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Wake Up Alone
Amy Winehouse Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

It's okay in the day
I'm staying busy
Tied up enough so I don't have to wonder where is he
Got so sick of crying
So just lately
When I catch myself, I do a one-eighty
I stay up, clean the house
At least I'm not drinking
Run around just so I don't have to think about thinking
That silent sense of content
That everyone gets
Just disappears 'soon as the sun sets

He's fierce in my dreams, seizing my guts
He floats me with dread
Soaked in soul
He swims in my eyes by the bed
Pour myself over him
Moon spilling in
And I wake up alone

If I was my heart
I'd rather be restless
The second I stop, the sleep catches up
And I'm breathless
'Cause this ache in my chest
As my day is done now
The dark covers me, and I cannot run now
My blood running cold
I stand before him (before him, I)
It's all I can do to assure him (assure him)
When he comes to me
I drip for him tonight
Drowning in me, we bathe under blue light

He's fierce in my dreams, seizing my guts
He floats me with dread
Soaked in soul
He swims in my eyes by the bed
Pour myself over him
Moon spilling in
And I wake up alone
And I wake up alone
And I wake up alone
And I wake up alone

Overall Meaning

In the song "Wake Up Alone" by Amy Winehouse, the lyrics describe the struggle of overcoming a broken heart and trying to move on. The verse speaks about trying to distract oneself from the pain of missing someone, using work and daily chores to keep busy. The chorus, however, portrays the feelings of loneliness and despair that come at night when one is left alone with their thoughts. The second verse describes the intense emotions that arise when dreaming about being with the person again, but waking up to the reality that they are still gone. The lyrics capture the push and pull of trying to move on while still holding onto past feelings.


The opening line "It's okay in the day, I'm staying busy" sets the scene for the song and reveals the persona's coping mechanism. She tries to fill her time with activities so that she doesn't have to think about the person she's missing. The line "Got so sick of crying, so just lately, when I catch myself, I do a one-eighty" shows that she's trying to overcome her pain by not allowing herself the luxury of dwelling on it. The second verse "If I was my heart, I'd rather be restless" portrays her internal turmoil, her heart wants to keep moving on, but her mind won't let her.


Overall, "Wake Up Alone" is a poignant portrayal of trying to move on from loss and the feelings of loneliness that come with it.


Line by Line Meaning

It's okay in the day
During the day, she keeps herself busy and doesn't think about the pain of being alone.


I'm staying busy
She keeps herself busy to avoid wondering where her partner is.


Tied up enough so I don't have to wonder where is he
She keeps herself occupied to avoid the pain of not having her partner by her side.


Got so sick of crying
She has been crying for a while, but now she is tired of it.


So just lately, when I catch myself, I do a one-eighty
She is trying to change and move on from the pain of being alone.


I stay up, clean the house
She keeps herself busy by cleaning the house to avoid thinking about her partner.


At least I'm not drinking
She is avoiding the temptation of drinking to ease the pain and instead is trying to keep herself busy.


Run around just so I don't have to think about thinking
She is trying to escape her thoughts and feelings by keeping herself busy.


That silent sense of content, that everyone gets
She remembers the feeling of contentment, but it only lasts during the day when she keeps herself busy.


Just disappears 'soon as the sun sets
As the day ends and the night comes, the feeling of contentment disappears, and she is left feeling alone.


He's fierce in my dreams, seizing my guts
Her partner comes to her in her dreams, but it only makes her feel more pain and dread.


He floats me with dread, soaked in soul
Her partner's presence feels heavy and ominous, filling her with a sense of dread.


He swims in my eyes by the bed
Her partner is always on her mind, especially when she is in bed at night.


Pour myself over him, moon spilling in
She pours her emotions out on her partner, but it's like pouring out emotion to the moon - it doesn't bring any response from him.


And I wake up alone
She wakes up to the reality of her partner's absence and loneliness.


If I was my heart, I'd rather be restless
She wishes she could distract her heart from the pain by keeping it occupied rather than feeling restless and alone.


The second I stop, the sleep catches up and I'm breathless
If she stops moving, she is filled with unbearable pain and struggles to breathe, so she keeps busy to try to avoid it.


'Cause this ache in my chest, as my day is done now
At the end of the day, the pain of being alone is stronger and it's hard for her to cope with.


The dark covers me, and I cannot run now
The night brings darkness and with it, the pain and loneliness she can't escape from.


My blood running cold, I stand before him (before him, I)
Even though she feels cold and lonely, she still longs for her partner and stands before him in her mind.


It's all I can do to assure him (assure him)
She tries to convince herself that her partner is still with her, but she knows it's just a fantasy.


When he comes to me, I drip for him tonight
In her dreams, she experiences a strong urge to be with her partner and pours all her emotions out to him.


Drowning in me, we bathe under blue light
In her dreams, she and her partner are lost in each other while surrounded by a blue light, but it's not real, and she wakes up alone.




Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Amy Winehouse, Paul O'Duffy

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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