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"
Roxanne
You don't have to put on the red light
Those days are over
You don't have to sell your body to the night
Roxanne
You don't have to wear that dress tonight
Walk the streets for money
You don't care if it's wrong or if it's right
Roxanne
You don't have to put on the red light
Roxanne
You don't have to put on the red light
(Roxanne) Put on the red light
(Roxanne) Put on the red light
(Roxanne) Put on the red light
(Roxanne) Put on the red light
(Roxanne) Put on the red light
Oh
I loved you since I knew ya
I wouldn't talk down to ya
I have to tell you just how I feel
I won't share you with another boy
I know my mind is made up
So put away your make-up
Told you once, I won't tell you again it's a bad way
Roxanne
You don't have to put on the red light
Roxanne
You don't have to put on the red light
You don't (Roxanne) have to put on the red light
(Roxanne) Put on the red light
(Roxanne) Put on the red light
(Roxanne) Put on the red light
(Roxanne) Put on the red light
(Roxanne) Put on the red light
(Roxanne) Put on the red light
(Roxanne) Put on the red light
(Roxanne) Put on the red light
(Roxanne) Put on the red light
You don't (Roxanne) have to put on the red light
(Roxanne) Put on the red light
You don't (Roxanne) have to put on the red light
(Roxanne) Put on the red light
(Roxanne) Put on the red light
You don't have to put on the red light
Those days are over
You don't have to sell your body to the night
Roxanne
You don't have to wear that dress tonight
Walk the streets for money
You don't care if it's wrong or if it's right
Roxanne
You don't have to put on the red light
Roxanne
You don't have to put on the red light
(Roxanne) Put on the red light
(Roxanne) Put on the red light
(Roxanne) Put on the red light
(Roxanne) Put on the red light
(Roxanne) Put on the red light
Oh
I loved you since I knew ya
I wouldn't talk down to ya
I have to tell you just how I feel
I won't share you with another boy
I know my mind is made up
So put away your make-up
Told you once, I won't tell you again it's a bad way
Roxanne
You don't have to put on the red light
Roxanne
You don't have to put on the red light
You don't (Roxanne) have to put on the red light
(Roxanne) Put on the red light
(Roxanne) Put on the red light
(Roxanne) Put on the red light
(Roxanne) Put on the red light
(Roxanne) Put on the red light
(Roxanne) Put on the red light
(Roxanne) Put on the red light
(Roxanne) Put on the red light
(Roxanne) Put on the red light
You don't (Roxanne) have to put on the red light
(Roxanne) Put on the red light
You don't (Roxanne) have to put on the red light
(Roxanne) Put on the red light
(Roxanne) Put on the red light
Lyrics submitted by Demau Senae
Roxanne Lyrics as written by Gordon Sumner
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
No Surprises
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Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Blue
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“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
good song.. but.. what exactly is putting on the "red light"
red light?<br /> to stop a man.<br /> make him pull over to you.<br /> get you in his car.<br /> and then do stuff.<br /> get paid.<br /> and leave.<br /> <br /> basically, Roxanne is a prostitute!
this song takes place in amsterdam, where red light district is suitated.<br /> roxanne, is told to put off the red light (the lights in the prostitutes windows are red) as she no longer has to work like this, she now has someone who loves her, he wants her all to herself, and wants her to stop selling herself to other men.
I disagree with mikxx's interpretation... to me, this is a song about a man who claims to be in love with a prostitute and decides to show his boundless love by making her quit her job and presumably become financially dependant on his income - because of his emotional issues with regards to jealousy and possessiveness and all... <br /> (or, maybe he's simply the kind of guy who simply doesn't want his womenfolk working/making more money than him, regardless of occupation.)
My original critique is a little too vague so here's another one: (I'm posting it here because I'm pretty sure almost no one reads past the first page)<br /> <br /> The person the song is sung about sounds like a complete jerk in the middle of the song - he implies she should be grateful he didn't disrespect her (wow, what a stand-up guy...) but tells her to put her stuff away and to stop working because "it's a bad way" (perhaps he's highly religious and his beliefes tell him so?) and he doesn't want to "share" her (which implies he's either very jealous and thinks she'll magically fall in love with a client - highly unlikely as this is just business for them, in the same way that that lady that sold me my car isn't really THAT interested in my personnal life - or perhaps he doesn't seem to understand that prostitutes deal in sex not love - pretend love, yes, but real love? For a woman, or anyone, to be like that you'd basically have to fall in love with people at the drop of a hat - someone like that would more likely end up in a dead-end marriage that fizzled out than at a red light district...)<br /> <br /> <br /> In summary, this song is about the types of men who think they can "save" prostitutes.... from what? their independence and financial security?
no, actually i agree with mikxx, and red light districts aren't only in amsterdam.
mikxx is sort of right, in that Roxanne is a prostitute, but it doesn't necessarily (and likely) have anything to do with Amsterdam. "Red light district" is a general term that comes from brothels having red lights. To "put on the red light" is just a general term for turning tricks.