. But who is doing the calling, and what does Sheba represent? The lyrics suggest a conflict between spiritual yearning and earthly temptation. The promised riches are "pleasing to me," the speaker admits, hinting at an internal struggle. Yet, the abrupt shift in tone-"But close your lights, close your gates, I must arise, My cock awaits"-introduces a jarring note of physicality and perhaps a rejection of the seductive offer. The "cock" could be interpreted literally, signaling a return to primal urges, or metaphorically, representing a call to action, a rooster's crow signaling a new dawn and a departure from the intoxicating allure of the city. Ultimately, "Come Back Little Sheba" resists easy interpretation. It's a poem set to music, a series of evocative images that explore themes of loss, temptation, and the struggle to maintain one's identity in the face of external pressures. The final verses, with their blessings and farewells, suggest a bittersweet acceptance, a recognition that Sheba, whether a lost part of oneself or a cherished ideal, is gone. The speaker, armed with her "staff," must now tend to her own "sheep," embracing her own path, however solitary it may be.