Well, tell me do you think it'd be all right
If I could just crash here tonight?
You can see I'm in no shape for driving
And anyway, I've got no place to go
And you know it might not be that bad
You were the best I'd ever had
If I hadn't blown the whole thing years ago
I might not be alone

Tomorrow we can drive around this town
And let the cops chase us around
The past is gone but something might be found
To take its place
Hey jealousy, hey jealousy
Hey jealousy, hey jealousy

You can trust me not to think
And not to sleep around
And if you don't expect too much from me
You might not be let down

'Cause all I really want is to be with you
Feeling like I matter too
If I hadn't blown the whole thing years ago
I might be here with you

Tomorrow we can drive around this town
And let the cops chase us around
The past is gone but something might be found
To take its place, hey jealousy

Tomorrow we can drive around this town
And let the cops chase us around
The past is gone but something might be found
To take its place
Hey jealousy, hey jealousy
Hey jealousy, hey jealousy

Well, tell me, do you think it'd be all right
If I could just crash here tonight?
You can see I'm in no shape for driving
And anyway I've got no place to go
And you know it might not be that bad
You were the best I'd ever had
If I hadn't blown the whole thing years ago
I might not be alone

Tomorrow we can drive around this town
And let the cops chase us around
The past is gone but something might be found
To take its place, hey jealousy

Hey jealousy, she took my heart
Well, there's only one thing I couldn't start


Lyrics submitted by Ice, edited by Crimsoncla

Hey Jealousy Lyrics as written by Doug Hopkins

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Royalty Network, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

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Hey Jealousy song meanings
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89 Comments

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  • +6
    My Interpretation

    My Interpretation on this is that the narrator in the song used to be with a girl that he loved so much and but during that time he was one of the cool guys at school that lived freely(partying and alcohol, etc.) and he wasn't really able to get over his former glory. on the other hand, his girlfriend/ex matured, and started thinking about their future and got a job/career. and since he became much like an alcoholic bum of a sort, he got jealous with the girl having to work all the time having no time for him so didn't felt like "he mattered to her". somewhere in there, they broke up. so one night he went to her place all drunk so he's got this "too drunk to drive" excuse to stay. Trying to somehow patch things between them by telling her that she was "the best he ever had" and that he's really sorry for having "blew up" their relationship years ago, or else they'd still be together.

    On the second verse he was trying to tell her that all he really want is to be with her and that he has somehow improved that if she'd take him back, he'd no longer drink and sleep around and if she'll accept that he's still in the process of picking himself up and not to expect a great make over, then she might not be let down.

    The chorus is his way of telling her that they can still do what they used to find exiting or an adrenaline rush and that by doing so, even if the past is gone, they might still be able to pick-up some of the pieces of their past and replace their past failures with a renewed love to take it's place.

    The last part he says, "she took my heart", means he never got over her and probably never will.

    The line "there's only one thing I couldn't start", means that he couldn't actually start the conversation with her because he was too drunk to think straight and all of these words were just running inside his head and these were all the things he wanted to tell her.

    gaeastigmaon July 22, 2013   Link
  • +3
    General Comment

    beautiful song indeed! I see it as about a guy that really messed things up with someone he really cared about & wanted to be with, and because of jealousy and the fact that she just maybe either didnt want him or something was in the way... now he's just trying to make things right, and trying to re-etablish something there... a rather sad love song... Im sure alot of us can relate. And yes this is a great song for a depressed mood, thats why 90's alt/grunge was so great :)

    Avalonon July 03, 2002   Link
  • +3
    General Comment

    Hmm... love the song.. my friend insists he says "Hey Chelsea".. could be because her name's Chelsea. ;) Anywho... yeahl I quite like the song... especially the "If I hadn't blown the whole thing years ago, I might not be alone". I'm sure everyone feels like that at some point, and it fits in with the whole song, which is almost like.. not an apology... an explanation, a story... Hurrah.

    Victory Marchon August 23, 2002   Link
  • +3
    My Interpretation

    My favorite part is "tomorrow we can drive around this town, let the cops chase us around, the past is gone, but something might be found to take its place." This creates images that a lot of people can relate to. He is basically desperate to create new memories with this girl. He knows that she is in the past, but has a need to rekindle the old flame and see what happens. He never says in the song, but I think the girl has no more interest in him, thus his "jealousy". I know someoen that I had great memories with, but the past is the past and I sometimes long for those moments although we grew apart. I have called since, but seems like there is no more spark to start the fire....makes me kind of think nostalgic thoughts. Those fleeting moments we all have and are forever in our memories.

    ivosrexon April 23, 2009   Link
  • +2
    Song Meaning

    Probably the best written pop/rock song from the 90's. It has more to do with alcoholism and its associated delusions than anything else. The character within the song, intoxicated, makes grand plans to resurrect the good old days, but this is completely unrealistic, and he may or may not be actually talking to anyone at all. The second verse is a killer, with the character realizing the standard he has set for himself. Such a depressing song, again very well written but I'm shocked it became so huge on the radio.

    skamay16on May 13, 2009   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    There's something so imperfectly beautiful about this song. If I were the girl in the song, I'd be crazy not to give this guy another chance. I'm so addicted to this. Sometimes after I listen to it, I just have to stop my music and dwell on the emotions for a while.

    Artemis17on October 13, 2009   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    "The past is gone, but something might be found to take its place." That's definitely my favorite line from the song... It just says that the relationship could never be the same as it was, but we can still make something great out of it. This is one of my favorite songs from my childhood. I'm only 18, but I was unlike a lot of the kids of my time, because at 4-5 I was stealing my mom and her boyfriend's CD's, which mostly comprised of alternative hits of the time. Sublime, Green Day, the Offpsring, Gin Blossoms, etc. I wasn't into the pop hits that a lot of the other kids were.

    Twelve225on August 18, 2011   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    robin's voice is amazing, and it really adds to the emotion that's felt in this song. to me, its always been about a guy talking to his ex, trying to rekindle their broken relationship. he realizes that she might even be seeing someone (hence, "hey jealousy"?) but he thinks that though "the past is gone, something might be found to take its place". a very sad, but sweet love song.

    FAVORITE PART: "if you don't expect too much from me, you might not be let down. cuz all i really want is to be with you, feeling like i matter too.." AND "she took my heart.."

    starlightfadingon July 23, 2002   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    This was the last song of the night last Saturday, the @4th of August, 2002, and I fell in love with the song all over again. When I heard this song back in my younger years, I thought of the perfect love that I didn't have, and thought about the sweet hurt of losing that love. Now, I think that it is a lot of the same emotions. I can't explain what this song means to me, but I will say it is again, my favorite song ever. good day.

    mo0stahon August 27, 2002   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    A song about needing the support of an ex while descending into alcoholism. The entire album is about having a drinking habit.

    thenarratoron September 06, 2002   Link

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