Don't Change Your Plans

Ben Folds Five

Sometimes I get the feeling
That I won't be on this planet for very long
I really like it here
I'm quite attached to it; I hope I'm wrong

All I really want to say
You're the reason I want to stay
I loved you before I met you
And I met you just in time
Because there was nothing left

I sat here on my suitcase
In our empty new apartment
'til the sun went down
And I walked back down the stairs
With all my bags and drove away
You must be freaking out

All I know is I got to be
Where my heart says I ought to be
It often makes no sense, in fact
I never understand these things I feel

Don't change your plans for me
I won't move to LA
The leaves are falling back east
That's where I'm going to stay

You have made me smile again
In fact I might be sore from it
It's been awhile
I know we've been together
Many times before
I'll see you on the other side

Don't change your plans for me
I won't move to LA
The leaves are falling back east
That's where I'm going to stay

All I really want to say
You're the reason I want to stay
But destiny is calling
And I told them when my time is up
I'm out of here

All I know is I got to be
Where my heart says I ought to be
It often makes no sense, in fact
I never understand these things I feel

I love you, good bye
I love you, good bye


Lyrics submitted by kevin

Don't Change Your Plans Lyrics as written by Ben Folds

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

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Don't Change Your Plans song meanings
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33 Comments

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  • +2
    General Comment
    There was a reviewer I read once who put it as succinct as possibly: "love not good enough to keep." what else is there to say?
    Kimnon July 14, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    all i really wanna say you're the reason i wanna stay i loved you before i met you and i met you just in time 'cause there was nothing left <
    starburzt123on May 24, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    i dont understand this song... or try to... i just know its beautiful
    flygurl38on June 02, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    I love this one. I can't decide whether the guy is dying or he's an alien who has fallen in love with an earth girl, LOL. In any case, the last three stanzas are just beautiful. This song is a work of art.
    LittleBriddieon June 20, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    im never sure what to make of this song. the first stanza and other lines like "ill see you on the other side" make it sound like hes dying, but half the time it just sounds like a 'its not you its me' type of breakup where hes saying he loves her but he has to go back home
    PJ10on June 20, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    in think this song is pretty much a distance problem. he moved to the west coast with his love, but he can't handle being there. his life is back east, and its a song about him moving back there. he's saying I love you but i need to be where i belong. he doesn't know why exactly he has can't stay, but he just doesn't belong. ("where my heart says i oughta be it often makes no sense in fact, i never understand these things i feel") and he's telling her, don't move back with me, this is where you want to be, don't change you plans yadda yadda yadda. there's gotta be something back east that is more important to him, family, career, friends and so on. thats what i think, but i always get stuff wrong when i interpret poetry in english class, so lets hope i'm not a dumbass here!
    tropicalia3on June 30, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    That works, but I'm going for the death issue just because Ben Folds Five seems to cover those REALLY hard issues. I don't actually know tho.
    thinkitbeiton July 08, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    I agree with tropicalia3 completely. It's about a guy realizing that although he loves this girl.. destiny is calling him to move away to where he feels that he belongs, and she should stay where she belongs. If it happens to work out that they would both belong in the same place at some point that would be great but... don't change your plans for love, it should just fall into place. Perhaps they will see eachother "on the other side" when they die.
    libalottaon July 11, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    tropicalia3 and libalotta....you guys (sorry...people) Rock! You're exactly right. The only thing that confuses some people with the whole "death" issue in this song are the lines, "I know we've been together many times before, I'll see you on the other side" What he means by that is he and this girl have been together in multiple past lives. So if he seems like he doesn't really love her that's not true, because he knows that he'll see her again no matter what. he doesn't live completely in this life. And from what I've heard and read that's exactly like Ben Folds. I'm not positive about this song because there is one that I find a little similar. It's kinda the same base story, but there's very different feelings behind each song. You should look into it if you're curious. It's called The Miracle After. He talks about leaving with everything in his truck. It's interesting because maybe this is something that really happened. Who knows...oh well...it's fun to think about way too early in the morning!
    HHealy84on September 23, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    This song is about acting on your feelings, about leading the life that you believe is right for yourself. Ben's heart is in the northeast, even when the person he loves is in California. That's a powerful sentiment. For some reason, Ben also believes that he will meet up with his love again, as noted by "I know we've been together many times before /I'll see you on the other side." I believe that "I'll see you on the other side" here has nothing to do with the afterlife. I think Ben is just using that line to mean "See ya around" -- Kind of like "I'll see you on the flipside." Of course I don't know Ben's personality as well as many of you guys may, so maybe Ben is being more fatalistic. Though I do think it would make more sense to interpret the line in a simpler way, since "Don't Change Your Plans" has a fairly simple meaning: I just have to do what is right for me." You know, carpe diem.
    amateurboyon September 24, 2002   Link

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