Too Late
Al West Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I never should have been with you anyway
And now you say you want to stay
It's too late, 'cause I'm sending you on your way
You say that you have to go away
I never really loved you anyway
And now you say you want to stay
It's too late, it's too late
Like a puppet on a string
You came and took control of me
Would've given anything
To be your one and only
Filled my head with fantasies
Of what one day you'd give to me
Full of hope for what could be
(I sat and waited patiently)
First you say that you have to go away
I never should have been with you anyway
And now you say you want to stay
It's too late, 'cause I'm sending you on your way
You say that you have to go away
I never really loved you anyway
And now you say you want to stay
It's too late, it's too late
For a time you were for me
Everything that I could need
Gave me time and diamond rings
But something else was missing
You never stayed the whole night through
I suffered, prayed and cried for you
After all that we've been through
I feel I never even knew you
First you say that you have to go away
I never should have been with you anyway
And now you say you want to stay
It's too late, 'cause I'm sending you on your way
You say that you have to go away
I never really loved you anyway
And now you say you want to stay
It's too late, it's too late
There's no need to call me on the phone
I don't wanna hear from you no more
No need, don't call
Don't be a fool and stand outside my door
'Cause being the woman that I am
I got to go on with other plans
First you say that you have to go away
I never should have been with you anyway
And now you say you want to stay
It's too late, 'cause I'm sending you on your way
You say that you have to go away
I never really loved you anyway
And now you say you want to stay
It's too late, it's too late
First you say that you have to go away
I never should have been with you anyway
And now you say you want to stay
It's too late, 'cause I'm sending you on your way
You say that you have to go away
I never really loved you anyway
And now you say you want to stay
It's too late, it's too late
First you say that you have to go away
I never should have been with you anyway
And now you say you want to stay
It's too late, 'cause I'm sending you on your way
You say that you have to go away
I never really loved you anyway
And now you say you want to stay
It's too late, it's too late
The song 'Too Late' by Al West is a powerful statement of independence and self-confidence. The lyrics describe a woman who has finally had enough of a tumultuous relationship and is ready to move on. The song begins with the woman being told by her partner that he has to leave, which she sees as a good thing, as she never should have been with him anyway. However, when the man changes his mind and wants to stay, it's too late - she's already set on sending him away. The woman is clearly tired of being treated like a puppet on a string and is done waiting for the person she thought would be her one and only.
Throughout the song, the lyrics describe the way the man controlled and manipulated the woman, filling her head with empty promises and fantasies. He even gave her diamond rings and gifts, but something was always missing. She suffered, prayed, and cried for him, but in the end, she realizes she never really knew him. The chorus is repeated multiple times, emphasizing the point: it's too late for him to come back, she's moved on with other plans, and there's no need to call or stand outside her door.
Overall, 'Too Late' is a powerful anthem of self-reliance and independence, urging listeners not to settle for less than they deserve in a relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
First you say that you have to go away
You first told me that you have to leave and go away from me.
I never should have been with you anyway
I regret being with you and I think it was a mistake to be with you in the first place.
And now you say you want to stay
Now you say that you want to stay with me.
It's too late, 'cause I'm sending you on your way
It's too late for you to stay as I have already decided to send you away.
You say that you have to go away
You are saying that you have to leave and go away from me.
I never really loved you anyway
I never really loved you; it was just a temporary feeling.
And now you say you want to stay
Now you say that you want to stay with me.
It's too late, it's too late
It's too late now for you to stay.
Like a puppet on a string
You controlled me like a puppet on a string.
You came and took control of me
You came and took control of me.
Would've given anything
I was willing to give anything to be with you.
To be your one and only
I wanted to be your only love.
Filled my head with fantasies
You filled my head with fantasies of what we could be.
Of what one day you'd give to me
Of what one day you could give to me.
Full of hope for what could be
I was full of hope for what our relationship could turn into.
(I sat and waited patiently)
I patiently waited for you to come around.
For a time you were for me
For a while, you were everything I needed.
Everything that I could need
You were everything I needed.
Gave me time and diamond rings
You gave me time and diamond rings to show your love for me.
But something else was missing
But something else was missing from our relationship.
You never stayed the whole night through
You never stayed overnight with me.
I suffered, prayed and cried for you
I suffered, prayed, and cried for you in our relationship.
After all that we've been through
After all that we have been through together.
I feel I never even knew you
I feel like I never truly knew who you were.
There's no need to call me on the phone
There is no need to call me on the phone anymore.
I don't wanna hear from you no more
I don't want to hear from you anymore.
No need, don't call
There's no need to call or reach out.
Don't be a fool and stand outside my door
Don't be foolish and stand outside my door waiting for me to take you back.
'Cause being the woman that I am
Because I am the woman that I am.
I got to go on with other plans
I have to move on with my life and make other plans.
Lyrics Ā© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MELANIE SAFKA, PETER SCHEKERYK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@davidphelps2121
Beyond the very country blues gem I am hearing right now, I am absolutely floored by the fact that the GOAT himself blessed you with a paragraph of personal thanks, the man's sage like persona and his humility are virtues we should all be thankful for.
May God bless and keep you always
May your wishes all come true
May you always do for others
And let others do for you
May you build a ladder to the stars
And climb on every rung
And may you stay
Forever young
@4travisbickle
Bob Dylan's outtakes are far better than most artists best songs.
@psst...heyyou6508
Bob's outtakes better than most folks intakes..
@msdzappa4701
Remember Spanky of the Little Rascals
He would say to your comment
"And How!"
Ditto
@sometimealias2364
agree , but Bob seems to throw the gems straight into the safe, for his own timing to release, he is such a Bootleggeršš¹
@paulferranti8536
TRUTH!!
@godot-whatyouvebeenwaitingfor
Bob has written and sung hundreds of hours of songs that nobody else has heard. He will be setting the musical world on fire long after he has left thus planet...
@cherylmassey5775
Thank you for everything you make my world an easier place to hangout. Love. Cheryl
@Carlossantanamusicinc
Hello dear, itās nice meeting you on here
@TM-vq1bf
I canāt put into words how Dylan affected my life . Thank God I found his music .
@ymmat49
God/ Dylan never changed. The two reason my husband told Bob why he loved his music. The lyrics never changed. Jesus is still gonna make up his dyin' bed, just as Bob sang about on his first album.