Cover To Cover
Billy Ray Cyrus Lyrics


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He tore out the pages one by one
They went in the fire when he was done
Watching the paper burn was fun while it lasted
He found her diary in a drawer
Promised, he'd read one page, no more
But a part of him was sure, he'd read past it

He saw a name he recognized
He saw the truth with his own eyes
How a restless heart can find brand new love
She never really said goodbye
Two hundred pages told him why
And he cried, cover to cover

Sometimes they lock them with a key
Serves him right, her's would have to be
In a place that's guaranteed he would find it
He watched them meet on page fifteen
Describing a man he'd never seen
Her heart going back and forth, between aware and blinded

You know it could mean a broken heart
He was a fool to even start
But with every page he reads he turns another
In her own hand now leather bound




He just could not put it down
So he cried, cover to cover, yes, he cried, cover to cover

Overall Meaning

In Billy Ray Cyrus's song Cover To Cover, the lyrics tell the story of a man who finds his former lover's diary and proceeds to read through it, only to be met with the harsh reality of why their relationship ended. He tears out the pages one by one and burns them, finding amusement in watching the paper burn. He initially promises himself that he will only read one page, but finds himself unable to stop, completely consumed by her words. He recognizes a name and sees the truth of her finding new love while his heart remained restless and could not let go. The diary consists of two hundred pages detailing the reasons why their relationship ended, leaving him in tears from cover to cover.


The lyrics depict the consequences of invading one's privacy and the pain of realizing that someone has moved on. The man's inability to let go leads to him finding the diary and makes him confront the truth of the situation, leading to his emotional downfall. He watches as the woman's heart goes back and forth, detailing her struggle to choose between what she knows she should do and the comfort of staying with the familiar. The diary serves as a means for the man to finally see things from a different perspective and realize that sometimes, letting go is necessary.


Line by Line Meaning

He tore out the pages one by one
He methodically removed each individual page from the book


They went in the fire when he was done
After he had finished tearing out the pages, he burned them


Watching the paper burn was fun while it lasted
The act of setting the pages alight gave him a sense of enjoyment at the moment


He found her diary in a drawer
He discovered a diary belonging to her among other items in a drawer


Promised, he'd read one page, no more
He made a pledge to himself that he would only read a single page before stopping


But a part of him was sure, he'd read past it
He knew deep down that he would not stop at just one page


He saw a name he recognized
He noticed the mention of a name that he was familiar with


He saw the truth with his own eyes
The contents of the diary revealed the truth to him beyond any doubt


How a restless heart can find brand new love
He learned that when one's heart is in turmoil, they may seek out alternate romantic entanglements


She never really said goodbye
Despite their relationship ending, she did not officially end things


Two hundred pages told him why
There were an extensive number of diary entries that offered explanations for the situation


And he cried, cover to cover
He wept from the start of the book until the end


Sometimes they lock them with a key
Diaries are frequently secured with a lock and key mechanism


Serves him right, her's would have to be
He was deserving of this outcome, as it was clear that the diary would be intentionally placed in a location for him to discover


In a place that's guaranteed he would find it
It was certain that he would come across the diary in this particular spot


He watched them meet on page fifteen
While perusing the diary, he observed a description of a meeting on page fifteen


Describing a man he'd never seen
The description of the man who made an appearance on the page was a stranger to him


Her heart going back and forth, between aware and blinded
She had difficulty determining her own motivations and the right course of action in her heart


You know it could mean a broken heart
This particular scenario most likely resulted in heartbreak for those involved


He was a fool to even start
He acknowledges that he was not wise to begin reading the diary at all


But with every page he reads he turns another
Every time he reads another page of the diary, he feels more compelled to continue despite the emotional turmoil it causes


In her own hand now leather bound
He is now thoroughly perusing a tactile, bounded version of her diary


He just could not put it down
Ultimately, he lacks the ability to stop reading the diary, no matter how much he may desire to do so


So he cried, cover to cover, yes, he cried, cover to cover
He cried throughout the entirety of his dissection of the diary




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GARY SCOTT BURR

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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