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"
Never much of a hopeful man
Nothing good to say
But I couldn't help it when I saw her
I had to know if
She don't know where to go
She don't know how to stay
And she don't know how good I can be
Or how much I can pray
I pray
And soon I know her a little more
She's everything I dream
But still I wonder what it would be like
If she left me
She don't know where to go
She don't know how to stay
But she don't know how good I can be
Or how much I still pray
I pray
There must be something that's following her
That keeps her from the stay
There must be something that makes me want to pray
Pray
Pray
I pray
She says she's alright, but she's not sure
And I'm not sure what that means
She says she's alright, but she needs some help
I don't know how
I don't know how
I don't know how
Nothing good to say
But I couldn't help it when I saw her
I had to know if
She don't know where to go
She don't know how to stay
And she don't know how good I can be
Or how much I can pray
I pray
And soon I know her a little more
She's everything I dream
But still I wonder what it would be like
If she left me
She don't know where to go
She don't know how to stay
But she don't know how good I can be
Or how much I still pray
I pray
There must be something that's following her
That keeps her from the stay
There must be something that makes me want to pray
Pray
Pray
I pray
She says she's alright, but she's not sure
And I'm not sure what that means
She says she's alright, but she needs some help
I don't know how
I don't know how
I don't know how
Lyrics submitted by Strawberrywish
Pray Lyrics as written by Eef Barzelay
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
Lord Huron
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
i think these lyrics are incredible, and "hungry bird" is hugely underrated. many seem to think it lacks the usual "depth" to be found in a clem snide album, but i think maybe some people have their minds made up too soon. i don't know. it simply isn't true.
what is this--where did the old lyrics go? these aren't correct.
pray for the non believer pray for the non believer pray for the non believer pray for the non believer
and pray his heartfelt searching fails to navigate the twisted trails pray on him the golden light not shine and pray his guard dogs lose the scent the snakes find shelter in his tent pray the puddles reach beyond his knees
pray for the non believer pray for the non believer pray for the non believer pray for the non believer
pray the shiny metal tools lay rusting in his swimming pool and pray the water never wash him clean pray his daughters long to feel a stranger's hand to break the seal and pray the bed sheets tied in stubborn knots
pray for the non believer pray for the non believer pray for the non believer pray for the non believer pray for the non believer pray for the non believer
pray the darkness eats his life behind his eyelids, painted white pray that a hungry bird consumes his heart pray that a hungry bird consumes his heart
when somebody loves you it's no good, it's no good, it's no good unless he loves you all of the way and when somebody loves you it's no good, it's no good, it's no good unless he loves you all the way, all the way