Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

After Hours
The Velvet Underground Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

One, two, three
If you close the door
The night could last forever
Leave the sunshine out
And say hello to never

All the people are dancing
And they're having such fun
I wish it could happen to me

But if you close the door
I'd never have to see the day again

If you close the door
The night could last forever
Leave the wine glass out
And drink a toast to never

Oh, someday, I know
Someone'll look into my eyes
And say hello
You're my very special one

But if you close the door
I'd never have to see the day again

Dark party bars, shiny Cadillac cars
And the people on subways and trains
Looking gray in the rain
As they stand disarrayed
Oh, but people look well in the dark

And if you close the door
The night could last forever
Leave the sunshine out
And say hello to never

All the people are dancing
And they're having such fun
I wish it could happen to me

'Cause if you close the door
I'd never have to see the day again
I'd never have to see the day again
Once more
I'd never have to see the day again

Overall Meaning

The Velvet Underground’s “After Hours” is a song about introversion and wanting to escape the day-to-day monotony of life. The opening stanza serves as an invitation to enter a world where the night could last forever, where one could make a world without daylight. The singer expresses longing to experience the joy of dancing, but it is as if they feel excluded from this world of sunshine and laughter. If they close the door, they can create their own space, a space where they don't have to see the day again. The idea of being able to escape the day and to evade “seeing the day again” is a common theme throughout the song.


The second stanza alludes to the idea of alcohol as an escape, an elixir to help create a world of darkness with no daylight. The third verse seems like a nod to the bohemian underground lifestyle of the band members in the 1960s, with its dark party bars and shiny Cadillac cars, as well as the dreary existence of workers. The final few lines of the song reiterate the singer’s desire to escape reality and leave the day behind.


Line by Line Meaning

One, two, three
Counting in preparation for a statement


If you close the door
Closing oneself off from the world


The night could last forever
Timelessness when isolated


Leave the sunshine out
Avoiding brightness and positivity


And say hello to never
Accepting perpetual darkness


All the people are dancing
Observing those who are happy and carefree


And they're having such fun
Envying others' happiness


I wish it could happen to me
Longing for that same carefree feeling


But if you close the door
Choosing to remain isolated


I'd never have to see the day again
Avoiding the harsh realities of life


Leave the wine glass out
Indulging in escapism


And drink a toast to never
Celebrating the idea of never facing reality again


Oh, someday, I know
Hopefulness for a better future


Someone'll look into my eyes
Finding a special connection with someone else


And say hello
Acknowledging a special moment


You're my very special one
Feeling validated and cherished


Dark party bars, shiny Cadillac cars
Describing an alluring, exciting scene


And the people on subways and trains
Depicting mundane daily life


Looking gray in the rain
Expressing a lack of vitality and joy


As they stand disarrayed
Suggesting a sense of confusion and aimlessness


Oh, but people look well in the dark
Finding beauty in darkness


Once more
Repeating a previous sentiment


I'd never have to see the day again
Repeating the desire for avoidance of reality




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Lou Reed

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@danielrocky683

1-2-3
If you close the door, the night could last forever
Leave the sunshine out and say hello to never
All the people are dancing and they're havin such fun
I wish it could happen to me
But if you close the door, I'd never have to see the day again

If you close the door, the night could last forever
Leave the wineglass out and drink a toast to never
Oh, someday I know someone will look into my eyes
And say hello - you're my very special one
But if you close the door, I'd never have to see the day again

Dark cloudy bars
Shiny Cadillac cars
And the people on subways and trains
Looking gray in the rain as they stand disarrayed
All the people look well in the dark
And if you close the door, the night could last forever
Leave the sunshine out and say hello to never
All the people are dancing and they're having such fun
I wish it could happen to me
'Cause if you close the door, I'd never have to see the day again
I'd never have to see the day again
(once more)
I'd never have to see the day again



@agothicuser1736

[Intro]
1-2-3

[Verse 1]
If you close the door, the night could last forever
Leave the sunshine out and say hello to never
All the people are dancing and they're having such fun
I wish it could happen to me
But if you close the door
I'd never have to see the day again

[Verse 2]
If you close the door, the night could last forever
Leave the wineglass out and drink a toast to never
Oh, someday I know someone will look into my eyes
And say hello -- you're my very special one--
But if you close the door
I'd never have to see the day again

[Bridge]
Dark party bars, shiny Cadillac cars
And the people on subways and trains
Looking gray in the rain as they stand disarrayed
Oh, but people look well in the dark

[Verse 1]
And If you close the door, the night could last forever
Leave the sunshine out and say hello to never
All the people are dancing and they're having such fun
I wish it could happen to me
'Cause if you close the door
I'd never have to see the day again

[Outro]
I'd never have to see the day again, once more
I'd never have to see the day again



@silviagarciacruz3634

After Hours
The Velvet Underground
Letras
One, two, three
If you close the door
The night could last forever
Leave the sunshine out
And say hello to never
All the people are dancing
And they're having such fun
I wish it could happen to me
But if you close the door
I'd never have to see the day again
If you close the door
The night could last forever
Leave the wine-glass out
And drink a toast to never
Oh, someday I know
Someone will look into my eyes
And say hello
You're my very special one
But if you close the door
I'd never have to see the day again
Dark party bars, shiny Cadillac cars
And the people on subways and trains
Looking gray in the rain,
As they stand disarrayed
Oh, but people look well in the dark
And if you close the door
The night could last forever
Leave the sunshine out
And say hello to never
All the people are dancing
And they're having such fun
I wish it could happen to me
Cause if you close the door
I'd never have to see the day again
I'd never have to see the day again,
Once more
I'd never have to see the day again



All comments from YouTube:

@razsztern1766

Fun fact: Lou Reed wrote this song, but felt like he couldn’t sing this song for being to innocent and pure for him. He let the drummer, Maureen Tucker, sing it, despite not being a singer at all. The result: a timeless masterpiece

@Wischmopp95

Innocent and pure? Huh, I always thought that song was about suicide, or at least about withdrawing yourself from life. But now that I think about it, it's probably just about wanting the night, and therefore the party, to last forever - maybe as a form of escapism from everyday life, but not, like, peacing out from life altogether.

@semnomesemnomesemnome5215

@@Wischmopp95 he wants a innocent voice to give a cynical look to the lyrics, he's talking bout suicide and depression, but he wants it to sound "pure" only to mock the morality, a "pure" voice singing such an unholy thing (for the Church suicide is unholy)


Well, at least That's what I interpreted

@franspan9872

I am glad "moe" Tucker is still alive!

@cmkasemichael

moe tucker by the jamc is a goated song, along with this one

@juanafinguer

Calm down brooo

37 More Replies...

@kickdogseal

Imagine this for a second: A song released 50 years ago that sounds like it was released by an indie band in 2019. How cool.

@cookiekingmaster8502

I’m kind of confused if this is from the 60’s and people are just being ironic or not

@foreversui

Cookieking Master lol yes the velvet underground is a band from the 60’s

@rireki_riri

@@cookiekingmaster8502 this is from 1969

More Comments

More Versions