Weekend in New England
Barry Manilow Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Last night I waved goodbye
Now it seems years
I'm back in the city
Where nothing is clear
But thoughts of me holding you
Bringing us near

And tell me, when will our eyes meet?
When can I touch you?
When will this strong yearning end?
And when will I hold you again

Time in New England
Took me away
To long rocky beaches
And you by the bay
We started a story
Whose end must now wait

And tell me, when will our eyes meet?
When can I touch you?
When will this strong yearning end?
And when will I hold you again

I feel the change comin'
I feel the wind blow
I feel brave and daring
I feel my blood flow
With you I could bring out
All the love that I have
With you there's a heaven
So earth ain't so bad

And tell me, when will our eyes meet?
When can I touch you?
When will this strong yearning end?
And when will I hold you




Again
Again

Overall Meaning

Barry Manilow's Weekend in New England is a tribute to missed opportunities in love. It tells the story of a man who once had a great love, but lost her and is now back in the city where everything is unclear, except for the thoughts of holding her and bringing them closer. He yearns to see her again and hold her, but time in New England took him away, where he was left with memories of being on long rocky beaches with her by the bay. He started a story with her, but it now appears as though the end must wait. He can feel a change coming, the wind blowing, and his blood flowing, and with her by his side, he believes they could bring out all the love they have for each other, where heaven exists, and earth is not so bad.


One interesting fact about the song is that the lyrics were written by Randy Edelman, and the song was originally intended for him to sing it. However, he later passed it on to Manilow, who made it a hit. Another interesting fact is that Tom Waits once mistook Manilow for his own manager at a restaurant and said to him, "Barry, I love you!", which Manilow later used as inspiration for his song "Could It Be Magic". The song was a top-10 hit for Manilow in the US and Canada, where it certified gold. It also became his first top-20 hit in the UK. The song has been covered by numerous artists, including Teddy Pendergrass and Westlife. In 2010, it was performed by Cory Monteith in the TV series "Glee". The song features a haunting saxophone arrangement by Stan Getz. the prominent jazz saxophonist. Manilow himself even arranged the strings for the song.


The chords to Weekend in New England are as follows:
Verse - G, Bm, C/D, G, Bm, C/D, G, Bm, C/D, Em7, A7, Am7, D11/D7
Chorus - Em, D/F#, G/B, C, B7sus4, Em, D/F#, G, C, B7sus4, Em, D7


Line by Line Meaning

Last night I waved goodbye
The singer said goodbye to his loved one just last night.


Now it seems years
The singer feels like it has been years since he saw his loved one.


I'm back in the city
The singer has returned to the city where things are unclear.


Where nothing is clear
The city is unclear and provides no comfort for the singer.


But thoughts of me holding you
The singer finds comfort in thinking about holding his loved one.


Bringing us near
Thinking about holding his loved one brings the singer closer to her emotionally.


And tell me, when will our eyes meet?
The singer is asking when he will see his loved one again.


When can I touch you?
The singer is wondering when he will be able to touch and hold his loved one again.


When will this strong yearning end?
The singer has a strong desire to be with his loved one and wants to know when it will end.


And when will I hold you again
The singer is looking forward to the day when he can hold his loved one again.


Time in New England
Spending time in New England inspired the singer.


Took me away
Being in New England took the singer away mentally.


To long rocky beaches
The singer enjoyed being on the long, rocky beaches in New England.


And you by the bay
The singer's loved one was with him by the bay.


We started a story
The singer and his loved one started a story together.


Whose end must now wait
The end of their story must now wait until they can be together again.


I feel the change comin'
The singer feels that a change is coming in his life.


I feel the wind blow
The singer senses the wind blowing, symbolizing change.


I feel brave and daring
The singer feels brave and daring to pursue his love.


I feel my blood flow
The singer feels his heart pumping with the excitement of being in love.


With you I could bring out
The singer believes that his loved one brings out the best in him.


All the love that I have
The singer has a lot of love to give to his loved one.


With you there's a heaven
Being with his loved one feels like heaven to the singer.


So earth ain't so bad
Being on Earth is not so bad when the singer is with his loved one.


And when will I hold you again
The singer is looking forward to holding his loved one again.


Again
The singer repeats his desire to hold his loved one once again.




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Randy Edelman

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@barrycracknell8543

Once this beautiful song never really meant anything to me. Then a couple of weeks after my dear dad died in 2013 I went for a night out to our local with my wife and children. It was just to talk about things have a drink and hopefully a laugh about dad, (their grandad), our memories etc. Then in the background someone put this on the jukebox. My heart nearly burst with the pain as the line "When will our eyes meet? When can I touch you? When will this strong yearning end and when will I hold you again?" My poor girls had never seen their dad cry before. And now when I hear this song I'm looking at my dad and telling him he was the best dad any man could ever ask for. Miss you Pop x

@dean95b

Wow . When my mom was dying. I saw her the last time in hospital. I knew it would be the last time I saw her . I got in the car this song came on.

@markponn4378

💓💓💓😥👍

@barrycracknell8543

@dean Dean So sorry Dean.

@richiec.7637

I know where you're coming from. I had an uncle who died in his early 50s and whenever I hear Heart of Gold by Neil Young I cry. It brings back so many memories of my uncle

@margaretanscombe730

Your story has such a terrible beauty. Those of us who have lost a much adored parent understand exactly what you experienced. My Dad has been gone 39 years and my Mom almost 6–and not a day goes by when I don’t think of them and wish I could have one more opportunity to tell them how much I love them...❤️😔

85 More Replies...

@berniemahoney85

The score, arrangement, instrumentals, lyrics and his vocals are perfect.

@EveryoneIsFamily

EXACTLY!!! An absolute celestial tour-de-force!!!

@joelsherrod2547

I could not agree more. One of Barry's best! A masterpiece---as well as a masterclass in how to write and arrange a heart-tugging ballad. Well done!

@briane5706

This is a Randy Edelman song, though this arrangement and performance is the best recorded.

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