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"
WOMAN
Alarm goes off at seven
And you start uptown.
You put in your eight hours
For the powers that have always been.
Till it's five P.M.
BUM 1
Then You go
COMPANY
Downtown
Where the folks are broke.
Downtown
Where your life's a joke.
Downtown
When you buy your token,
you go
Home to skid row.
BUM 2
Yes, you go
COMPANY
Downtown
Where the cabs don't stop
Downtown
Where the food is slop
Downtown
Where the hop-heads flop
in the snow
Down on Skid Row
Uptown you cater to a million jerks.
Uptown you're messengers and
mailroom clerks
eating all your lunches at the
hot dog carts.
The bosses take your money
And they break your hearts.
Uptown you cater to a million whores.
You disinfect terrazzo on their
bathroom floors.
Your morning's tribulation,
afternoon's a curse
And five o'clock is even worse
BUM 3
That's when you go
COMPANY AUDREY
Downtown Where the guys are drips.
Downtown Where they rip your slips.
Downtown Where relationships are no go.
Down on skid row Down on skid row
Down on skid row Down on skid row
Down on skid row Down on skid row
Down on skid row! Down on skid row!
SEYMOUR
Poor! All my life I've always been poor.
I keep asking God what I'm for,
and he tells me "Gee, I'm not sure
sweep that floor, kid."
Oh, I started life as an orphan,
a child of the street
Here on skid row.
He took me in, gave me shelter, a bed,
Crust of bread and a job
Treats me like dirt, calls me a slob,
Which I am. COMPANY
So I live Downtown
That's your home address.
Ya live Downtown
When your life's a mess.
Ya live Downtown
Where depressions' jes'
Status Quo.
Down on skid row
Someone show me a way to get
outa here,
'cause I constantly pray I'll get
outa here
Please, won't somebody say I'll get
outa here
Someone gimme my shot or I'll
rot here.
COMPANY SEYMOUR & AUDREY
Downtown There's no rules for us.
Downtown 'Cause it's dangerous.
Downtown Where the rainbow's jus a no-show
Downtown Where the sun don't
Downtown Past the bottom line
Downtown Go ask any wino, he'll know
I'll do I dunno what to get outa skid
Downtown
But a hell of a lot to get outa skid
Downtown
People tell me there's not a way outa skid
Downtown
But believe me I gotta get outa skid
ALL
Row!
Alarm goes off at seven
And you start uptown.
You put in your eight hours
For the powers that have always been.
Till it's five P.M.
BUM 1
Then You go
COMPANY
Downtown
Where the folks are broke.
Downtown
Where your life's a joke.
Downtown
When you buy your token,
you go
Home to skid row.
BUM 2
Yes, you go
COMPANY
Downtown
Where the cabs don't stop
Downtown
Where the food is slop
Downtown
Where the hop-heads flop
in the snow
Down on Skid Row
Uptown you cater to a million jerks.
Uptown you're messengers and
mailroom clerks
eating all your lunches at the
hot dog carts.
The bosses take your money
And they break your hearts.
Uptown you cater to a million whores.
You disinfect terrazzo on their
bathroom floors.
Your morning's tribulation,
afternoon's a curse
And five o'clock is even worse
BUM 3
That's when you go
COMPANY AUDREY
Downtown Where the guys are drips.
Downtown Where they rip your slips.
Downtown Where relationships are no go.
Down on skid row Down on skid row
Down on skid row Down on skid row
Down on skid row Down on skid row
Down on skid row! Down on skid row!
SEYMOUR
Poor! All my life I've always been poor.
I keep asking God what I'm for,
and he tells me "Gee, I'm not sure
sweep that floor, kid."
Oh, I started life as an orphan,
a child of the street
Here on skid row.
He took me in, gave me shelter, a bed,
Crust of bread and a job
Treats me like dirt, calls me a slob,
Which I am. COMPANY
So I live Downtown
That's your home address.
Ya live Downtown
When your life's a mess.
Ya live Downtown
Where depressions' jes'
Status Quo.
Down on skid row
Someone show me a way to get
outa here,
'cause I constantly pray I'll get
outa here
Please, won't somebody say I'll get
outa here
Someone gimme my shot or I'll
rot here.
COMPANY SEYMOUR & AUDREY
Downtown There's no rules for us.
Downtown 'Cause it's dangerous.
Downtown Where the rainbow's jus a no-show
Downtown Where the sun don't
Downtown Past the bottom line
Downtown Go ask any wino, he'll know
I'll do I dunno what to get outa skid
Downtown
But a hell of a lot to get outa skid
Downtown
People tell me there's not a way outa skid
Downtown
But believe me I gotta get outa skid
ALL
Row!
Lyrics submitted by BroadwayAngel232
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