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"
Well I pass him by on the street each day
Brother, don't you walk away
He's about my size and about my age
Brother, don't you walk away
Down a different road, might've been my friend
Brother, don't you walk away
But you never know how the road will bend...
Brother, don't you walk, Brother, don't you walk away
Brother, don't you walk away
Tell me why it so hard to say
Brother, don't you walk away
When you sleep all night on a pillow of stone
Brother, don't you walk away
Do you dream of finding your way back home
Brother, don't you walk away
Well some might say these are better days
Brother, don't you walk away
But a cardboard box is your home these days...
Brother, don't you walk, Brother, don't you walk away
Brother, don't you walk away
Tell me why it so hard to say
Brother, don't you walk away
Now the wind blows hard through the holes in your cap
Brother, don't you walk away
While I'm safe inside here in luxury's lap
Brother, don't you walk away
So you walk this land in your worn out shoes
Brother, don't you walk away
Well if this land's mine, is it your land too...
Brother, don't you walk, Brother, don't you walk away
Brother, don't you walk away
Tell me why it so hard to say
Brother, don't you walk away
So you look at me with a look so real
Brother, don't you walk away
As I turn away from the things I feel
Brother, don't you walk away
Even here and now as I lie awake
Brother, don't you walk away
Tell me how much difference can one man make
Brother, don't you walk, Brother, don't
Brother, don't you walk away
He's about my size and about my age
Brother, don't you walk away
Down a different road, might've been my friend
Brother, don't you walk away
But you never know how the road will bend...
Brother, don't you walk, Brother, don't you walk away
Brother, don't you walk away
Tell me why it so hard to say
Brother, don't you walk away
When you sleep all night on a pillow of stone
Brother, don't you walk away
Do you dream of finding your way back home
Brother, don't you walk away
Well some might say these are better days
Brother, don't you walk away
But a cardboard box is your home these days...
Brother, don't you walk, Brother, don't you walk away
Brother, don't you walk away
Tell me why it so hard to say
Brother, don't you walk away
Now the wind blows hard through the holes in your cap
Brother, don't you walk away
While I'm safe inside here in luxury's lap
Brother, don't you walk away
So you walk this land in your worn out shoes
Brother, don't you walk away
Well if this land's mine, is it your land too...
Brother, don't you walk, Brother, don't you walk away
Brother, don't you walk away
Tell me why it so hard to say
Brother, don't you walk away
So you look at me with a look so real
Brother, don't you walk away
As I turn away from the things I feel
Brother, don't you walk away
Even here and now as I lie awake
Brother, don't you walk away
Tell me how much difference can one man make
Brother, don't you walk, Brother, don't
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Brother, Don't You Walk Away Lyrics as written by Robert Andrew Hyman Rick Chertoff
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
Lord Huron
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
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."
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
No Surprises
Radiohead
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.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
Brother is a song about any street kid who longs for Home. There are so many homeless people! Brother is heartbreaking-the Hooters' best song ever! Great job Robert and Eric! Fond memories about a sad song!