I'm Late
Alice In Wonderland Lyrics


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I'm late, I'm late for
A very important date.
No time to say hello, good-bye,
I'm late, I'm late, I'm late
I'm late and when I wave,
I lose the time I save.
My fuzzy ears and whiskers
Took me too mych time to shave.
I run and then I hop, hop, hop,
I wish that I could fly.
There's danger if I dare to
Stop and here's a reason why:
I'm over-due, I'm in a rabbit stew.




Can't even say good-bye,
hello, I'm late, I'm late, I'm late.

Overall Meaning

In the context of the Alice In Wonderland story, the song "I'm Late" is sung by the White Rabbit as he hurries to his very important date with the Queen of Hearts. The song speaks to the frantic and hurried nature of the rabbit as he runs through Wonderland to avoid being late. The first few lines express a sense of urgency, as the White Rabbit is already behind schedule and has no time to exchange greetings. He repeats "I'm late" multiple times to emphasize how critical his lateness is.


The next lines of the song provide insight into the White Rabbit's physical appearance and his attempts to get ready for his appointment. He mentions his "fuzzy ears and whiskers" which suggest that he is indeed a rabbit who is self-conscious about his appearance. These features may also contribute to his lateness and lost time. He then describes his method of transportation, saying he runs and hops but wishes he could fly. The urgency in the song also increases with the line "There's danger if I dare to stop" which adds a sense of risk to the White Rabbit's lateness.


The final lines of the song indicate the serious consequences of being late for this particular appointment, as the White Rabbit fears he will end up in a "rabbit stew". This implies that the Queen of Hearts is someone to be feared and that being late could result in very real physical harm to the White Rabbit. The last line repeats the urgency of the situation and emphasizes how important it is for the White Rabbit to make his appointment on time.


Line by Line Meaning

I'm late, I'm late for
I am behind schedule and I might not make it on time


A very important date.
I have a significant appointment that I cannot afford to miss


No time to say hello, good-bye,
I cannot spare any moment for greetings or farewells


I'm late, I'm late, I'm late
I am extremely tardy, and I must hurry up


I'm late and when I wave,
When I greet someone, I waste more time


I lose the time I save.
The time I spend greeting someone nullifies the time I have saved by hurrying up


My fuzzy ears and whiskers
The fur on my ears and whiskers are not properly trimmed


Took me too much time to shave.
I was delayed since I spent a considerable amount of time shaving the fur on my ears and whiskers


I run and then I hop, hop, hop,
I am moving as fast as I can, sometimes jumping to cover more ground


I wish that I could fly.
I desire the ability to soar through the air, significantly advancing my progress


There's danger if I dare to
There are potential consequences if I choose to


Stop and here's a reason why:
Stopping will be detrimental, and the following statement details why


I'm over-due, I'm in a rabbit stew.
I should have arrived earlier, but I did not, and now I am in danger


Can't even say good-bye,
I am unable to bid farewell


hello, I'm late, I'm late, I'm late.
My significant delay is the only thing I can mention when I arrive




Contributed by Nathan H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

@EdBoy1215

I just realized. Mr. Rabbit was losing his head because he was worried about LOSING his head! XD

@DomenicoMilone

From the color of his eyes he looks like he already lost his head

@blockchains101

I'm late I'm late Im late

@LazyOldFusspot_3428

A rabbit is never late. Nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.

@wonderlandisalanguage9646

This reminds me of a Princess Diaries quote 😄

@LazyOldFusspot_3428

@@wonderlandisalanguage9646 It's a LoTR quote by Gandalf

@Inebriated_Goat

​@@wonderlandisalanguage9646"A queen is never late, everyone else is just simply early" 🤣

@tearoses9940

Dinah is an underrated Disney kitty. Poor thing has to sit and watch her human go through an acid trip for 90 minutes.

@TheOneWhoAnnoys

He said no time to say hello goodbye, but he just said it!😂

@a1r9a9shi99

😅😂 whom else has this as the theme song to their life? 😂 I relate to this rabbit and well…shall I say…happy unbirthday! 😊😅

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