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.
You said it in a simple way
4AM, the second day
How strange that I don't know you at all
Stumbled through the long goodbye
One last kiss, then catch your flight
Right when I was just about to fall
I told myself, don't get attached
But in my mind I play it back
Spinning faster than the plane that took you
And this is when the feeling sinks in
I don't wanna miss you like this
Come back, be here
Come back, be here
I guess you're in New York today
I don't wanna need you this way
Come back, be here
Come back, be here
The delicate beginning rush
The feeling you can know so much
Without knowing anything at all
And now that I can put this down
If I had known what I know now
I never would have played so nonchalant
Taxi cabs and busy streets
That never bring you back to me
I can't help but wish you took me with you
And this is when the feeling sinks in
I don't wanna miss you like this
Come back, be here
Come back, be here
I guess you're in London today
And I don't wanna need you this way
Come back, be here
Come back, be here
(Aah) ah-ah, oh-oh
Ah-ah, oh-oh
(Aah) ah-ah, oh-oh
This is falling in love in the cruelest way
This is falling for you and you are worlds away
New York, be here
But you're in London and I break down
'Cause it's not fair that you're not around
This is when the feeling sinks in
I don't wanna miss you like this
Come back, be here
Come back, be here
I guess you're in New York today
And I don't wanna need you this way
Come back, be here
Come back, be here
(Aah) ah-ah, oh-oh
I don't wanna miss you like this
(Aah) ah-ah, oh-oh
(Aah) come back, be here
(Aah) come back, be here
4AM, the second day
How strange that I don't know you at all
Stumbled through the long goodbye
One last kiss, then catch your flight
Right when I was just about to fall
I told myself, don't get attached
But in my mind I play it back
Spinning faster than the plane that took you
And this is when the feeling sinks in
I don't wanna miss you like this
Come back, be here
Come back, be here
I guess you're in New York today
I don't wanna need you this way
Come back, be here
Come back, be here
The delicate beginning rush
The feeling you can know so much
Without knowing anything at all
And now that I can put this down
If I had known what I know now
I never would have played so nonchalant
Taxi cabs and busy streets
That never bring you back to me
I can't help but wish you took me with you
And this is when the feeling sinks in
I don't wanna miss you like this
Come back, be here
Come back, be here
I guess you're in London today
And I don't wanna need you this way
Come back, be here
Come back, be here
(Aah) ah-ah, oh-oh
Ah-ah, oh-oh
(Aah) ah-ah, oh-oh
This is falling in love in the cruelest way
This is falling for you and you are worlds away
New York, be here
But you're in London and I break down
'Cause it's not fair that you're not around
This is when the feeling sinks in
I don't wanna miss you like this
Come back, be here
Come back, be here
I guess you're in New York today
And I don't wanna need you this way
Come back, be here
Come back, be here
(Aah) ah-ah, oh-oh
I don't wanna miss you like this
(Aah) ah-ah, oh-oh
(Aah) come back, be here
(Aah) come back, be here
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Great version of a great song,
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@OneShoeTwoShoe Forgot to mention as well, Taylor purposely has a key lyric in each one of her songs, when she writes an album she has a main person in mind, e.g Jake Gyllenhaal, Harry Styles, therefore the main part of the album is specifically about them, but she will throw in other songs which are completely different... In terms of, her wanting you to know who it is about...
In the songs where she keeps the main person in mind, e.g Jake, she will throw in a lyric that everyone knows about, e.g is one of the songs where Taylor has a lyric that Taylor and Jake both have blue eyes, and matching Zodiac signs. She also talks about his sister, etc. Those are key lyrics. Where she is specifically telling you who it's about.
If you look at her '1989' album, you can easily pick out which songs are about Harry because Taylor has a key lyric in each one of her songs about him.. Which is 'green eyes' and 'airplane necklace' and 'fox sweaters' -- there is more than that.
Songs, that she writes about other people, e.g Come back be Here, give you little to none hints, because Taylor wants you to figure it out herself, and or doesn't want anyone to know, she has said herself, her writing is like 'therapy' to her and to get over things she puts it in a song.
Also, more proof that the song isn't about Gyllenhaal, is because, out of every song on the Red album, Taylor, constantly promoted them, but.. The one that was never really promoted was oddly Come Back Be Here, Taylor kept quiet about this song, if it was about Jake, she would've been talking about it, constantly, and singing it during her concerts. Taylor has never performed this song, and may of only performed it once at a Target promotion event, she's only talked about it twice as well.
Also, why would Taylor possibly want Jake back, when she sings how hurt she was in; "The Moment I Knew" where.. Jake didn't even show up to her birthday, in all the songs about Jake, she talks about how hurt she was...
She was also DONE with Red Album, and was most likely OVER Jake, because, she wrote this in 2012, as a last minute addition w/ Treacherous. Dan Wilson, talks about how they both wrote these TWO songs in March in TWO days.
She most likely had moved on from Jake when she had wrote this song as well, because they were broken up for more than a year.. When they broke up, Zac gushed about her.. They both got their hearts broken, Vanessa broke his, and Jake broke hers. Taylor gushed about him back.
Liz Huett tweeting about wishing she was dating Zac Efron, Taylor retweeted this:twitter.com/elizabethhuett/status/100796572559880192 -- The tweet says: "Today I watched a bunch of Zac Efron movies and I got real sad that we aren't dating."
Interview where Zac screams for Taylor: youtube.com/watch -- Watch closely, you will see him, clapping hard, and yelling her name.
usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/taylor-swift-zac-efron-have-flirty-dinner-date-2012191 -- Taylor and Zac going on giggly dates. Zac has taken her to 2- 3 dinner dates, in his Audi. It's been said that Justin has joined them. Zac took her to L.A Pace Restaurant. Taylor's publicist shoots down rumors, when Zac's team never denied anything. (This is why I refer Treacherous, and link the song to Treacherous, they were both criticized during dating rumors.) And, months later, Taylor was setup with Conor Kennedy as a PR stunt. So her team didn't want her near Zac. Justin was also tweeting about Zac and Taylor, he liked them together.
Taylor playing NONCHALANT over Zac: youtube.com/watch --- Starts at 1:56 at 2:17 the interviewer asks if she gets frustrated over this type of stuff, watch Taylor's reaction she HAS no reaction towards the rumors, and doesn't care about them, she is like EH. This is Taylor playing nonchalant, which she refers to in the song. This is around the time, Taylor had no feelings for him, as interviews start to go on, you can see the CHANGE Taylor has towards Zac, which is.. Blushing and giggling over him.
Taylor talking about how she's met Zac many times before: youtube.com/watch -- Watch as she eyes him, and turns her head to check him out, she basically pauses what she was saying and then continues chatting, after she sees where Zac stood.
Taylor staring and smiling at Zac from the corner of her eyes: youtube.com/watch -- Lorax premiere, showing that she has interest in Zac (likes him, more than a friend). You can see the blonde lady, her current publicist at the time (before Tree Paine), talking to her but Taylor is paying no attention because she's busy staring at Zac.
youtube.com/watch --- Zac kissing Taylor on the neck.
youtube.com/watch -- Zac staring at Taylor, when the interviewer brings them up, she's on the side of him, doing an interview herself, he looks directly at her, if you look at his eyes, through his glasses, you'll see he eyes Taylor... He stops talking, and stares, while he smiles, than turns to the interviewer and says it's absolutely wonderful. He then goes on complimenting Taylor, talking about her incredible voice, and how wonderful she is, and then he blushes, puts his head down and says; "I can see why in this film I fall in love with her.."
youtube.com/watch - Taylor and Zac singing a duet, Taylor almost slips out that he's 'cute' -- in the full interview, you can see how crazy Taylor blushes over Zac, and compliments his body, and is very interested in him, she even hides her face at one point because she was blushing when Ellen told him to take his shirt off in front of everyone. The full interview is online.
media.gettyimages.com/photos/actors-zac-efron-and-danny-devito-pose-for-pictures-with-ps-22-chorus-picture-id140413880 - Zac in New York City, March 2nd, he arrived on March 1st, he spent his last days with Taylor doing interviews with her, he than left her, for Lorax movie promotion.
.pictures.zimbio.com/fp/Zac+Efron+Zac+Efron+Leaving+Hotel+New+York+0uF8WmM9akPl.jpg - Zac Efron leaving his NYC hotel, on March 1st, around 7 PM, this photo could be taken at 4 AM, it was most likely taken at 4 AM as well, he was on the phone with somebody. Tabloids published these photos on March 2nd, at 4 AM too.
cdn03.cdn.justjaredjr.com/wp-content/uploads/headlines/2012/03/zac-efron-lorax-london.jpg -- Zac Efron arriving in London, March 7th.
Zac talking about his relationship with Taylor: youtube.com/watch (He was asked if he was dating her) Zac says he's not dating her, but it was nice to do in the movie and starts complimenting her. While blushing.
He is the only one who has this timeline that fit perfectly with Taylor's song, Jake's does not fit, and there is no key lyric of Jake in the song, Taylor only has talked about this song TWICE, and performed this song ONCE. So it's not about Jake.
Jake never LEFT for NYC, because he was ALWAYS IN, NYC with Taylor. The song states, that Taylor was NEVER in NYC, when this guy LEFT for NYC, she was somewhere else, the time the guy got to London, (Zac), she was IN NYC.
Jake literally left Taylor in NYC, for a week, than spent $150,000 to bring her to London, she spent time with him there, and than, she stayed for another week because she was suppose to go there anyways because she had an award show near Jake's location.
Her and Jake, NEVER spent time that long far apart, like the song states. Taylor, even states that she lost her chances with this guy, because she realized it was too late, he was already gone, and she just came to the realization that she was falling for him, making it the most painful experience for her, because it's cruel.
With Jake, she was ALREADY in LOVE with Jake, so how could she possibly now just 'start' to fall? She also got to see him, so this song would be pointless to write.
It's about Zac,
tragic song, and I believe Treacherous is also linked to Zac too, but that one, I am probably wrong about, this one, I'm not.