This ruined puzzle is beige
With the pieces all face down
So the placing goes slowly
The picture's of anything other than it's meant to be

But the hours, they creep
Patterns repeat
Don't be concerned
You know I'll be fine on my own
I never said, "Don't go."

I've written a note
It's pressed between pages
That you've marked to find your way back
It says, "Does he ever get the girl?"

But what if the pages stay pressed
The chapters unfinished
The story too dull to unfold?
Does he ever get the girl?

This basement's a coffin
I'm buried alive
I'll die in here just to be safe
I'll die in here just to be safe

'Cause you're gone
I get nothing
And you're off with
Barely a sigh
I never said, "Goodbye."

So I've written a note
It's pressed between pages
That you've marked to find your way back
It says, "Does he ever get the girl?"

I've written a note
It's pressed between pages
That you'll read if you're so inclined
It says, "Does he ever get the girl?"

But the hours, they creep
Patterns repeat
Don't be concerned
You know I'll be fine on my own
I never said, "Don't go."

Don't go

Does he ever get the girl?


Lyrics submitted by oofus

This Ruined Puzzle Lyrics as written by Christopher Andrew Carrabba

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

This Ruined Puzzle song meanings
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94 Comments

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  • +1
    General Comment

    I think this song is all about timing. Sometimes people meet the love of thier lives, it's just at the wrong time. In this song he's telling her even though they've ended what they have for now, he still loves her. He wants her to know this so whenever she looks back at her past and what she left, she can answer his question "Does he ever get the girl?" He misses her, but loves her unconditionally and in his heart he knows what's meant to be will always find it's way......at the right time that is ;-)

    beachgirl4433on May 04, 2002   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I think it is about a guy who has secretly liked a girl and never told her. He never found the way to express it to her, and now she has left, and so he has become a bit depressed and a recluse. I love the idea of him hiding a note in a book somewhere hoping that she will someday find it, and read it. It's cowardice that he couldn't just tell her, but its poetic the way she will find out. Now he has to sit and wonder if she will ever find the note. so he's just killing time on a puzzle that can't really be solved because its messed up, waiting until the day when she reads the note and calls him up.

    juan_the_owlon June 03, 2002   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    This song is one of my favorite songs by Chris. I had a "best" friend for some time. He copied who I was, my style, my hair, my personality, except he was an asshole. This kid ends up meeting the girl in which I've had a crush on for sooo long, and out of know where they fall in love. And I get to watch this girl whom I was friends and wanted to be more with for some time go out with...him. Then out of nowhere they break up. It turns out, he treated her like an asshole (being jealous and controlling) like he did to me and my other friends. Somehow me and her met up again...and...are at the point where we would "go out." But...she doesnt want to hurt him, it would be too unfair. So the nice guy, always the friend and there for her if she needed or wanted it, gets hurt. I guess thats not unfair. So now when I go to bed at night, I play this song as tears gently roll down my checks...it breaks my heart. I love this song, and yet, I hate it.

    "Does he ever get the girl?" I sure hope so.

    emohboyon May 22, 2002   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I think that the first verse is about trying to find a way to make a relationship work, but nothing seems to fit together. He's saying that he'll be fine on his own, and he will...eventualy.

    He never told her not to go, but he wrote a note in a book that she was reading and never finished. The book symbolizes their relationship. He hopes that one day she'll go back to reading the book. If so, she'll see the note and maybe answer his question. In other words, she'll want to give them another chance. It seems that she always meant to come back, just like she meant to finish the book some other time. He's using the note as a way for her to "find her way back."

    Then he wonders what happens if she never gets around to comming back. What if their story is too dull finish? Will he get the girl then?

    You get the feeling that she doesn't care as much about him as he does about her.

    aymieron June 01, 2002   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I think that the first verse is about trying to find a way to make a relationship work, but nothing seems to fit together. He's saying that he'll be fine on his own, and he will...eventualy.

    He never told her not to go, but he wrote a note in a book that she was reading and never finished. The book symbolizes their relationship. He hopes that one day she'll go back to reading the book. If so, she'll see the note and maybe answer his question. In other words, she'll want to give them another chance. It seems that she always meant to come back, just like she meant to finish the book some other time. He's using the note as a way for her to "find her way back."

    Then he wonders what happens if she never gets around to comming back. What if their story is too dull finish? Will he get the girl then?

    You get the feeling that she doesn't care as much about him as he does about her. She's gone and his only hope is the note. He never got a chance to say goodbye to her. And her really regrets that and the fact that he never told her not to go in the first place.

    The part about the pattern repeating is his life going on without her. It doesn't really have a meaning, just repeated motions.

    It's a really sad song. About regret and loss. IT does have some hope though. Maybe one day, she might find that book and read the note and want to go back to him. She probably won't, but he can still hope. I hope that makes sense.

    aymieron June 01, 2002   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    i think it's how...she never knew. he hoped she would guess about his feelings..but she didn't, maybe because she wasn't sure, maybe because she was preoccupied, i don't know. or perhaps they had feelings for each other but neither would act on them... something happened, they had to part ways, but if she ever chooses, she can find his note and answer the question.

    not_blondeon July 05, 2002   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    i think its about missing the opprotunity to tell someone how you feel, or not letting them know completely how you feel and then seeing them move on and all you can think about is the what if's. and that sucks. or this could be about someone that doesnt figure out how they really feel before its too late and the other person is gone.

    phobos258on July 06, 2002   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    This is a song about hindsight but only looking back a short while. Its not about a failed relationship but one left incomplete... Its about a girl who's rational enough to know distance doesn't work easily and a guy who says he doesn't give a g()d da^^n about it because people don't just stop liking each other because you're 6 hours away from each other. Its about a guy who stayed while the girls moved on somewhat... thats his basement a solid structure protective and stagnant.

    Puzzle pieces faced down are representative of yes a relationship but also it's problems and situations around it, and though you see the vague outline of all the things that are there, you can only blindly piece them together just like a true relationship.

    Writing that note is him just leaving the clue that he still cares for her if she ever changes her mind... not leaving where she's gone to but reconsidering distance as a factor.

    But what if she doesn't get the hint... what if she doesn't look back to those areas which she said she would... what if when she comes home for lets say the summer... or perhaps any other reason would she be coming back the way she said she'd leave... would she use those pages she marked, just like any person says, I'll never change I'll come back home, but when you do you're never the same you're more, more... erudite and worldly than you thought... would you still look back on that boy that you left behind and that guy still get the girl. Taking into consideration that had she not left, had there not been those outside factors, you two would be together, not forever neccessarily but to some more definite end... more definite than just leaving as to go to college or move or something like that...

    To continue, I believe he means - that he never said don't go because he knew she had to make her choices and go where she needed to go because it was not his place to tell her not to go...

    The reason I believe that she was off with barely a sigh is because of the rationality, she thought ahead but dumb guy lead around by his heart didn't... he just didn't get it until it happened.

    compguy623on September 27, 2002   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    This is truly one of my favs of Chris! To me it is sooo romantic. He loves this girl purely and she does not love him with that same love. I see the book as some kind of cheesy romance novel that she is reading and he sticks the note in the book wondering if the guy ever gets the girl. He's leaving it up to chance. I think this is so romantic of him! If she does not pick up the book again, she'll be missing out on at least knowing how much he loves her. In my mind I see her picking up the book and reading it, then she finds the note. If it were me, i would melt. Even if i did not love him the same way that he loved me I would at least see what his love was. maybe she was misunderstanding his love, this could set it straight. Or what if she picks up the book months or years later? She may never even realize it was him...

    judeson April 30, 2004   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    its him who loves, while this girl is leaving.. hopes of her coming back are there, "does he ever get the girl?". problem is, he never really said his true feelings to this girl. he didnt think that while the girl is still there, they could make it happy even for just a while. so then he hopes.

    delikshon May 11, 2004   Link

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