After 1974's Calabasas he landed at Warner Bros. to issue We Be Sailin' a year later. Down to the Station, from 1977's Lost Feeling, was his last chart hit, and after 1980's Lifeline his recording career was over. Sadly, Stevenson died on April 28, 1988 shortly after undergoing heart valve surgery; he was just 38 years old. Since his death, Poor David's Pub in Dallas has held an annual songwriting competition in his memory.
Author Jan Reid devotes a chapter to Stevenson in his book The Improbable Rise of Redneck Rock, dubbing him "The Voice".
In mid 1996, Stevenson's hit My Maria reached the charts again when it was covered by the country duo Brooks & Dunn, for whom it became a three-week #1 country hit.
On My Own
B.W. Stevenson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Remember what you've seen and what you know
Sunshine, you will be on my mind eternally
But you remember you and I'll remember me
I want to be on my own
It's a long way home
I feel like a baby boy
If you find your true love once again
Please don't do the damn same thing to him
Even when I was with you, I felt so all alone
So I'd as soon do without you and be on my own
I want to be on my own
It's a long way home
I feel like a baby boy
Just being born
A captive of your heart, I guess I was
You gave no reason to stop loving me:just because
Well, you dragged yourself right down, you could not hear a sound
Just the tapping of your teardrops on the ground
I want to be on my own
It's a long way home
I feel like a baby boy
Just being born
Get outside your shell
Those things don't make you well
You're the broken part of a living fairy tale
I want to be on my own
It's a long way home
I feel like a baby boy
Just being born.
B.W. Stevenson's song "On My Own" is a heartfelt plea for independence after a challenging relationship. The lyrics express a desire to "be on my own" and to separate oneself from the pain of a previous relationship. The singer encourages their partner to remember the good times they shared and to move on to find love again, but to be careful not to repeat the same mistakes. The chorus repeatedly emphasizes the need to be free and independent, symbolized by the baby boy being born, a potent analogy for starting fresh.
The song also acknowledges the singer's role in the relationship's ending, admitting to being a captive to their partner's heart. However, they stood alone, feeling lonely and ignored while in the relationship. The song suggests that the relationship was holding them back, and they needed to be on their own to heal and find happiness.
Line by Line Meaning
If I don't see before I go
If I don't see you again before I die
Remember what you've seen and what you know
Remember the memories we shared and the lessons you've learned
Sunshine, you will be on my mind eternally
My love for you will last forever
But you remember you and I'll remember me
Remember yourself and your own experiences, and I'll do the same
I want to be on my own
I want to be independent and free
It's a long way home
The journey to find oneself is a difficult one
I feel like a baby boy
I feel like I'm starting over, like a newborn
If you find your true love once again
If you find someone you truly love in the future
Please don't do the damn same thing to him
Please treat them better than you treated me
Even when I was with you, I felt so all alone
Even though we were together, I still felt lonely
So I'd as soon do without you and be on my own
I'd rather be on my own than be with someone who makes me feel lonely and unloved
A captive of your heart, I guess I was
I was trapped by your love
You gave no reason to stop loving me:just because
You gave no reason to stop loving me, so it hurts even more
Well, you dragged yourself right down, you could not hear a sound
You fell apart and couldn't hear me trying to help
Just the tapping of your teardrops on the ground
All I heard was the sound of your tears falling
Get outside your shell
Break out of your comfort zone and take chances
Those things don't make you well
Material possessions won't make you happy or healthy
You're the broken part of a living fairy tale
You're the imperfect but still important part of someone's story
I want to be on my own
I want to be independent and free
It's a long way home
The journey to find oneself is a difficult one
I feel like a baby boy
I feel like I'm starting over, like a newborn
Contributed by Christopher E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.