Elliott Smith – Dancing on the Highway

Here,
If you want me;
Listening so close,
From far away.
I memorized
What you told me,
Like a foreigner
On holiday.
I know to smile
At confusion,
And not forget
The soul
That smiles on me.

Dancing
On the highway,
The broken line that led
From you to me.
Well, I’ll be
At my station
All night...
So come on by ,
If you feel like...

Still here,
If you want me.
Look at what
I can do
With empty time.
A lost love
That likes to haunt me:
It’s waiting 'round
To meet
Me when I die.
Death surrounds, protects the living -
Thhis is what you said,
And I agreed
Not to be
Unforgiving,
Just because your soul
Is untimely free...

Because I’m here, if you want me, my love; dancing on the highway

But your sun still burns my eye
Oh, why?
Oh, why?


Lyrics submitted by tronistroy, edited by Jate

Dancing on the Highway song meanings
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17 Comments

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  • +2
    General Commentyeah there's also the other version (Still Here), the lyrics are on here for that one too. both songs are really beautiful.
    myxangelxelliotton September 05, 2006   Link
  • +2
    Song MeaningPersonally, I would think that this song is about a love who has passed away- 'Your soul's done time and free,' being a piece of evidence to this. He also sings that 'death surrounds, protects the living,' which could be his pondering that his love is watching him and protecting him until he finally joins her. The lyric 'your sun still burns my eye,' may be referencing to the fact that it hurts him to think of her, and that he can't admit that she is gone. However, I think that the biggest piece of evidence to this theory is the lyric 'I'm here if you want me, dancing on the highway,' he is almost saying that he is trying to kill himself so that he can finally see his love in the afterlife, and that if his love wants him then she'll let him die. This is supported by the lyric 'Don't forget the soul that smiles on me.' In saying this, he is saying that he thinks his love's soul is watching over him and smiling because she'll soon see him again. Smiling at confusion may be referencing the fact that that he doesn't quite understand what has happened, so he is acting as if he's okay. Another huge factor to supporting this theory is the lyric 'a lost love that likes to haunt me, it's waiting round to meet me when I die.' Quite self explanatory; he can't stop thinking of her, so he is therefore being haunted by it. The 'look at what's I can do with empty time' lyric is just saying that he is lonely and bored without her.
    shadowsharp1324on April 01, 2017   Link
  • +1
    General CommentI never realized that the melody to this song is at the end of "In The Lost And Found".
    thoraxcorp3on December 09, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Commentit means that his feelings lingered more than he expected
    zaklaughedon June 15, 2008   Link
  • +1
    General Commentand maybe it's too late, and maybe it's not
    zaklaughedon June 15, 2008   Link
  • +1
    General CommentThis song really kills me, it's simply to easy to identify with. It would seem to be about there being an incredible distance between him and his lost love, and him just waiting and hoping that he'll get some sign of her. The line, "Still here if you want me, look at what I can do with empty time." especially kills me, I've endured quite a lot of empty time.
    Scribbler17on July 07, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General Comment" I agreed Not to be unforgiving"
    I always thought he has now become a better person, will his lost love (who may be dead) now accept him ?


    "look at what I can do with empty time"
    maybe he is referring to commercial success, he wanted to prove he was good enough for someone ? now will they accept him that he thinks he has done enough to gain her acceptance ?
    ytyytytyt32on February 07, 2014   Link
  • 0
    General CommentI can't believe nobody has commented yet! This has to be one of my favourite songs, if not one of them.
    It's so romantic. It brought me to tears the first couple of times I heard it.
    tambamon August 20, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Commenthe was such a beautiful poet. this song paints a picture in my mind, and thats what was so great about him. his songs really mean alot to me and all of his fans
    cdomeieron August 25, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General CommentThe lyrics to one studio demo version that has leaked. Supposedly there is at least one more studio version of this song in existence;
    Here if you want me, listening so close from far away.
    I memorized what you told me, like a foreigner on holiday.
    I know to smile at confusion, not forget the soul that smiles on me.
    Dancing on the highway, the broken line that led from you to me.
    Well, I’ll be at my station all night, so come on by if you feel like.

    Still here if you want me. Look at what I can do with empty time.
    A lost love that likes to haunt me—it’s waiting around to meet me when I die.
    Death surrounds, protects the living—this is what you said and I agreed.
    Not to be unforgiving just because your soul’s done time and free.
    Cause I’m here if you want me, my love, dancing on the highway.

    But your sun still burns my eye.
    Oh, why?
    Oh, why?

    Absolutely beautiful.
    streetspirit20_72on August 31, 2006   Link

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