No one looked, I walked by
Just an invitation would have been just fine
Said no to him again and again
First he took my heart then he ran
No one knows how I feel
What I say unless you read between my lines
One man walked away from me
First he took my hand
Take me home

Stand back, stand back
In the middle of my room, I did not hear from you
It's alright, it's alright
To be standing in a line (standing in a line)
To be standing in a line
I would cry

La-la-la-la-la-la-la
La-la, la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la

Do not turn away, my friend
Like a willow, I can bend
No man calls my name
No man came
So I walked on down, away from you
Maybe your attention was more than you could do
But one man did not call
He asked me for my love and that was all

Stand back, stand back
In the middle of my room, I did not hear from you
It's alright, it's alright
To be standing in a line (standing in a line)
To be standing in a line
I would cry

La-la-la-la-la-la-la
La-la, la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la-la
Doo-doo, doo-doo, oh
La-la-la-la-la-la-la
La-la, da-da-da-da
La-la-la-la-la, whoa-oh

So I walked, walked down the line away from you
Maybe your attention was more than I could do
One man did not fall
Well, he asked me for my love, that was all

Stand back, stand back
In the middle of my room, I did not hear from you
It's alright, it's alright
To be standing in a line (standing in a line)
To be standing in a line
I could cry

Need a little, need a little sympathy
Well, I need a little sympathy (cry)
Well, I need a little sympathy
Well, you could be standing in (stand back)
Well, you could be standing in (stand back)
Well, you could be standing in (stand back)
Take me home
Take me home (stand back)
Won't you take me home?
Well, I need a little sympathy (stand back)
Well, you could be standing in (stand back)
Why don't you take me home?
Why don't you take me home? (Stand back)
Take me home (alright)
Take me (alright) home


Lyrics submitted by Concertina

Stand Back Lyrics as written by Stevie Nicks Prince Rogers Nelson

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Stand Back song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

9 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +2
    General Comment

    I read a theory a while back that this song was about Lindsey Buckingham being the only one who didn't try to stop Stevie from marrying Kim, I believe she and Lindsey weren't on speaking terms when she got married. And if you look at the lyrics it does kind of sound like she's say she wished he had stopped her from making a huge mistake and lines that could be applied to Buckingham. "First he took my heart then he ran", "Do not turn away my friend", "So I walked on down away from you", "Maybe your attention was more than I could do". And possible references to wishing he had made contact with her during this: "No one knows how I feel, what I say unless you read between my lines", "I did not hear from you", "No man calls my name", "No man came", "One man did not call". And of course "No one looked as I walked by" definitely fits the part of signifying a wedding, the bride walking down the isle and with everyone disapproving of the union in the first place, "No one looked." And "take me home" could be her wishing he had rescued her before the entire thing happened. All just speculation but Stevie and Lindsey write a lot about eachother so it wouldn't be surprising if this song was about him.

    JamiesCryingon October 29, 2004   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
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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
No Surprises
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
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.