Too Late
Charlie Lyrics


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Thomas-Colbeck

She sits alone in this cold dark place
Just a little girl with an old old face
Staring eyes that can't focus clear
Never blink nor shed a tear
Let in the light and she'll turn away
Can't stand the light of day
Once young and fine, though you'd never tell
She's just an empty shell
She used to be a part of everything
Had so many friends and the joy that brings
So young and open, she lived each day
Like her last was on its way
She tried it all, she went on and on
Soon her friends were gone
She sold her youth in the end, what for?
She is young no more
Too late to pay, her time was yesterday
No backward glance, no second chance - it's gone




Too late to pay, her time was yesterday
No turning back, just face the facts - it's gone

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Charlie's song "Too Late" paint a haunting picture of a woman who has lost everything to the past. The opening stanza reveals the woman's setting: a cold and dark place where she sits alone. The second line suggests that she has aged prematurely, for although she is young, she has an old face. The woman's eyes cannot focus, and she neither blinks nor sheds a tear. When light enters the room, she turns away, unable to bear it. The third stanza explains that the woman was once a vibrant part of everything and had numerous friends. She lived each day as if it were her last, experiencing everything and sold her youth in the end. Yet, as the song progresses, it becomes clear that everything that gave her joy and purpose is now gone. She was young and had many chances, but it is too late to start again. She has no second chance to pay back for her actions of the past.


This song is a powerful reminder that our actions have consequences and that we must cherish the time we have with the people we love. In this case, the woman has lost everything and is now left to face the bitter truth that the time has passed, and she has no chance to return to it.


Line by Line Meaning

She sits alone in this cold dark place
Charlie is describing a young girl who is feeling isolated and lonely


Just a little girl with an old old face
Despite her youth, the girl is worn out and aged by the experiences she's had


Staring eyes that can't focus clear
The girl is lost and confused, unable to see things clearly


Never blink nor shed a tear
Charlie implies that the girl has become emotionless, possibly as a result of past traumatic experiences


Let in the light and she'll turn away
The girl has become accustomed to darkness and misery, and avoids anything positive or hopeful


Can't stand the light of day
The girl is afraid of facing reality and prefers to live in a world of her own


Once young and fine, though you'd never tell
Despite the girl's past beauty and youth, she has weathered greatly and seems older than her years


She's just an empty shell
The girl has lost her passion for life, and is just going through the motions without true feeling


She used to be a part of everything
The girl was once an active participant in life, but has since retreated into herself


Had so many friends and the joy that brings
Charlie implies that the girl once had friends and happiness, but has lost it all over time


So young and open, she lived each day
The girl used to be carefree and optimistic, but has since lost her spark


Like her last was on its way
Charlie describes how the girl used to live each day as if it were her last, but now no longer has that sense of urgency


She tried it all, she went on and on
The girl has experienced everything life has to offer, but is still left feeling empty


Soon her friends were gone
The girl has drifted away from her friends and is now completely alone


She sold her youth in the end, what for?
The girl made choices that led to her losing her youth and vigor, and is now left questioning if it was worth it


She is young no more
The girl has aged greatly, mentally if not physically, and is no longer the youthful, carefree person she once was


Too late to pay, her time was yesterday
Charlie implies that it's too late for the girl to change her ways or make amends for past mistakes


No backward glance, no second chance - it's gone
The girl cannot turn back time, and must face the consequences of her past decisions without any hope of a do-over or reversal


No turning back, just face the facts - it's gone
Charlie is warning the girl that there is no way to change what has already happened, and that she must accept the consequences without looking back




Contributed by Ruby S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

Brian Trodden

This is fantastic!!!

Mary Wealth

I picked this up from a cassette cut-out bin in the 90s as a curiosity. It was weird to hear an 80s English band that sounded like Survivor (instead of Duran Duran). This song in particular borrows the opening chords to "Eye Of The Tiger" for the bridge.
Good news: Steve Gadd is the drummer!
Bad news: It's not the same Steve Gadd.

Armando Grezkas

Submit the lyrics...please.

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