Back To You
Buddy Jewell Lyrics


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In a brief an' open moment in an' ol' roadside cafe
Just outside a-Memphis in the dyin' light of day
My eyes must have betrayed me, 'cause it was you, I could have sworn
And time came to a standstill as a brand new ghost was born
Yeah, a brand new ghost was born

How can you tell the river from the rain
When so much of you an' me and us remains?
No matter what direction I go runnin' to
It always comes back to you

In the latest book I'm readin' in the crisp October air
In a face I see in traffic in some yet unwhispered prayer
You are everything and everyone and everywhere I go
Hangin' like a mornin' mist that's burnin' off too slow
You are burnin' off too slow

How can you tell the river from the rain
When so much of you an' me and us remains?
No matter what direction I go runnin' to
It always comes back to you

Just like I always did
Remindin' me, I'm such a fool to ever let you go

How can you tell the river from the rain
When so much of you an' me and us remains?




No matter what direction I go runnin' to
It always comes back to you

Overall Meaning

"Buddy Jewell's song Back To You" is a sad melody that talks about how the singer cannot move forward with his life, for no matter how far he goes or what he does, he keeps thinking and going back to his past love. The first verse speaks of a typical situation where the singer sees someone that he thinks is his former lover, but it is just a figment of his imagination. The second verse has the singer recounting how he sees his past love almost everywhere he goes, and this makes him feel like he can not escape her memory.


The lyrics "How can you tell the river from the rain, When so much of you an' me and us remain?" is a rhetorical question that suggests that the singer is so intertwined with his love that he cannot tell the difference between the world around him and the memories of his love. The chorus repeats the idea that "no matter what direction I go runnin' to It always comes back to you." Finally, the singer admits that they are a fool for letting their former love go.


Line by Line Meaning

In a brief an' open moment in an' ol' roadside cafe
At a short and candid moment in an old cafe by the roadside


Just outside a-Memphis in the dyin' light of day
Right outside Memphis during twilight hours


My eyes must have betrayed me, 'cause it was you, I could have sworn
I cannot believe what I saw, it must have been you


And time came to a standstill as a brand new ghost was born
Time stopped as a new memory of you came alive


Yeah, a brand new ghost was born
A fresh recollection of you came into existence


How can you tell the river from the rain
How can you differentiate between things that seem very similar


When so much of you an' me and us remains?
Because so much of you and me and us is still here


No matter what direction I go runnin' to
Irrespective of the route I choose to follow


It always comes back to you
It always leads me back to you


In the latest book I'm readin' in the crisp October air
As I read the latest book outside in the fresh October air


In a face I see in traffic in some yet unwhispered prayer
In a face I see in traffic that I have not yet prayed for


You are everything and everyone and everywhere I go
You are omnipresent in everything, everyone, and everywhere I traverse


Hangin' like a mornin' mist that's burnin' off too slow
Lingering like a morning mist which takes too long to dissipate


You are burnin' off too slow
You are taking too long to disappear from my life


Just like I always did
Exactly like I used to do


Remindin' me, I'm such a fool to ever let you go
Reiterating the fact that I was foolish to have ever let you go




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ALDRIDGE, CRISLER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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