The BoDeans worked with T-Bone Burnett on their debut album, Love & Hope & Sex & Dreams, which appeared in 1986 to warm reviews. They recruited another big-name producer, Talking Head Jerry Harrison, to helm 1987's Outside Looking In, which found the band reduced to a trio after the departure of Hoffman. Outside Looking In broke into the Billboard Top 100, and the BoDeans grew their audience by touring alongside U2, appearing on Robbie Robertson's self-titled solo album, and receiving the honor of Best New Band by Rolling Stone magazine. By the time they released their third album, Home, in 1989, keyboardist Michael Ramos and drummer Danny Gayol had joined. This lineup stayed intact for the release of 1991's Black and White, but the BoDeans went without a drummer once again on their next recording, Go Slow Down.
Following the release of a double-disc live album, Joe Dirt Car, the band returned in 1996 with Blend. Around the time of Blend's release, "Closer to Free" -- a song that had originally appeared on 1993's Go Slow Down -- became a hit, due in large part to its exposure as the theme song for the TV show Party of Five. "Closer to Free" eventually cracked the Top 20, becoming the most successful single of the band's career. The BoDeans were arguably more popular than ever, but the band took a break during the late '90s, with both frontmen devoting time to their solo careers.
By 2004, the band had reconvened and signed with a new label, Zoe. Resolution was released that year, followed in 2005 by Homebrewed: Live from the Pabst. Griffin left the group in 2006 and was replaced by Eric Holden, who appeared on 2008's Still. By this point, the bandmates had found a new home on 429 Records, and they remained with that label for the release of Mr. Sad Clown in 2010 and Indigo Dreams in 2011. That same year saw the departure of Llanas, citing "differences of opinion." The band's 11th studio album, American Made, arrived the following year on the band's own Free & Alive label, and was the first with Neumann as sole leader. The BoDeans toured extensively in support of the release, and in 2014 began work on their next studio project. Released in 2015, I Cant Stop featured a new BoDeans lineup anchored by Neumann, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Sam Hawksley, bassist Eric Holden, and drummer Kenny Aronoff, the latter a well-respected journeyman musician who had played on several BoDeans recording sessions in the '90s. In June 2016, the BoDeans brought out a single, "My Hometown," with the release benefiting the Milwaukee County Historical Society. The single was a preview of the group's next album; titled Thirteen, the 11-song set was released in April 2017.
Stay
BoDeans Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Why don't you stay a while
All of the time will fly
You only make me smile
Come on now
Stay a while
Please don't you go away too far
Give me just one more day
Baby, stay
Baby, stay
Always been racing through
Every day pushing in
Listen now, me and you
Wont you say you feel it too
Come on now
You're wondering
when it might settle in
Give us time
Day and night hoping and wondering
Why must you say goodbye
Why don't you stay a while
All of the time will fly
You only make me smile
Come on now
Stay a while
Please don't you go away too far
You make me smile
Give me just one more day
Baby, stay
Used to be 2 years old
Little girl stumbling through the world
And every day was ours to give away
But it's a crying game
Rigged and a real shame
The way the time goes by
How could it find us here?
Why must you say goodbye
Why don't you stay a while
All of the time will fly
You only make me smile
Come on now
Stay a while
Please don't you go away too far
You make me smile
Give me just one more day
Baby, stay
The song "Stay" by BoDeans is a beautiful love song that explores the theme of wanting a loved one to stay with the singer for just a little while longer. The singer pleads with his lover not to say goodbye but to stay a bit longer. He believes that time flies by so quickly and that his lover only makes him smile, hence he wants her to stay with him for just one more day. The singer reminisces about his childhood days when he was carefree and how life has become a crying game where time flies by so quickly. He believes that he and his lover are meant to be together and feels they both should hold on to that feeling.
The song has a mellow and soft melody that matches the mood of the lyrics. The use of harmonies adds to the emotion of the song. The lyrics touch the listener's soul as they express a deep longing for a loved one to stay. The songwriters have employed several rhetorical devices to make the lyrics more engaging. For example, they have used repetition when the singer repeats the phrase "why must you say goodbye?" several times. The repetition creates emphasis on the theme of the song and makes it more memorable.
Line by Line Meaning
Why must you say goodbye
Questioning why the person has to leave
Why don't you stay a while
Requesting the person to stay for some time
All of the time will fly
Implying that time flies when they are together
You only make me smile
Stating that the person makes them happy
Come on now
Urging the person to stay
Stay a while
Requesting the person to stay for a longer period of time
Please don't you go away too far
Asking the person not to go too far away
Give me just one more day
Requesting for one more day with the person
Baby, stay
Asking the person to stay with affection
Always been racing through
Referring to rushing through life
Every day pushing in
Describing the constant pressure to keep moving
Listen now, me and you
Addressing the person and emphasizing their relationship
Wont you say you feel it too
Asking if the person feels the same way about their relationship
You're wondering
Pointing out that the person is questioning their relationship
when it might settle in
When the relationship might feel comfortable or right
Give us time
Asking for more time to develop their relationship
Day and night hoping and wondering
Constantly thinking and worrying about their relationship
Used to be 2 years old
Remembering how carefree and innocent they used to be
Little girl stumbling through the world
Describing how they used to navigate the world with less stress
And every day was ours to give away
Implying that they used to have more time to spend together
But it's a crying game
Acknowledging that life can be difficult and emotional
Rigged and a real shame
Implying that life can feel unfair and disappointing
The way the time goes by
Reflecting on how quickly time passes
How could it find us here?
Questioning how they ended up in their current situation
Contributed by Dylan J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.