Back to Scratch
Charlotte Church Lyrics
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Over things I thought I knew for sure and you
Yeah you were fundamentally too flawed to give
what you received and you believed
that I was yours to keep
And I tell myself "hold on, slow down,
girl is this me going back to scratch, again
you're back to scratch, right back to scratch"
Here in the heading days, love on a whim
It's only a thing I'm sure, his daunting gaze will fade
Then I am left on my lonesome & I'm not as young as I'd like
My heart is slipping thru my fingers
Though the hope of love still lingers
I just pray that he will find me now, today
and wait a minute, "hold on, slow down,
girl is this me going back to scratch, again
and oh you'll know it in the dead of night
you're back to scratch"
Now he's gone, I guess I'll carry on
There's nothing else that I can do
Suns will rise and set and rains will fall
But when they fall on me, they won't on you
I can't hold on to this love
I'm going back to scratch, again
and here I'm laying in this lonely night
I'm back to scratch, again, again, again, again
And I can't hold on to this love,
I'm going back to scratch, again
and here I'm laying in this lonely night
I'm back to scratch, right back to scratch
The lyrics of Charlotte Church's song "Back to Scratch" express the singer's feelings of disappointment and disillusionment with a past lover who turned out to be flawed and ultimately could not give her what she needed. The opening lines suggest a feeling of being alone and vulnerable - "Down on my luck once more, out on a limb." She reflects on her past relationship and the misguided belief that her lover was someone she could hold onto forever, even though he was unable to reciprocate her feelings.
As the song progresses, she realizes that she may be repeating the same mistakes again and fears that she may be back to square one - "girl is this me going back to scratch, again." She knows that the hope of finding love still lingers but she is no longer young and the odds are against her. She prays that she will find someone who is worthy of her love before it's too late.
The chorus is a poignant reminder that sometimes love does not always work out the way you hope it will. No matter how hard you try to hold on, sometimes you have to let go and start over "I can't hold on to this love, I'm going back to scratch, again and here I'm laying in this lonely night, I'm back to scratch, again, again, again, again."
Overall, "Back to Scratch" is a powerful expression of heartbreak and the struggle to overcome past relationships and move forward towards a better future.
Line by Line Meaning
Down on my luck once more, out on a limb
Feeling unlucky and vulnerable once again
Over things I thought I knew for sure and you
Realizing that what was thought to be known for sure, including the person in question, is not certain anymore
Yeah you were fundamentally too flawed to give what you received and you believed that I was yours to keep
The person in question had many flaws and only took from the singer without reciprocating the same level of affection, leading to a belief that the singer belonged to them
And I tell myself "hold on, slow down, girl is this me going back to scratch, again
The artist reminds themselves to pause and reflect, wondering if they are repeating past mistakes and starting over from the beginning again
And oh you'll know it in the dead of night you're back to scratch, right back to scratch"
The realization that the cycle of starting over from the beginning is a familiar feeling and tends to strike in the lonely late hours of the night
Here in the heading days, love on a whim
The initial stage of a relationship, where love is taken on a whim and without much consideration
It's only a thing I'm sure, his daunting gaze will fade
Knowing that the initial interest towards the other person will ultimately die down
Then I am left on my lonesome & I'm not as young as I'd like
The fear of being alone and not being as young as desired
My heart is slipping thru my fingers, though the hope of love still lingers
The fear of losing love but still holding onto hope
and wait a minute, "hold on, slow down, girl is this me going back to scratch, again
Pausing once again to reflect on the possibility of repeating past mistakes
Now he's gone, I guess I'll carry on
Accepting that the relationship has ended and moving forward
There's nothing else that I can do
The realization that there is no going back or fixing the situation
Suns will rise and set and rains will fall
Life will go on and time will pass, with or without the person
But when they fall on me, they won't on you
The fact that the other person is no longer there to experience it with the singer
I can't hold on to this love, I'm going back to scratch, again
Admitting that the love was not sustainable and starting over again
and here I'm laying in this lonely night, I'm back to scratch, again, again, again, again
Feeling alone and starting over again, with the cycle seemingly repeating itself
Contributed by Claire E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
TankenkaNeko
I like that she's gone from one end of the music spectrum to the other w/o taking the downward turn most musicians and performers make, most especially ones that are child-prodigies transitioning to adult performers. This is one performer I respect for the effort she's put into her training her whole life. This is such a cute video!
NaranjaPeal
I LOOOOVE this song! Up beat, catchy and something we all can relate to! I love the intimate quality of her voice in this new pop-y stuff...but yes, I too miss her classical sound.
Rick Ck
she’s got everything, classy, voice, beauty and talent.
Marc Hellon
Bloody fantastic. Simple as that. Watched this twice in a row now. Voice is beautiful as ever. Video is fun & suits both the song and Charlotte. Great new sound is exactly what she said it would be - music for her voice. Perfection.
Delson Galasinao
Her music is art.
Laniefairy
Beautiful voice, even if you sang the McDonald's jingle. Never stop singing Charlotte! Never stop shining!<3
Mystic_Twilight
Love this song 💜💜💜💜
chicbitz
What a brill song with superb lyrics and not to mention as gorgeous as ever!!
Carl Bull
love this! really catchy! go on Charlotte !
PeteGoesMoo
I really like this song. Its so easy on the ears and her voice is amazing! And she looks so good too :)