Now that you're not my baby
I'll go do whatever I want
No need to turn around to see what's behind me
I don't care
And it's true, I've been checking out lately
I go do whatever I want
No need to turn around to see what's behind me
I don't care

Because I'm really not there
I'm really not there

And now that you're not my baby
I'll go do whatever I want
No need to sit at home with the dial tone
'Cause I don't care
And it's true, I've been going out lately
And I go do whatever I want
You can write it down with a fountain pen
Close your eyes and then count to ten
You can tell your friends that I don't make sense
And I don't care

Because I'm really not there
I'm really not there

The night is like a fading radio
The lake was frozen over long ago

Now that you're not my baby
(Now you're not)
Now that you're not my baby
(Now you're not)

You sought an eye
So did I for an island
You sought an eye
So did I for an eye
Traded my rose-coloured shades for a wide lens
Used to make noise, now, I much prefer silence

Now that you're not my baby
(Now you're not)
Now that you're not my baby
(Now you're not)
Now that you're not my baby
(Now you're not)
Now that you're not my baby
(Now you're not)

I feel alive for the first time
Since I don't know how long
I see a light for the first time
Since I don't know how long


Lyrics submitted by lisasonoda

Not My Baby Lyrics as written by Molly Margaret Rankin Alec Fraser O'hanley

Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Not My Baby song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

1 Comment

sort form View by:
  • 0
    My Interpretation

    It starts off with a motorcycle driving off. This is their breakup. The bulk of the song is melancholy. The lyrics speak of freedom but really she's just going through the motions of being single while on the inside she is still grieving over the breakup. (She doesn't care what's going on around her because she's "really not there").

    At the bridge we get a little background into the breakup. "You sought an eye" could mean he tried to catch another girl's eye, or it could mean he sought the singer's eye (as in "an eye for an eye"). The whole experience changed her a lot. She now prefers being alone on an "island" and prefers silence to making noise. This may be why the adjustment to single life was so difficult.

    However, at the end of the song we get a triumphant-feeling section that indicates she finally became truly comfortable and happy in her new skin. Really great song :)

    kennethcloon May 17, 2019   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
When We Were Young
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
Album art
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
Album art
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
Album art
American Town
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.
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.