50 Ways To Leave Your Lover Lyrics

The problem is all inside your head, she said to me
The answer is easy if you take it logically
Id like to help you in your struggle to be free
There must be fifty ways to leave your lover

She said its really not my habit to intrude
Furthermore, I hope my meaning wont be lost or misconstrued
But Ill repeat myself at the risk of being crude
There must be fifty ways to leave your lover
Fifty ways to leave your lover

You just slip out the back, Jack
Make a new plan, Stan
You don't need to be coy, Roy
Just get yourself free
Hop on the bus, Gus
You don't need to discuss much
Just drop off the key, Lee
And get yourself free

You just slip out the back, Jack
Make a new plan, Stan
You don't need to be coy, Roy
Just get yourself free
Hop on the bus, Gus
You don't need to discuss much
Just drop off the key, Lee
And get yourself free

She said it grieves me so to see you in such pain
I wish there was something I could do to make you smile again
I said I appreciate that and would you please explain
About the fifty ways

She said why don't we both just sleep on it tonight
And I believe in the morning you'll begin to see the light
And then she kissed me and I realized she probably was right
There must be fifty ways to leave your lover
Fifty ways to leave your lover

You just slip out the back, Jack
Make a new plan, Stan
You don't need to be coy, Roy
Just get yourself free
Hop on the bus, Gus
You don't need to discuss much
Just drop off the key, Lee
And get yourself free

You just slip out the back, Jack
Make a new plan, Stan
You don't need to be coy, Roy
Just get yourself free
Hop on the bus, Gus
You don't need to discuss much
Just drop off the key, Lee
And get yourself free
48 Meanings
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This is not a breakup song. The 'he' and 'she' are not breaking up - on the contrary..

Curious? Imagine this scenario.

A man is in a troubled relationship with some woman. He wants to finish it, but does not know how or doesn't have the courage to do it. Now one evening he's sitting in a bar, making conversation with another woman who dropped by and is willing to give him some attention. And possibly some affection.

Now read the lyrics again.

For me it is obvious what kind of 'solution' this woman has in mind for this man in order to release himself from his burden :-)

So from a certain perspective, yes, this is a happy song - with a probably happy ending.

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this song is awsome. fact. lol. its about how "easy" it is to leave some one but really how near impossiable it is to emotially detatch yourself from them.

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are you kidding? this song is brilliant!

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are you kidding? this song is brilliant!

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For some reason I always saw this song as a woman talking to her boyfriend/husband (the narrator) half jokingly, like she realized something was off in the relationship and this was her way of confronting him. He leaves the conversation with no real idea what he wants to do, but he's prepared to be persuaded. No idea why, but thats always what I've thought.

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i agree with different_13 - verses are awesome, chorus is ok but doesn't fit at all; too cheery, and too rhyming

also - i have absolutely no happy go lucky type feeling while listening to this song; it's about cheating on someone and leaving them - and while i definitely sympathise with the singer, it's in this melancholy understanding kind of way, not a chipper isn't-it-cool-how-many-different-ways-there-are-to- break-someone's-heart? way

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Yeah, Paul is a genius in that he is a "song" writer, he doesn't just do the lyrics or the music. The free-wheelin, care-free method of the chorus is symbolic of the real idea to the song. It seems like everybody gets the point, that it's actually very easy to leave someone, but that heart thing gets in the way and makes it complex and difficult. The verse's bring you back to that dark, depressing feeling of loss, then the chorus's are that, hard to ignore, reminder that it's really easy to leave your lover, 50 ways - easy, in fact.

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Anybody else think maybe SHE'S leaving HIM? The impression I got is that they're in a relationship, and it's pretty much over emotionally, but he can't quite bring himself to leave her, even though in a sense he already has. And she knows he doesn't love her anymore, even if he hasn't quite figured it out yet, so she's going to leave first. I just wondered after the part where she tells him he'll understand in the morning. As if perhaps she won't be there by the time he wakes up?

My Interpretation

"As if perhaps she won't be there by the time he wakes up?" ...LOL...ya think that just might be what "Slip out the back, Jack" is hinting at ;) This song played on every radio station for what seemed years. Hey, it was Paul Simon...and he was a god then (and still is).

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i think this song is about a woman who gets convinces men to cheat on their wives/significant others. the end.

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These are by far the weakest lyrics Paul Simon ever wrote, and it's amazing that the song was a hit.

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