Al Stewart

Jackdaw

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Jackdaw Lyrics

I'm running away on a day like today
Nothing you say could cause me to stay
Jackdaw (jackdaw)
Leaving by your back door
Should be gone by now
Should be gone by now
Should be gone by now
Don't try to follow, just leave it alone
The trains have all left now and the station is closed
Jackdaw (jackdaw)
Leaving by your back door
Should be gone by now
Should be gone by now
Should be gone by now
It's five in the morning and it's rainy and cold
Just go back to sleep now and you won't see me go
Jackdaw (jackdaw)
Leaving by your back door
Should be gone by now
Should be gone by now
Should be gone by now

Submitted by

songmeanings On Feb 06, 2012

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Mellow_Harsher

2025-06-06 16:14:46

SongMeanings

Submitter

2012-02-06 15:55:53

1 Meaning

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by EricMC

6m ago

Not much to say which the lyrics (below) don't make obvious.

But, surely, a one night stand he's ambivalent about. He hopes to sneak away without awaking the girl and having to explain? Perhaps conscience makes him compare himself to a jackdaw: having instinctively 'collected' a shiny object, now dropping it and flying away.

(I can't see how to add lyrics in their proper place, so perhaps someone who does will oblige?)

Al Stewart — Jackdaw (lyrics)

I'm running away on a day like today

Nothing you say could cause me to stay

Jackdaw (jackdaw)

Leaving by your back door

Should be gone by now

Don't try to follow, just leave it alone

The trains have all left now and the station is closed

Jackdaw (jackdaw)

Leaving by your back door

Should be gone by now

It's five in the morning and it's rainy and cold

Just go back to sleep now and you won't see me go

Jackdaw (jackdaw)

Leaving by your back door

Should be gone by now

[Edit: That's it. Spent too time on this. Out]

My Interpretation

Neutral

Subjective

Ambivalence

Relationships

One-night Stand

Leaving

Conscience

Self-comparison

Users:

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You list the song, but no one seems to have filled in the Lyrics. Not sure how to do that (as a member, I am able only to mention my interpretation) — so, for completeness, here they are; hope you can add them.

I'm running away on a day like today Nothing you say could cause me to stay

Jackdaw (jackdaw) Leaving by your back door Should be gone by now Should be gone by now Should be gone by now

Don't try to follow, just leave it alone The trains have all left now and the station is closed

Jackdaw (jackdaw) Leaving by your back door Should be gone by now Should be gone by now Should be gone by now

It's five in the morning and it's rainy and cold Just go back to sleep now and you won't see me go

Jackdaw (jackdaw) Leaving by your back door Should be gone by now Should be gone by now Should be gone by now

Unanswered