Looking Back
Brown Ruth Lyrics

The lyrics of Brown Ruth's “Looking Back” express regret and acknowledgement of past mistakes. Interpreting this song, it is clear that the artist has done things in the past that caused harm to someone they cared about. The opening verse talks about causing strife and the chorus repeats the phrase “I'd never make that same mistake again”. The artist recognises that they have lost something valuable due to their actions and that they have learnt their lesson. The line “Once my cup was overflowing, but I gave nothing in return” speaks to taking something for granted without realizing its value until it is gone. This is followed by the line “Now I can’t begin to tell you what a lesson I have learned”, which sums up the theme of the song, which is the importance of reflecting on one’s actions and learning from mistakes.

In the second verse, the artist talks about signs a wise man heeds, which could refer to warnings or cues that they may have missed. The lines “Looking back over the slate, I can see love turned to hate” is about a relationship that has gone wrong because of the artist’s actions, while the closing lines of the song “I'd never make that same mistake again” echoes the theme of regret and a desire to make things right. The song overall is about learning from the past and being willing to make changes in order to improve oneself and relationships with others.