May 2010 saw the release of her new album, Lifted of the Ground.
What if I can't Say No Again
Chely Wright Lyrics
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Or dying young or never finding someone
And I'm not scared of the great unknown
Or being alone when it's all said and done
I'm braver than I used to be
But there's still some things in life that terrify me
What about a phone call in the middle of the night
You still want me desperately
What about a knock on the door at 3 AM
Don't have to hear your voice
To know you've been drinking
What if my hand opens the door and lets you in
Oh no what if I can't say no again
I drive right by that old restaurant
The one we used to haunt
Without turning my head
And I don't think twice about killing the lights
Yeah I sleep through the nights
Without you in my bed
And knowing I don't need you here
Should leave me nothing to fear
What about a phone call in the middle of the night
You whispering so she can't overhear you telling me
You still want me desperately
What about a knock on the door at 3 AM
Don't have to hear your voice
To know you've been drinking
What if my hand opens the door and lets you in
Oh no what if I can't say no again
What about a phone call in the middle of the night
You whispering so she can't overhear you telling me
You still want me desperately
What about a knock on the door at 3 AM
Don't have to hear your voice
To know you've been drinking
What if my hand opens the door and lets you in
Oh no what if I can't say no again
Oh no what if I can't say no again
In this song by Chely Wright, she focuses on the fear of giving in to an old lover's advances despite moving on. She admits to not being afraid of growing old or dying young, but there are still things in life that terrify her. The fear of the past lover returning late at night haunts her, and she wonders if she will be able to resist their appeal. Imagining a phone call in the middle of the night or a knock on her door at 3 am, she wonders if she has the strength to refuse the seduction that awaits.
She admits to being braver than she used to be, but the memories are still fresh in her mind. She even avoids driving by their old hangout spot or killing the lights at night at home. She manages to sleep soundly without him next to her, and she no longer needs him. However, the fear of what could happen if she gives in still plagues her mind, and she wonders if she can resist one more time.
The song is about the fear of succumbing to temptation and falling back into familiar, albeit toxic, relationships. The lyrics showcase the internal struggle of overcoming old habits and moving forward but being tempted to revert to the familiar due to emotional attachment.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm not afraid of growing old
I am not scared of aging
Or dying young or never finding someone
I do not fear death or being single
And I'm not scared of the great unknown
I am not afraid of the uncertain future
Or being alone when it's all said and done
I am not afraid of ending up alone
I'm braver than I used to be
I have become stronger and more courageous
But there's still some things in life that terrify me
However, there are still some things that frighten me
What about a phone call in the middle of the night
What if you call me in the middle of the night?
You whispering so she can't overhear you telling me
You try to hide your voice from someone else while talking to me on the phone
You still want me desperately
You still have strong feelings for me
What about a knock on the door at 3 AM
What if you come knocking on my door at 3 AM?
Don't have to hear your voice
I don't need to hear your voice
To know you've been drinking
To realize that you have been drinking
What if my hand opens the door and lets you in
What if I let you into my house?
Oh no what if I can't say no again
Oh no, what if I give in to you again?
I drive right by that old restaurant
I pass by the restaurant we used to go to
The one we used to haunt
The one we frequented
Without turning my head
Without looking back at it
And I don't think twice about killing the lights
I do not hesitate to turn off the lights
Yeah I sleep through the nights
I sleep through the night peacefully
Without you in my bed
Without you sleeping next to me
And knowing I don't need you here
And realizing I don't need you with me
Should leave me nothing to fear
Should leave me with no fear
Oh no what if I can't say no again
Oh no, what if I give in to you again?
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DAVID RAY FRASIER, EDWARD MONROE HILL, JOSH KEAR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind