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Ohio Is For Lovers
Hawthorne Heights Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Hey there,
I know it's hard to feel like I don't care at all.
Where you are and how you feel.
Put these lights off as these wheels
Keep rolling on and on. (and on and on and on...)
Slow things down or speed them up.
Not enough or way too much. (and on and on and on...)
Are you and I gone?

[Chorus:]



And I can't make it on my own.
(And I can't make it on my own.)
Because my heart is in Ohio.
So cut my wrists and black my eyes.
(Cut my wrists and black my eyes)
So I can fall asleep tonight, or die.
Because you kill me.
You know you do, you kill me well.
You like it too, and I can tell.
You never stop until my final breath is gone.

Spare me just three last words.
"I love you" is all she heard.
I'll wait for you, but I can't wait forever.
[x2]

[Choruses w/ ad-libs]

Overall Meaning

The song "Ohio Is For Lovers" by Hawthorne Heights is a heart-wrenching ode to lost love and longing. It speaks to the pain of being separated from a loved one and the desperate desire to be reunited with them. The opening lines immediately set the tone of the song, as the singer admits that it may be hard to believe that he cares at all about his distant lover. The refrain, "And I can't make it on my own, because my heart is in Ohio," drives home the point that he feels incomplete without his beloved.


The lyrics describe the struggle to find balance in the absence of a loved one. The lines, "Slow things down or speed them up, not enough or way too much," convey the feeling of being stuck in a painful limbo. The singer seems to be comforted in the idea of being reunited with his love, even if it means death, as he sings, "So cut my wrists and black my eyes, so I can fall asleep tonight, or die. Because you kill me, you know you do, you kill me well. You like it too, and I can tell. You never stop until my final breath is gone."


In the end, the song leaves the listener with a sense of bittersweet hope. The closing lines, "Spare me just three last words. 'I love you' is all she heard. I'll wait for you, but I can't wait forever," speak to the idea that love can transcend time and distance, even when it feels impossible.


Line by Line Meaning

Hey there,
Greeting the listener, implying the singer is addressing someone.


I know it's hard to feel like I don't care at all.
Acknowledging that the listener may feel neglected or unimportant.


Where you are and how you feel.
Inquiring about the listener's current location and emotional state.


Put these lights off as these wheels
Desiring to turn off the lights and stop moving.


Keep rolling on and on. (and on and on and on...)
Feeling stuck in an endless cycle, unable to break free.


Slow things down or speed them up.
Contemplating the pace of life and whether it is too fast or slow.


Not enough or way too much. (and on and on and on...)
Questioning whether there is too little or too much of something in life, without resolution.


Are you and I gone?
Wondering if the listener and speaker have drifted apart or will soon be separated.


[Chorus:]
Introducing the chorus section of the song.


And I can't make it on my own.
Confessing that the artist needs support and cannot carry on alone.


(And I can't make it on my own.)
Repeating the same sentiment for emphasis.


Because my heart is in Ohio.
Explaining that the artist's true home is in Ohio, and they are not happy where they are currently located.


So cut my wrists and black my eyes.
Musing about self-harm as a way to numb the pain of separation.


(Cut my wrists and black my eyes)
Repeating the same line and adding emphasis through the use of parentheses.


So I can fall asleep tonight, or die.
Despairing that the singer may only find peace in dreams or in death.


Because you kill me.
Blaming the listener for causing the artist's emotional distress.


You know you do, you kill me well.
Admitting that the listener is skilled at causing pain and suffering to the artist.


You like it too, and I can tell.
Suggesting that the listener enjoys causing the singer pain, whether consciously or unconsciously.


You never stop until my final breath is gone.
Accusing the listener of wanting to completely destroy the singer's emotional and physical being.


Spare me just three last words.
Begging the listener for a final declaration of love or affection.


"I love you" is all she heard.
Stating that the listener only said the three words that the artist wanted to hear.


I'll wait for you, but I can't wait forever.
Acknowledging that the artist is willing to wait for the listener, but not indefinitely.


[x2]
Signifying that this is the end of the song and the previous line is to be repeated twice.


[Choruses w/ ad-libs]
Announcing that the chorus and additional improvised ad-libs will be repeated for the remainder of the song.




Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: Casey Calvert, Eron Bucciarelli-Tieger, James II Woodruff, Matthew Ridenour, Micah Carli

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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