The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
No one looked, I walked by
Just an invitation would have been just fine
Said no to him again and again
First he took my heart then he ran
No one knows how I feel
What I say unless you read between my lines
One man walked away from me
First he took my hand
Take me home
Stand back, stand back
In the middle of my room, I did not hear from you
It's alright, it's alright
To be standing in a line (standing in a line)
To be standing in a line
I would cry
La-la-la-la-la-la-la
La-la, la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la
Do not turn away, my friend
Like a willow, I can bend
No man calls my name
No man came
So I walked on down, away from you
Maybe your attention was more than you could do
But one man did not call
He asked me for my love and that was all
Stand back, stand back
In the middle of my room, I did not hear from you
It's alright, it's alright
To be standing in a line (standing in a line)
To be standing in a line
I would cry
La-la-la-la-la-la-la
La-la, la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la-la
Doo-doo, doo-doo, oh
La-la-la-la-la-la-la
La-la, da-da-da-da
La-la-la-la-la, whoa-oh
So I walked, walked down the line away from you
Maybe your attention was more than I could do
One man did not fall
Well, he asked me for my love, that was all
Stand back, stand back
In the middle of my room, I did not hear from you
It's alright, it's alright
To be standing in a line (standing in a line)
To be standing in a line
I could cry
Need a little, need a little sympathy
Well, I need a little sympathy (cry)
Well, I need a little sympathy
Well, you could be standing in (stand back)
Well, you could be standing in (stand back)
Well, you could be standing in (stand back)
Take me home
Take me home (stand back)
Won't you take me home?
Well, I need a little sympathy (stand back)
Well, you could be standing in (stand back)
Why don't you take me home?
Why don't you take me home? (Stand back)
Take me home (alright)
Take me (alright) home
Just an invitation would have been just fine
Said no to him again and again
First he took my heart then he ran
No one knows how I feel
What I say unless you read between my lines
One man walked away from me
First he took my hand
Take me home
Stand back, stand back
In the middle of my room, I did not hear from you
It's alright, it's alright
To be standing in a line (standing in a line)
To be standing in a line
I would cry
La-la-la-la-la-la-la
La-la, la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la
Do not turn away, my friend
Like a willow, I can bend
No man calls my name
No man came
So I walked on down, away from you
Maybe your attention was more than you could do
But one man did not call
He asked me for my love and that was all
Stand back, stand back
In the middle of my room, I did not hear from you
It's alright, it's alright
To be standing in a line (standing in a line)
To be standing in a line
I would cry
La-la-la-la-la-la-la
La-la, la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la-la
Doo-doo, doo-doo, oh
La-la-la-la-la-la-la
La-la, da-da-da-da
La-la-la-la-la, whoa-oh
So I walked, walked down the line away from you
Maybe your attention was more than I could do
One man did not fall
Well, he asked me for my love, that was all
Stand back, stand back
In the middle of my room, I did not hear from you
It's alright, it's alright
To be standing in a line (standing in a line)
To be standing in a line
I could cry
Need a little, need a little sympathy
Well, I need a little sympathy (cry)
Well, I need a little sympathy
Well, you could be standing in (stand back)
Well, you could be standing in (stand back)
Well, you could be standing in (stand back)
Take me home
Take me home (stand back)
Won't you take me home?
Well, I need a little sympathy (stand back)
Well, you could be standing in (stand back)
Why don't you take me home?
Why don't you take me home? (Stand back)
Take me home (alright)
Take me (alright) home
Lyrics submitted by Concertina
Stand Back Lyrics as written by Stevie Nicks Prince Rogers Nelson
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Call me a twisted fuck if you want, but I think that this song is written from the point of view of a former prostitute who no guy will even touch due to her past profession. I shall explain.
The "him" in the song refers to the 'pimp' that she fell for, and whom manipulated her into become a 'ladt of the night'. After so long, though, he casts her out, which she didn't want at that point, since she now has a reputation for being who she became, a whore. ("Do not turn away...no man came") He never gave her any attention at the time, and now no other man will either. She screwed herself over by falling for the pimp in the long run. She was just "standing in a line" with other prostitutes, when all she wanted was one "man" to "call", which he really didn't.
Through all of this, she isn't desired by any guy, and now she doesn't want a man due to the hell she was put through, therefore the phrase, "stand back".
Before any of you think this is some kind of joke, I really put some deep thought into what this song could mean, and this made sense to me. The real meaning of this song puzzled me for days.