This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
There was a girl I used to know
She was oh so beautiful
But she's not here anymore
She had a college degree
Smart as anyone could be
She had so much to live for
But she fell in love
With the wrong kinda man
He abused her love and treated her so bad
There was not enough education in her world
That could save the life of this little girl
How come, how long
It's not right, it's so wrong
Do we let it just go on
Turn our backs and carry on
Wake up, for it's too late
Right now, we can't wait
She won't have a second try
Open up your hearts
As well as your eyes
She tried to give a cry for help
She even blamed things on herself
But no one came to her aid
Nothing was wrong as far as we could tell
That's what we'd like to tell ourselves
But no, it wasn't that way
So she fell in love
With the wrong kinda man
And she paid with her life
For loving that man
So we cannot ignore,
We must look for the signs
And maybe next time we might save
Somebody's life
How come, how long
It's not right, it's so wrong
Do we let it just go on
Turn our backs and carry on
Wake up, for it's too late
Right now, we can't wait
She won't have a second try
Open up your hearts
As well as your eyes
I on occasion met that guy
It's been a feeling deep inside
Some ... wasn't right
The way he proves himself a man
By beating his woman with his hands
Oh I wish that she'd seen the light
How can someone like that call himself a man
He's not a man
Soon reality ...
And we cannot ignore
Whenever we see the signs
'Cause any kind of abuse
God knows, it's a crime
How come, how long
It's not right, it's so wrong
Do we let it just go on
Turn our backs and carry on
Wake up, for it's too late
Right now, we can't wait
She won't have a second try
Open up your hearts
As well as your eyes
She was oh so beautiful
But she's not here anymore
She had a college degree
Smart as anyone could be
She had so much to live for
But she fell in love
With the wrong kinda man
He abused her love and treated her so bad
There was not enough education in her world
That could save the life of this little girl
How come, how long
It's not right, it's so wrong
Do we let it just go on
Turn our backs and carry on
Wake up, for it's too late
Right now, we can't wait
She won't have a second try
Open up your hearts
As well as your eyes
She tried to give a cry for help
She even blamed things on herself
But no one came to her aid
Nothing was wrong as far as we could tell
That's what we'd like to tell ourselves
But no, it wasn't that way
So she fell in love
With the wrong kinda man
And she paid with her life
For loving that man
So we cannot ignore,
We must look for the signs
And maybe next time we might save
Somebody's life
How come, how long
It's not right, it's so wrong
Do we let it just go on
Turn our backs and carry on
Wake up, for it's too late
Right now, we can't wait
She won't have a second try
Open up your hearts
As well as your eyes
I on occasion met that guy
It's been a feeling deep inside
Some ... wasn't right
The way he proves himself a man
By beating his woman with his hands
Oh I wish that she'd seen the light
How can someone like that call himself a man
He's not a man
Soon reality ...
And we cannot ignore
Whenever we see the signs
'Cause any kind of abuse
God knows, it's a crime
How come, how long
It's not right, it's so wrong
Do we let it just go on
Turn our backs and carry on
Wake up, for it's too late
Right now, we can't wait
She won't have a second try
Open up your hearts
As well as your eyes
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They left out the bridge! Here's what I can understand of it.... "I on occasion met that guy. There stirred a feeling deep inside; something bout him wasn't right./ The way he proves himself a man, by beatin his woman with his hand, oh I wish that she had seen the light./ How can someone like this call themself a man? (He's not a man!), Cause in reality, he's far more than his big hand./ And we cannot ignore whenever we see the signs, cause ANY kind of abuse, God knows, is a CRIME."
Great song with a great message. Wish it had been a bigger hit.