I can't feel this way much longer
Expecting to survive
With all these hidden innuendoes
Just waiting to arrive

It's such a wavy midnight
And you slip into insane
Electric angel rock and roller
I hear what you're playin'

It's an orangy sky
Always it's some other guy
It's just a broken lullaby
Bye bye love
Bye bye love
Bye bye love
Bye bye love

Substitution mass confusion
Clouds inside your head
Involving all my energies
Until you visited

With your eyes of porcelain and of blue
They shock me into sense
You think you're so illustrious
You call yourself intense

It's an orangy sky
Always it's some other guy
It's just a broken lullaby
Bye bye love
Bye goo' bye love
bye bye love
Bye bye love

Substitution mass confusion
Clouds inside your head
Well, foggin' all my energies
Until you visited

With your eyes of porcelain and of blue
They shock me into sense
You think you're so illustrious
You call yourself intense

It's an orangy sky
Always it's some other guy
It's just a broken lullaby
Bye bye love
Bye bye love
Bye bye love
Bye bye love


Lyrics submitted by ledzepp115

Bye Bye Love Lyrics as written by Ric Ocasek

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Bye Bye Love song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

17 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +4
    General Comment

    This is my favorite song by the Cars. All of their music is the best to listen to.

    pureindisguiseon April 08, 2006   Link
  • +3
    General Comment

    I listened to the unreleast version of this with Ric singing lead. They made the right choice going with Ben.

    CandyOon January 31, 2012   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    This song takes a whole new meaning when you have a broken heart.

    ledzepp115on June 14, 2002   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    It's an orangy sky Always it's some other guy It's just a broken lullaby Bye, bye love Bye, bye love Bye, bye love Bye, bye love

    I think the chorus has all the meaning in this song. Its about how a guy is trying to get this girl but she always is choosing other guys, never him. "its just a broken lullaby", and finaly now he has given up.

    LyricsMASTER87539on June 04, 2006   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    It could also be said "bye, bye love" could be a reference to love itself, the idea of love. All "love" is, is a broken lullaby- there really isnt any "love" in most relations. Its "always some other guy" , thats even true when married. People often have crushes on celebs, idealized mates etc.

    meaningmastaon March 09, 2008   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    This is an ode to Vincent van Gogh. "It's such a wavy midnight and you slip into insane" is a reference to Starry Night. Starry Night was painted during his stay at an asylum in Saint-Remy. "It's an orangy sky" is a reference to Olive Grove: Orange Sky. "Always it's some other guy" is a reference to Sien Hoomik, a pregnant prostitute and mother of a child born out of wedlock, with whom van Gogh had a romantic relationship. "lullaby" is a reference to the La Berceuse painting series of Augustine Roulin. "Bye bye love" is a reference to van Gogh's suicide. And yes, van Gogh had blue eyes, mass confusion, and was intensely illustrious.

    TdyYrLoveon August 04, 2013   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    thats a good point about hearing different lyrics. im pretty sure its "clouds inside your head", listen to it. Then its "involving all my energies until you visited" thats how ive always heard it. "subsitution, mass confusion..." the clouds inside her head, is a reference to the female psyche, and creating confusion can be a part of seduction. "involving all my energies..." its about all the energy and effort courting awoman can take, especially when its one who thinks shes "illustrious". Maybe a girl who's a bit out of his league.

    meaningmastaon March 09, 2008   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I always thought he was saying "It's a corn beef sky" instead of "orangey sky" hahaha. Anyway, just bought this on vinyl, it's a great album and song.

    SashaViceon June 28, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I love how Ben sings this. I love the "eyes of porcelain and blue",line.

    Thia007on November 16, 2011   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I like the idea of this song being inspired by Van Gogh, but I have to say that it seems more likely to me to have been inspired by a song of the same title by The Everly Brothers. The subject matter is actually Identical between the two songs about not only unrequited love, but jealousy over another man who has successfully seduced the target of his attraction. “Just a broken lullaby” is a direct allusion to Bye Bye Love by the Everly Brothers.... basically an old standard for a pop song from over 20 years prior that was still very much in the public consciousness in the late 1970’s. In fact, the song would have been iconic to the band because it was such a big hit during Ric’s formative years. The “broken lullaby” is a metaphor for a consistent pattern of never getting the girl, and the line is clearly delivered with a sense of resignation to further drive the point of how hopeless the situation is.

    Do I have any sources or anything to back up my interpretation? No. I’ve never read anything from Ric on the meaning of this song, but this is my interpretation for what it is worth.

    Jeffro2on September 27, 2019   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
Son Şansın - Şarkı Sözleri
Hayalperest
This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere. In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
Album art
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988. "'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it." "There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
Album art
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
Album art
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
Album art
Page
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.