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"
Saw a man about fifty or so
Saw a man about fifty or so
He looked lonely but his eyes were bright
He looked lonely but his eyes were bright
He was walking up the Holland Park Road
He was walking up the Holland Park Road
And I stopped him to ask for a light
And I stopped him to ask for a light
He practically froze when I spoke
He practically froze when I spoke
But eased when he saw my cigarette
But eased when he saw my cigarette
Then I saw as he lit up my smoke
Then I saw as he lit up my smoke
Beneath his coat he was naked and wet
Beneath his coat he was naked and wet
With eyes full of shame
With eyes full of shame
For he knew that I knew
For he knew that I knew
He slumped to the wall with a moan
He slumped to the wall with a moan
I said "I know there's no name
I said "I know there's no name
For what you go through
For what you go through
But how can you do it alone"
But how can you do it alone"
I crossed the street to the local news store
I crossed the street to the local news store
Flicked through some cheap magazines
Flicked through some cheap magazines
Beside me some school kid I saw
Beside me some school kid I saw
Push some girlie mags down into his jeans
Push some girlie mags down into his jeans
The shop girl was watching amazed
The shop girl was watching amazed
Asked me to call for the police
Asked me to call for the police
She screamed at his blushing young face
She screamed at his blushing young face
And he escaped into the streets
And he escaped into the streets
With eyes full of shame etc.
With eyes full of shame etc.
Do it alone, how can you do it alone
Do it alone, how can you do it alone
I need your help, so I can do it by myself
I need your help, so I can do it by myself
Do it alone, don't have to breathe down a phone
Do it alone, don't have to breathe down a phone
I ain't got a clue, 'bout the things that you do
I ain't got a clue, 'bout the things that you do
But how ... can you do it alone
But how ... can you do it alone
How can you do it
How can you do it
Back at the flat my girl sat in the shower
Back at the flat my girl sat in the shower
And wasn't too keen on me sharing
And wasn't too keen on me sharing
She came out well after an hour
She came out well after an hour
And by that time I was past caring
And by that time I was past caring
Some women it seems have the knack
Some women it seems have the knack
Of attaining that stars in their dreams
Of attaining that stars in their dreams
They simply relax and lay back
They simply relax and lay back
While people like us scratch our jeans
While people like us scratch our jeans
With eyes full of shame
With eyes full of shame
And I know it must show
And I know it must show
I slump, and I fall and I groan
I slump, and I fall and I groan
Will somebody explain
Will somebody explain
What I need to know
What I need to know
How can you do it alone
How can you do it alone
How can you do it
How can you do it
How can you do it without any help
How can you do it without any help
How can you do it all by yourself
How can you do it all by yourself
Saw a man about fifty or so
He looked lonely but his eyes were bright
He looked lonely but his eyes were bright
He was walking up the Holland Park Road
He was walking up the Holland Park Road
And I stopped him to ask for a light
And I stopped him to ask for a light
He practically froze when I spoke
He practically froze when I spoke
But eased when he saw my cigarette
But eased when he saw my cigarette
Then I saw as he lit up my smoke
Then I saw as he lit up my smoke
Beneath his coat he was naked and wet
Beneath his coat he was naked and wet
With eyes full of shame
With eyes full of shame
For he knew that I knew
For he knew that I knew
He slumped to the wall with a moan
He slumped to the wall with a moan
I said "I know there's no name
I said "I know there's no name
For what you go through
For what you go through
But how can you do it alone"
But how can you do it alone"
I crossed the street to the local news store
I crossed the street to the local news store
Flicked through some cheap magazines
Flicked through some cheap magazines
Beside me some school kid I saw
Beside me some school kid I saw
Push some girlie mags down into his jeans
Push some girlie mags down into his jeans
The shop girl was watching amazed
The shop girl was watching amazed
Asked me to call for the police
Asked me to call for the police
She screamed at his blushing young face
She screamed at his blushing young face
And he escaped into the streets
And he escaped into the streets
With eyes full of shame etc.
With eyes full of shame etc.
Do it alone, how can you do it alone
Do it alone, how can you do it alone
I need your help, so I can do it by myself
I need your help, so I can do it by myself
Do it alone, don't have to breathe down a phone
Do it alone, don't have to breathe down a phone
I ain't got a clue, 'bout the things that you do
I ain't got a clue, 'bout the things that you do
But how ... can you do it alone
But how ... can you do it alone
How can you do it
How can you do it
Back at the flat my girl sat in the shower
Back at the flat my girl sat in the shower
And wasn't too keen on me sharing
And wasn't too keen on me sharing
She came out well after an hour
She came out well after an hour
And by that time I was past caring
And by that time I was past caring
Some women it seems have the knack
Some women it seems have the knack
Of attaining that stars in their dreams
Of attaining that stars in their dreams
They simply relax and lay back
They simply relax and lay back
While people like us scratch our jeans
While people like us scratch our jeans
With eyes full of shame
With eyes full of shame
And I know it must show
And I know it must show
I slump, and I fall and I groan
I slump, and I fall and I groan
Will somebody explain
Will somebody explain
What I need to know
What I need to know
How can you do it alone
How can you do it alone
How can you do it
How can you do it
How can you do it without any help
How can you do it without any help
How can you do it all by yourself
How can you do it all by yourself
Lyrics submitted by Chris_Gough
How Can You Do It Alone Lyrics as written by Peter Dennis Blandfor Townshend
Lyrics © Spirit Music Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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