There's a girl stuck in the mirror
And she stares into my eyes
She says she kiss me tender
I say I don't love her but I know it's a lie

And lately she's been lonely
I couldn't tell you why
Ohh no
She lives without emotion
She makes me better
Only for the night
Only for the night
Only for the night yeah yeah
Only for the night yeah yeah

Ohh, last night I dreamt about her
And our bodies mocked our minds
Her taste was so familiar
I say I don't need her but I know it's a lie

I swear that it's the last time
that I lay down with her
Ohh, she holds me when I'm shaking
And it makes me better
Only for the night
Only for the night
Only for the night yeah yeah
Only for the night yeah yeah

I swear, I swear, this is the last time I tie it
I swear, I swear, this is the last time I tie it

She used to dream of moving pictures
Now she slips into the sky

Lately I've been lonely
I couldn't tell you why
She live without emotion
It makes me better
Only for the night
Only for the night
Only for the night


Lyrics submitted by TrotsKeenSense

Only for the Night Lyrics as written by Matthew Dean Embree Christopher Tyler Tsagakis

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Only For the Night song meanings
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18 Comments

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  • +1
    General Comment

    I see this song as being about heroin addiction. It makes sense especially with "I swear this is the last time I tie it"

    New album is incredible

    paltreauxon July 17, 2006   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I definitely think he's using the girl metaphor for the drugs, too. It's very obvious throughout many RXB songs that Matt has a heroin addiction. He's such a level-headed guy and he KNOWS he's addicted, he knows it's wrong, but he's been fighting with it for so long. I wonder how many times he's actually said the line "I swear this is the last time I'll tie it" to himself, and then keeps on going with the addiction, unable to break it.

    Matt is the most amazing lyricist... this heroin addiction can be seen prominently in this song as well as Infection, Taking Chase as the Serpent Slithers, and others.

    mfzbmofoon January 03, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    This is RX Bandits here, they seem like good honest people so I doubt very much it's solely about taking heroine. But I reckon he's using a drug adiction as a metaphor for this girl.

    "I say that I don’t need her but I know it’s a lie" relates to his adiction for her. Alot of drug users deny they have a problem and deny that they need the drug to survive.

    "She holds me when I’m shaking. It makes me better only for the night" is about him 'using' this girl to get his 'fix' which calms him down, but it only lasts the night.

    "I swear, I swear this is the last time I tie it" is him trying to give up the adiction, which he finaly manages to do in the "and lately I’ve been lonely" part.

    That's maybe it. But I always hate saying songs are about drugs. It's soooo boring. There's got to be much more to this song.

    skacore_dudeon August 06, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I think that this is a song about a girl and saying she is like a drug to him. He does this with his lyrics in quite a few of their songs for example Infection and ...And the Battle Begun.

    jules1989on August 19, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Maybe it's about how everything is just about sex, not love...???

    Oh no, she lives without emotion, she makes me better - just kind of made me think about how it wouldnt mean anything to her, it's just sex

    The title of the song and the chorus - Only for the night.

    and I agree with everyone else about how it becomes a drug to him.. He feels like he needs the sex to fill the emptiness.... but in the long run, it just makes him feel worse,,, the cycle. "I swear that it's the last time"

    i dont know, could be way off, just reminded me of a lot of the people you see in this society.

    She used to dream of moving pictures, Now she slips into the skies.

    Reallydontknowon September 05, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    ...which is also the theme in "In her drawer"

    fateworksbothwayson September 07, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    definately about heroin and not a girl

    myherson November 30, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    definately about heroin and not a girl

    myherson November 30, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    yeah i would say it's about drugs as well...talks about how he shakes and stuff. i think he's using a girl as a metaphor for the drug.

    HeartlessNewon December 28, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I think the most important line is the first one, "there's a girl stuck in the mirror"

    It's a self-perception. Maybe it's his lover's inability to clearly see herself for what she truly is and it creates a barrier to true unity.

    bovineblitzkriegon November 09, 2007   Link

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