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"
This time I need to know
I really must be told
If it's over
It's up to you you know
The things you want to hold
Are in pieces
Crashing down
Crashing down again
Crashing down
Crashing down my friends
I've got to move it on
I've got to sing my song
While I still can
Dispatch the last alarms
Hand out the last few charms
There's no surprises
Only love
Only love can win
Crashing down
Crashing down again
Only love, yeah
Only love will win
Crashing down
Crashing down again
This time I need to know
I really must be told
That it's over
I've lived my life alone
My every step foretold
To never linger
And yet it haunts me so
What are we letting go
Our spell is broken
Crashing down
Crashing down, my friends
Crashing down
Crashing down again
Only love, yeah
Only love will be enough
Yeah, only love will win
For every chemical
You trade a piece of your soul
With no return
And who you think you know
Doesn't know you at all
Their drain is needless
Someday we'll wave hello
And wish we'd never waved goodbye
To this romance
We'll drink up every line
And shoot up every word
Till there's no more
Crashing down
Crashing down, my friends
Only love
Only love can win
So cry these tears
We'll cry as all
We've held so long to fall apart
As the curtain falls
We bid you all goodnight
I really must be told
If it's over
It's up to you you know
The things you want to hold
Are in pieces
Crashing down
Crashing down again
Crashing down
Crashing down my friends
I've got to move it on
I've got to sing my song
While I still can
Dispatch the last alarms
Hand out the last few charms
There's no surprises
Only love
Only love can win
Crashing down
Crashing down again
Only love, yeah
Only love will win
Crashing down
Crashing down again
This time I need to know
I really must be told
That it's over
I've lived my life alone
My every step foretold
To never linger
And yet it haunts me so
What are we letting go
Our spell is broken
Crashing down
Crashing down, my friends
Crashing down
Crashing down again
Only love, yeah
Only love will be enough
Yeah, only love will win
For every chemical
You trade a piece of your soul
With no return
And who you think you know
Doesn't know you at all
Their drain is needless
Someday we'll wave hello
And wish we'd never waved goodbye
To this romance
We'll drink up every line
And shoot up every word
Till there's no more
Crashing down
Crashing down, my friends
Only love
Only love can win
So cry these tears
We'll cry as all
We've held so long to fall apart
As the curtain falls
We bid you all goodnight
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
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
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,
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
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.
This Time is about the final break up of the pumpkins, one of the greatest bands ever - i realy must be told if its over (its hard to believe) - ive got to move it on/ive got to sing my song/while i still can (theres more to life than being in a band) - to never linger/what we are letting go. and of course - well wave hello and wish we never waved goodbye ( they will all regret breaking up and maybe they will reunite and it will be like they never parted). beautiful and a fitting tribute.