From the very first day you were born
to the very last time you waved and honked your horn
I had no chance at all to watch you grow up
so sadly beautiful
up so sadly beautiful

Well baby needs a brand new pair of eyes
'cause the ones that you got now see only goodbyes
I had no chance at all, to let you know
you're so sadly beautiful
you're so sadly beautiful
you're so sadly, oh so sadly, beautiful

and you got your father's hair
and you got your father's nose
and you got my song

sadly beautiful
you're so sadly beautiful
you're so sadly, oh so sadly beautiful

From the very last time you waved and honked your horn
to the face that turned away pale and worn
I had no chance at all, to let you know
you left me sadly beautiful
you left me sadly beautiful
You left me sadly, oh so sadly, beautiful
beautiful
beautiful
oh beautiful...

beautiful.


Lyrics submitted by Shapeshifter

Sadly Beautiful song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

6 Comments

sort form View by:
  • 0
    General Comment

    i also think it is about losing someone. the first and second verse tell a story from the point of view of an older person(mom or dad) who never got the chance to watch their child grow up. the pain is deep and the child is "sadly beautiful". the title of the song is - to me- an evidance that the person in the song is a mom or dad because to your parents you are always beautiful, no matter what and even though the child is grieving and most likely looks like a mess, it is "sadly beautiful". the last verse though changes the point of view in my opinion.

    "from the very last time you waved and honked your horn to the face that turned away pale and worn I had no chance at all to let you know you left me so sadly beautiful."

    it sounds as if the child is singing now. the face turned away pale, maybe it is a metaphor for death. "you left me so sadly beautiful" said by a child makes sense in my eyes because a child will always (/usually) say his or her mom /dad are beautiful and the fact that one of them had to leave makes them sad. sadly beautiful. none wants to leave a child behind when they havent even seen it grow up.

    maybe i am thinking in too many directions but that is what i think of when i hear the song. or maybe i just made this song fit my life. in the beginning ,for me, it is my dad saying this to my brother who is 8 years now and who was 7 years old when my dad passed away. i can also relate to it for me but "I had no chance at all to watch you grow up " really reminds me of my little brother more. the last part could be words coming out of my mouth. i relate to it a hurtful way too much. "i had no change at all to let you know" to let you know so many things. and if i think about the way my dad had to leave, i can only say he left sad but still beautiful.

    sadly beautiful.

    mary_joon August 18, 2006   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
Standing On The Edge Of Summer
Thursday
In regards to the meaning of this song: Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.” That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
Album art
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
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"
Album art
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve. The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future. Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere" The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
Album art
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example: "'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Album art
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it. “I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.