Spring was never waiting for us, girl
It ran one step ahead
As we followed in the dance
Between the parted pages and were pressed
In love's hot, fevered iron
Like a striped pair of pants

MacArthur's Park is melting in the dark
All the sweet, green icing flowing down
Someone left the cake out in the rain
I don't think that I can take it
'Cause it took so long to bake it
And I'll never have that recipe again
Oh no!

I recall the yellow cotton dress
Foaming like a wave
On the ground around your knees
The birds, like tender babies in your hands
And the old men playing checkers by the trees

MacArthur's Park is melting in the dark
All the sweet, green icing flowing down
Someone left the cake out in the rain
I don't think that I can take it
'Cause it took so long to bake it
And I'll never have that recipe again
Oh no!

There will be another song for me
For I will sing it
There will be another dream for me
Someone will bring it
I will drink the wine while it is warm
And never let you catch me looking at the sun
And after all the loves of my life
After all the loves of my life
You'll still be the one

I will take my life into my hands and I will use it
I will win the worship in their eyes and I will lose it
I will have the things that I desire
And my passion flow like rivers through the sky
And after all the loves of my life
Oh, after all the loves of my life
I'll be thinking of you
And wondering why

MacArthur's Park is melting in the dark
All the sweet, green icing flowing down
Someone left the cake out in the rain
I don't think that I can take it
'Cause it took so long to bake it
And I'll never have that recipe again
Oh no!

Oh no
No
Oh no!


Lyrics submitted by Jeffyhash, edited by xmidix

MacArthur Park Lyrics as written by Jimmy Webb

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Spirit Music Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

MacArthur Park song meanings
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  • +2
    General Comment

    I'm surprised and yet not surprised that there seem to be two camps of people: Those who detest and ridicule this song as being the stupidest, weirdest thing they've ever heard, and those who see divinity in the beauty of the melody and the poetic parts of the lyrics.

    I fall into the second group. I think the tune is romantic, and the orchestration gorgeous, especially the little 6- to 8-note quadrilles. At first hearing they sound alike, but in fact each is slightly different. And I am willing to overlook the striped pants and the cake in the rain in favor of love's hot, fevered iron, drinking the wine while it is still warm, and passion flowing like rivers through the sky. No matter whether it was written as a joke or not, it surmounts all efforts to make it silly and remains halcyon and glorious.

    I always thought the icing melting was in reference to his memories of the girl and the park fading with time. Memories that were built up over a long time and cannot be recreated, even for all the passion he still feels.

    law4on November 12, 2010   Link

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