Pound It Out
Booker T. Jones Lyrics


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Every time I see your face, boy
When I'm close to you
I just can't find the words
To tell you how I feel, this thing sho' nuff seems so real
I just can't find the nerve
But every time that we're leaving and
Everything's still the same
"Lord, won't you come through
You know I'm asking and begging You"
But nothing ever seems to change

It's like taking all of the love I have
And then putting it in a bucket
I just keep on filling it up
And when I leave you I'm just
Pouring it out again
It's just like I keep on filling it up
And pouring it out again

This "whoso findeth a wife" thing
Can keep me backing up and hiding
Look, I'm not trying to buy you a ring
But can I say anything to share what my heart is feeling.
I wanna trust in the Father
But scripture gives me no rules, I need a checklist
Of how to handle my heart
The only place I can start
Is telling God so I don't get reckless, reckless

It's like taking all of my expectations
And pouring them in a bucket
I just keep on filling it up
And when I see you I'm just pouring it out again
It's just like I keep on filling it up
And pouring it out again

Have you ever felt like this
Fill up and then I'm pouring it out again
You keep on waiting, anticipating for somebody to say it first
I'm still waiting, filling it up again
I'm just waiting for someone to tell me something
You make the first move, I'll take the second one, COME ON
But nothing ever happens, I'm still here waiting

It's like taking all of my hope, all of my hope
And pouring it in a bucket
I just keep on filling it up
And when I leave you, I'm just pouring it out again
It's just like I keep on filling it up and pouring it out again.




Pouring it out again
Pouring it out again

Overall Meaning

"Pound It Out" by Booker T. Jones is a song about the frustration of not being able to express one's feelings to a significant other, despite the deep sense of love and commitment they feel on the inside. The persona is often lost for words when they are near their lover, and the situation remains the same even when they part ways. The incapacity to express their affection leads to a constant cycle of emotional buildup and pouring out, with no end in sight. The persona is searching for guidance in the contemplation of "whoso findeth a wife" and other biblical scriptures, as they yearn for a checklist to help them handle their heart and trust in God's plans. But despite the spiritual search, they remain in a state of waiting, hoping for a verbal declaration of love.


Line by Line Meaning

Every time I see your face, boy
Whenever I look at you


When I'm close to you
Whenever we're near each other


I just can't find the words
I struggle to express my feelings


To tell you how I feel, this thing sho' nuff seems so real
To let you know how strongly I feel about you


I just can't find the nerve
I am too afraid to speak up


But every time that we're leaving and
But whenever we are parting ways


Everything's still the same
My feelings remain unchanged


"Lord, won't you come through
I pray to God


You know I'm asking and begging You"
To help me express my emotions


But nothing ever seems to change
But nothing seems to improve


It's like taking all of the love I have
It feels as if I am pouring all my love


And then putting it in a bucket
Into a container


I just keep on filling it up
I keep adding more love


And when I leave you I'm just
But when we part ways, I end up


Pouring it out again
Emptying the container once more


This "whoso findeth a wife" thing
This saying about finding a spouse


Can keep me backing up and hiding
Makes me feel hesitant and want to avoid the situation


Look, I'm not trying to buy you a ring
I am not trying to propose to you


But can I say anything to share what my heart is feeling.
But can I express my emotions to you


I wanna trust in the Father
I want to have faith in God


But scripture gives me no rules, I need a checklist
But the Bible doesn't provide clear guidance, I need a plan


Of how to handle my heart
On how to deal with my emotions


The only place I can start
My only option


Is telling God so I don't get reckless, reckless
Is to pray to God, so I don't act impulsively


It's like taking all of my expectations
It feels as though I am filling a container with all my hopes


And pouring them in a bucket
Pouring them into a container


And when I see you I'm just pouring it out again
But whenever I see you, I end up pouring them out once more


Have you ever felt like this
Have you experienced this before


Fill up and then I'm pouring it out again
The feeling of filling up and emptying the container repeatedly


You keep on waiting, anticipating for somebody to say it first
You continue to wait, hoping that someone will confess first


I'm still waiting, filling it up again
I'm still waiting, putting more emotions into it


I'm just waiting for someone to tell me something
I am waiting for the other person to say something


You make the first move, I'll take the second one, COME ON
If you initiate, I will follow


But nothing ever happens, I'm still here waiting
But nothing happens, and I remain waiting


It's like taking all of my hope, all of my hope
It feels like I am pouring all my hope


And pouring it in a bucket
Into another container


And when I leave you, I'm just pouring it out again
But when we part ways, I keep emptying it once more


Pouring it out again
Emptying it repeatedly




Lyrics © DistroKid
Written by: Jewell Booker

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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