In October 2004, Etheridge was diagnosed with breast cancer, and underwent surgery and chemotherapy. At the 2005 Grammy Awards, she made a return to the stage and, although bald from chemotherapy, performed a tribute to Janis Joplin with the song "Piece of My Heart". Etheridge's performance was widely lauded, with India.Arie writing "I Am Not My Hair" about Etheridge. Later that year, Etheridge released her first compilation album, Greatest Hits: The Road Less Traveled. The album was a huge success, peaking at #14 on the Billboard 200, and going Gold immediately. Her latest release is 4th Street Feeling.
Etheridge is known for her mixture of "confessional lyrics, pop-based folk-rock, and raspy, smoky vocals." She has also been an iconic gay and lesbian activist since her public coming out in January 1993.
Come To My Window
Melissa Etheridge Lyrics
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Crawl inside, wait by the light of the moon
Come to my window
I'll be home soon
I would dial the numbers
Just to listen to your breath
I would stand inside my hell
And hold the hand of death
You don't know how far I'd go
To ease this precious ache
You don't know how much I'd give
Or how much I can take
Just to reach you
Just to reach you
Oh to reach you
Come to my window
Crawl inside, wait by the light of the moon
Come to my window, I'll be home soon
Keeping my eyes open
I cannot afford to sleep
Giving away promises
I know that I can't keep
Nothing fills the blackness
That has seeped into my chest
I need you in my blood
I am forsaking all the rest
Just to reach you
Just to reach you
Oh to reach you, oh
Come to my window
Crawl inside, wait by the light of the moon
Come to my window, I'll be home soon
I don't care what they think
I don't care what they say
What do they know about this love
Anyway
Come, come to my window
I'll be home, I'll be home, I'll be home
I am coming home
Come to my window, oh-ho
Crawl inside, wait by the light of the moon
Come to my window, I'll be home soon
I'll be home, I'll be home
I am coming home
Come to my window, oh ho
Crawl inside, wait by the light of the moon
Come to my window
I'll be home soon
I'll be home, I'll be home, I'll be home
"Come To My Window" by Melissa Etheridge is a love song about the aching desire for someone to be present in one's life. The song revolves around this intense, overwhelming feeling of longing and the need to be with the person who is loved. The opening lines of the song invite the person to come to the window, crawl inside and wait by the light of the moon as the singer promises to come home soon. The singer describes how far she would go to ease the ache that she feels in her heart, and how much she would be willing to give or take, just to reach this person.
The second verse reveals the desperation that the singer feels as she cannot even afford to sleep without worrying about the person she loves. She knows she cannot keep all the promises that she has made but declares that she needs the person in her blood and is willing to forsake everything else just to reach him or her. The repeated refrain of "just to reach you" serves as a reminder of this incredible need to be with the person she loves.
The bridge of the song addresses the judgment and opinions of others, but the singer declares that she doesn't care what they think or say as they do not truly understand the depth of her love. The song ends with a final affirmation of coming home and being together, repeating the invitation to come to the window and be present in each other’s lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Come to my window
I want you to come to my window and enter my world
Crawl inside, wait by the light of the moon
When you come to my window, please wait for me, lit by the moon
I'll be home soon
I won't make you wait too long, I'll be home soon
I would dial the numbers
I want to hear your voice, even if all I do is dial the number and listen to you breathe
Just to listen to your breath
Your breath is like music to me, I find comfort in it
I would stand inside my hell
I would willingly suffer my own agony just to be near you
And hold the hand of death
I am so desperate for you that I would even face death just to have the chance to hold your hand
You don't know how far I'd go
There is nothing I wouldn't do to ease this feeling I have for you
To ease this precious ache
My love for you is a beautiful but unbearable pain - I want it to go away, but I also want to keep feeling it
You don't know how much I'd give
I am willing to give everything I have just to be with you
Or how much I can take
I am strong enough to handle whatever comes with loving you
Keeping my eyes open
I can't let myself rest or close my eyes, I need to always be aware and alert for you
I cannot afford to sleep
Because if I sleep, even for a moment, I might miss you
Giving away promises
I am making promises to myself that I can't keep, because they are all centered around being with you - something I can't control
I know that I can't keep
I am aware that I am lying to myself, because I know that what I want most is to be with you
Nothing fills the blackness
My heart is so empty without you, nothing can fill it but your love
That has seeped into my chest
My love for you has penetrated so deeply into my heart that it's all I can feel
I need you in my blood
You are a part of me, I need you to survive
I am forsaking all the rest
I am willing to give up everything, just to be with you and feel your love
I don't care what they think
Other people's opinions don't matter, as long as you feel the same way
I don't care what they say
I am not concerned with their words and judgments
What do they know about this love
They don't understand the intensity of my love for you, so their opinions hold no weight
Anyway
Regardless of their opinions, my love for you is true and unwavering
Come, come to my window
I am begging for you to come and be with me
I am coming home
I belong with you, and I am on my way back home to you
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Melissa L. Etheridge
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind