Dashboard Confessional – Belle of the Boulevard

"Belle of the Boulevard" as written by and Christopher Andrew Carrabba....
Down in a local bar
Out on the boulevard
The sound of an old guitar
Is saving you from sinking
It's a long way down
It's a long way

Back like you never broke
You tell a dirty joke
He touches your leg and thinks he's getting close
For now you let him just this once
Just for now
And just like that, it's over

Don't turn away
Dry your eyes, dry your eyes
Don't be afraid
Keep it all inside, all inside
When you fall apart
Dry your eyes, dry your eyes
Life is always hard for the belle of the boulevard

In all your silver rings
And all your silken things
That song you softly sing, is keeping you from breaking
It's a long way down
It's a long way
Back here you never loved
You've shacked the shivers off
You take a drink to get your courage up
Can you believe it
Just this once
Just for now
And just like that
It's over

Don't turn away
Dry your eyes, dry your eyes
Don't be afraid
Keep it all inside, all inside
When you fall apart
Dry your eyes, dry your eyes
Life is always hard for the belle of the boulevard

Please hold on, it's alright
Please hold on, it's alright
Please hold on

Down in a local bar
Out on the boulevard
The sound of an old guitar
Is saving you

Don't turn away
Dry your eyes, dry your eyes
Don't be afraid
Keep it all inside, all inside
When you fall apart
Dry your eyes, dry your eyes
Life is always hard for the belle of the boulevard

Don't turn away
Dry your eyes, dry your eyes
Don't be afraid
Keep it all inside, all inside
When you fall apart
Dry your eyes, dry your eyes
Life is always hard for the belle of the boulevard


Lyrics submitted by aristuma21

"Belle of the Boulevard" as written by Christopher Andrew Carrabba

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

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Belle of the Boulevard song meanings
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31 Comments

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  • +2
    My InterpretationI think this song is about a girl who is in a situation in her life where she is just down, involved in shady things like sulking in bars and using alcohol as an emotional barrier. Because of her instability, she's seen as easy to men, but in reality she's just too tired to stop something from happening. She's looking for comfort in any form, and has lost the ability to pick herself up. Whoever is singing to song and telling her story clearly cares about her and sees her in a different light than the rest of the world, knows that she can be, or is, better than the standards she has set for herself. He wants to save her.

    I agree with the people who think it could be about a prostitute as well, but I like to think of "The Belle of the Boulevard" more as a lady who has fallen from grace, and is just stuck in a rut of poor judgement and sketchy situations. I could be wrong though, that's just my interpretation.
    gillerdon October 24, 2009   Link
  • +2
    General CommentI don't know if she's a prostitute. I think that maybe she is just a really beautiful girl who has been dealt a hard hand in life. She tries to find love, but she's looking in the wrong places, constantly ending up heartbroken and miserable. She seems a little self-destructive too. She knows that nothing good can come from what she's doing, but she falls in the same traps over and over again. I think she also sets the traps for others too. She's been hurt, so she hurts others as well.
    GreenEyedGirl343on January 16, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General CommentI think there can be a few different interpretations...when I first heard the title of the song, I thought of maybe a prostitute, because of the term "Belle of the boulevard" and the reference to the dirty joke and her letting him touch her knee...the term "boulevard" just kind of makes me think of a girl on the street....

    After listening to it, though, it could just be a girl who always hangs out in bars and is looking for a guy to fall in love with, and all they want is that one night and she always gets burned by them; the song is basically telling her to keep her chin up.

    I'm quite a bit in love with it... :) SO excited for the new album! ♥ dashboard
    jenshack21on October 13, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General CommentI think the little girl symbolizes her innocence. So yes, I also think she's leading the girl to the guy that can save her.
    GreenEyedGirl343on January 16, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General Comment"that song that you softly sing is keeping you from breaking" - my favorite lines. Love, love the way he sings. He brings out all the emotions from the top of the lungs. Awesome! ;)
    TheWalnutTreeon June 14, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Commentthis songs its great i love listening to this song...
    i alredy listened to it like a 10000000000000 times....
    I think the sound is pretty easy to understand but hard to explain (in words)it
    so yeah
    :P
    i would give this song 5*
    aristuma21on September 21, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General CommentThe music and the lyrics in this song are so wonderful. It's one of those songs that I would put on a mixtape to listen to it in my car with the windows down and sing it at the top of my lungs. It's great. :)
    whitewordson September 21, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Commentprobably one of my favorite dashboard songs, chris carrabba never ceases to amaze me.
    escapeyourselfon October 05, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General CommentI think there can be a few different interpretations...when I first heard the title of the song, I thought of maybe a prostitute, because of the term "Belle of the boulevard" and the reference to the dirty joke and her letting him touch her knee...the term "boulevard" just kind of makes me think of a girl on the street....

    After listening to it, though, it could just be a girl who always hangs out in bars and is looking for a guy to fall in love with, and all they want is that one night and she always gets burned by them; the song is basically telling her to keep her chin up.

    I'm quite a bit in love with it... :) SO excited for the new album! ♥ dashboard
    jenshack21on October 13, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General CommentI don't like to think this actually, but i think this song is about a hooker or prostitute, or maybe a girl who might be teased/labeled to be in like a high school setting which could be the overall view of this song.. who is feeling incompetent that she doesn't think she's good enough and in this "occupation" she gets anyone but nobody's ever going to stick around for her in the end regardless if she has the "job" or not...
    dontwakemeon October 17, 2009   Link

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