End Like That
Bruce Robison Lyrics
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But I couldn't settle on one
I could be James Dean another shot at that scene
Stead of standin' there lookin' dumb
And I hung on to wasted memories
I didn't want to face the pain
Recallin' some of the things I done
You could cry yourself to sleep in the mornin'
And I'll come home drunk at night
You could give me a final warnin' and then
Man we'll have a hell of a fight
You could say that we tried everything we could
As I'm reachin' for my hat
But you just can't get in your car and leave
Honey how can it end like that?
Now I know that it's all over
And I know it won't be back
Didn't even cry or say goodbye
Don't I mean any more than that
You could cry yourself to sleep in the mornin'
And I'll come home drunk at night
You could give me a final warnin' and then
Man we'll have a hell of a fight
You could say that you tried everything you could
As I'm reachin' for my hat
But you just can't get in your car and leave
Honey how can it end like that?
But you just can't get in your car and leave
Honey how can it end like that?
The song "End Like That" by Bruce Robison is a powerful reflection on a relationship that has come to an end. The lyrics suggest that the singer has been practicing lines in the mirror in an effort to come up with the perfect thing to say to his partner. He wants to say something that will make everything okay and save the relationship, but he cannot settle on the perfect words. The lines that he practiced could make him seem like James Dean, but he doesn't want to look dumb.
In the chorus, the lyrics paint a picture of a dysfunctional relationship where both parties are hurting. The singer's partner cries herself to sleep in the morning while he comes home drunk at night. She gives him a final warning, and they have a fight. Despite this, they both acknowledge that they have tried everything they could to save the relationship, but it just isn't working. The singer reaches for his hat to leave, but he can't understand how things could end like that.
In the final verse, the singer comes to terms with the fact that the relationship is over. He doesn't cry or say goodbye, but he wonders if he ever meant anything to his partner. The song ends with the repeated phrase: "But you just can't get in your car and leave, Honey how can it end like that?"
Overall, the lyrics of "End Like That" show the pain and sorrow of a relationship that has lost its spark. It highlights the difficulty of letting go and the desperation to find the right words to save something that is already fading away.
Line by Line Meaning
Practiced some lines in the mirror
I rehearsed what I would say to you in the mirror
But I couldn't settle on one
But I couldn't choose the right words to say to you
I could be James Dean another shot at that scene
I could try to be like James Dean and redo the scene where we first met
Stead of standin' there lookin' dumb
Instead of just standing there and feeling foolish
And I hung on to wasted memories
I held onto memories that had no meaning anymore
I didn't want to face the pain
I didn't want to confront the hurt that we caused each other
Recallin' some of the things I done
Remembering some of the actions I took that caused us to be where we are now
That neither one of us could change
Things that we both had no control over
You could cry yourself to sleep in the mornin'
You could be so upset that you cry yourself to sleep in the morning
And I'll come home drunk at night
And I'll come home intoxicated in the evening
You could give me a final warnin' and then
You could warn me for the final time and then
Man we'll have a hell of a fight
We will have an intense argument
You could say that we tried everything we could
You could say that we exhausted all efforts to make things work
As I'm reachin' for my hat
As I start to walk away
But you just can't get in your car and leave
But you cannot bring yourself to leave in your car
Honey how can it end like that?
How can things come to such a sudden and abrupt end?
Contributed by Skyler A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.