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I'll Stand By You
Pretenders Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Oh, why you look so sad?
Tears are in your eyes
Come on and come to me now
Don't be ashamed to cry
Let me see you through

'Cause I've seen the dark side too
When the night falls on you
You don't know what to do
Nothing you confess
Could make me love you less

I'll stand by you
I'll stand by you
Won't let nobody hurt you
I'll stand by you

So if you're mad, get mad
Don't hold it all inside
Come on and talk to me now
Hey, what you got to hide?
I get angry too

Well I'm a lot like you
When you're standing at the crossroads
And don't know which path to choose
Let me come along
'Cause even if you're wrong

I'll stand by you
I'll stand by you
Won't let nobody hurt you
I'll stand by you
Take me in, into your darkest hour
And I'll never desert you
I'll stand by you

And when
When the night falls on you, baby
You're feeling all alone
You won't be on your own

I'll stand by you
I'll stand by you
Won't let nobody hurt you

I'll stand by you
Take me in, into your darkest hour
And I'll never desert you
I'll stand by you
I'll stand by you
Won't let nobody hurt you
I'll stand by you
Won't let nobody hurt you
I'll stand by you
I'll stand by you
Won't let nobody hurt you
I'll stand by you
Take me in, into your darkest hour
And I'll never desert you
I'll stand by you

Overall Meaning

The Pretenders’ “I’ll Stand By You” is a moving ballad about unconditional love and support. The singer of the song addresses a person who is struggling and encourages them to come to her for help. By saying “Let me see you through,” she is offering her help and support to the person. She further expresses her understanding of their struggle by saying that she, too, has seen the dark side. The chorus of “I’ll stand by you” is repeated throughout the song, reinforcing the singer’s commitment to support and never leave the person’s side. This commitment is unconditional, regardless of the other person’s mistakes, flaws or missteps.


The lyrics of the song can be interpreted in different ways, but one interpretation is that the singer is speaking to a friend who is going through a hard time, possibly dealing with addiction or any emotional pain. She knows that the person is struggling to cope, and she doesn’t want them to feel ashamed or alone. The singer of the song assures them that she will not abandon them, no matter what. She will be there for the person, listening to them and supporting them, even when they feel like they are at their lowest.


Line by Line Meaning

Oh, why you look so sad?
Why do you appear so unhappy?


Tears are in your eyes
I see tears in your eyes.


Come on and come to me now
Please come to me now.


Don't be ashamed to cry
There is no shame in crying.


Let me see you through
I will help you through this.


'Cause I've seen the dark side too
I have also experienced difficult times.


When the night falls on you
When you are feeling down and helpless.


You don't know what to do
You feel lost and unsure of yourself.


Nothing you confess
No matter what mistakes you've made,


Could make me love you less
I will still care about you and love you just as much.


I'll stand by you
I will support you in any way I can.


I'll stand by you
I will be there for you no matter what.


Won't let nobody hurt you
I will protect you from anybody who wants to cause you harm.


So if you're mad, get mad
You don't have to bottle up anger or frustration.


Don't hold it all inside
You should express your emotions instead of keeping them to yourself.


Come on and talk to me now
Please tell me what's on your mind.


Hey, what you got to hide?
You don't have to keep anything from me.


I get angry too
I also experience anger and frustration.


Well I'm a lot like you
We're not so different from one another.


When you're standing at the crossroads
When you're faced with a difficult decision.


And don't know which path to choose
You're unsure which direction to take.


Let me come along
I'll be there to support you and help you make the best decision.


'Cause even if you're wrong
Even if you make a mistake,


I'll stand by you
I will still be there for you.


Take me in, into your darkest hour
Allow me to be there for you in your toughest times.


And I'll never desert you
I will never abandon you in your time of need.


And when
Whenever


When the night falls on you, baby
When you feel overwhelmed and helpless.


You're feeling all alone
You feel like nobody is there for you.


You won't be on your own
I will be there with you and support you.


Take me in, into your darkest hour
Allow me to be there for you in your toughest times.


And I'll never desert you
I will never abandon you in your time of need.


I'll stand by you
I will support you in any way I can.


I'll stand by you
I will be there for you no matter what.


Won't let nobody hurt you
I will protect you from anybody who wants to cause you harm.


I'll stand by you
I will support you in any way I can.


Won't let nobody hurt you
I will protect you from anybody who wants to cause you harm.


I'll stand by you
I will support you in any way I can.


Take me in, into your darkest hour
Allow me to be there for you in your toughest times.


And I'll never desert you
I will never abandon you in your time of need.


I'll stand by you
I will support you in any way I can.




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: Thomas Kelly, Christine Hynde, Billy Steinberg

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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