Somebody Waits
Blue Rodeo Lyrics


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Now I think I know why
You sounded so strange on the telephone
It's hard when you discover
What keeps you going keeps you all alone

Dreams so real you thought the smoke might never clear
Now you hide it all behind endless cigarettes and tears
Somebody waits for the time I know will never come
You get yourself so high
Then you fall down feeling blue
One day you'll wake up and realize you've had enough
There's a thousand shining moments
Waiting just to happen to you

Wait until you're stronger
There's no sense leaving when you're down so low
Well it takes the heart a little longer
To see the point in finally letting go

You lose your touch out there standing in the rain
When it's all too much you feel like slipping down again

Somebody waits for the time I know will never come
You get yourself so high
Then you fall down feeling blue
One day you'll wake up and realize you've had enough
There's a thousand shining moments
Waiting just to happen to you

Somebody waits for the time I know will never come
You get yourself so high
Then you fall down feeling blue
One day you'll wake up and realize you've had enough




There's a thousand shining moments
Waiting just to happen to you

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Blue Rodeo's "Somebody Waits" depict a person struggling with their addiction and the loneliness and regret that come with it. The first verse talks about how the singer understands why the other person sounded strange on the phone; it's because they realized that their addiction is causing them to be alone. They have dreams that they thought would never clear, but they mask it all with endless cigarettes and tears. The second verse urges them to wait until they are stronger and not leave when they are at their lowest because the heart takes longer to understand the need to let go. The singer understands that it's not easy, but there are shining moments waiting for them to happen.


The chorus says that there's somebody waiting for them, but they know that the time will never come. The person gets themselves high, but then falls down feeling blue. One day they will wake up and realize they've had enough, and there are so many shining moments waiting to happen to them.


Overall, the lyrics of "Somebody Waits" are a touching representation of the struggles many people face when trying to overcome addiction. It's clear the singer wants the best for the other person and is urging them not to give up on themselves.


Line by Line Meaning

Now I think I know why
The singer has a realization about a situation.


You sounded so strange on the telephone
The other person was displaying emotions on the phone that made the singer curious.


It's hard when you discover
The truth about something can be difficult to bear.


What keeps you going keeps you all alone
The things that fuel one's dreams can lead to isolation.


Dreams so real you thought the smoke might never clear
The artist had intense dreams that have clouded their perspective.


Now you hide it all behind endless cigarettes and tears
The singer is trying to cover up their feelings with addictive habits.


Somebody waits for the time I know will never come
There is someone or something the singer is waiting for that may never arrive.


You get yourself so high
The artist indulges in something that makes them feel temporarily good.


Then you fall down feeling blue
The eventual crash from the temporary high is accompanied by sadness.


One day you'll wake up and realize you've had enough
The artist will eventually reach a point where they can no longer tolerate their behavior.


There's a thousand shining moments
There are many good things waiting in the future for the singer.


Waiting just to happen to you
These good things are just waiting to come into the artist's life.


Wait until you're stronger
The singer advises waiting until the time is right to make a change.


There's no sense leaving when you're down so low
It may not be wise to make decisions when feeling very low.


Well it takes the heart a little longer
It can take time for one to be emotionally ready to make a change.


To see the point in finally letting go
Eventually one will understand that they need to let go of something holding them back.


You lose your touch out there standing in the rain
Trying to hold on to something that is slipping away can lead to feeling helpless and exposed like being out in the rain.


When it's all too much you feel like slipping down again
When things become overwhelming, the singer is tempted to return to old habits.




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

John Browne

No such thing as a bad Blue Rodeo song. There just isn't.

Walsh Michael

this song may have saved my life back in 2000. Never get tired of it. Never will.
Just a bonus that it happened to be my favorite band.

missliss312a

I had to cover for my sister and take my dad to a Blue Rodeo concert last week. With that going on, I was having 20-year-old echoes of this song in my head, because it's the first song I knew they did, when it was new and I was 14. Glad I remembered enough of the lyrics to finally find it.

Cherub Jubilee

This song get me through rough times

misslantana52

They had me at HELLO! A really brill band that needs more exposure! 10 likes? 555 views? What is up with that? I am a Blue Rodeo~aholic! LOVE THEM! (*_*)

allyraeluk

I was raised on blue Rodeo. My mom has a super crush on one.

Pam Mollinga

Awesome song

deruthven

I used to have the chorus printed out on a sheet and put up on my wall.  It was a great reminder to myself.

nosrep20

First heard this on a bus in 2000, actually the "bus" part isn't relevant but this song is... to my happiness :D love it!

Lara Shaw

Love this!  The black and white clips, are from their CBC special, "The Scenes In Between," which aired around the album release date.  I have it, but only on VHS, in mono.  Would love to know where to get my hands on a better copy of that!

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