Tequila Sunrise
Adam Story Lyrics
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Starin' slowly 'cross the sky, said goodbye
He was just a hired hand
Workin' on the dreams he planned to try
The days go by
Ev'ry night when the sun goes down
Just another lonely boy in town
She wasn't just another woman
And I couldn't keep from comin' on
It's been so long
Oh, and it's a hollow feelin' when
It comes down to dealin' friends
It never ends
Take another shot of courage
Wonder why the right words never come
You just get numb
It's another tequila sunrise, this old world
still looks the same,
Another frame, mm...
The opening lines of Adam Story's song Tequila Sunrise talks of how life goes on and how days turn into nights; and with each sunset, a feeling of emptiness creeps in because things don't seem to change regardless of what happens. The imagery of a tequila sunrise suggests there's hope of a better day dawning, that with every new beginning comes a chance for redemption. However, the repetition of this imagery throughout the song could also imply the cyclical nature of life and how no matter what one does, everything comes full circle, and life goes on.
The song takes on a melancholic voice as the singer seems to despair of his failed relationships. Each time he tries to connect with a woman, hoping for love, he gets left with an empty feeling. His pain is palpable in the line, "And she's out runnin' 'round," showing that he is left alone with his thoughts and regrets. This then leads to the singer drinking tequila in the hope of gathering some courage to face life's challenges, but he finds that sometimes words elude him, leaving him feeling numb. The song ends by looping back to the opening line, expressing the futility of trying to escape life's circular reality.
Line by Line Meaning
It's another tequila sunrise
Starting a new day with the same routine
Starin' slowly 'cross the sky, said goodbye
Watching the sunrise as the night ends
He was just a hired hand
He was just a common worker
Workin' on the dreams he planned to try
Trying to achieve his aspirations
The days go by
Time passes by
Ev'ry night when the sun goes down
As the sun sets every night
Just another lonely boy in town
A lonely guy living in the area
And she's out runnin' 'round
She is out somewhere, doing her own activities
She wasn't just another woman
She was special and not ordinary
And I couldn't keep from comin' on
He was attracted to her and couldn't resist his feelings
It's been so long
It's been a while
Oh, and it's a hollow feelin' when
It's a depressing feeling when
It comes down to dealin' friends
It involves handling friendships
It never ends
It never stops
Take another shot of courage
Drink some more to gain confidence
Wonder why the right words never come
Curious why he can't find the right words to say
You just get numb
You just become numb and stop feeling anything
It's another tequila sunrise, this old world
The world is still the same, even though he starts another day with tequila
Still looks the same
The world remains unchanged
Another frame, mm...
Another day starts again
Writer(s): Don Henley, Glenn Lewis Frey
Contributed by Jordyn S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.