Buddy
Clare Bowditch and The Feeding Set Lyrics


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From my kitchen window, I spy Buddy.
Where did his mother go?
I wonder over tea and toast and honey,
It is 3am, he is in his PJ's talking to his cats again.
Oh Buddy.

They say that Buddy's lived in that house since '43.
Now that his mother's gone, Buddy never married.
Neither he or me can sleep
We've both got worries but Buddy has got no one.
Oh Buddy.

I knew the moment I saw you that I would write this story for you.
I knew the moment I saw you.

Watching him wash his hands repeatedly.
Where did your mother go?
I know you must miss her Buddy.
Saw him on the street just once - Sunday suit,
And his hair wet down to his face.
He smiled at no one i could see.

There's a Buddy on every block.
There's a Buddy behind some big brick wall
Keeping company with newspapers,
Passing time to the sound of their own voice.





I knew the moment I saw you.

Overall Meaning

The song "Buddy" by Clare Bowditch and The Feeding Set is a touching tribute to loneliness and the struggles of finding someone to connect with. The lyrics describe the singer's observations of an elderly man named Buddy who lives in her neighborhood. From her kitchen window, she spies on him as he goes about his daily routines, wondering about his life and the secrets he keeps hidden. She imagines the things he must be going through, such as missing his mother and having no one to talk to, while she too struggles with her own worries.


Line by Line Meaning

From my kitchen window, I spy Buddy.
I see Buddy from my kitchen window.


Where did his mother go?
I wonder where Buddy's mother went.


I wonder over tea and toast and honey,
I think about it over my breakfast of tea, toast, and honey.


It is 3am, he is in his PJ's talking to his cats again.
It's 3a.m. and Buddy is wearing his pajamas while talking to his cats.


Oh Buddy.
I feel a sense of sympathy for Buddy.


They say that Buddy's lived in that house since '43.
It's said that Buddy has lived in that house since 1943.


Now that his mother's gone, Buddy never married.
Buddy never married after his mother passed away.


Neither he or me can sleep
Neither Buddy nor I can sleep.


We've both got worries but Buddy has got no one.
Buddy has no one to share his worries with.


Oh Buddy.
I feel sympathy for Buddy.


I knew the moment I saw you that I would write this story for you.
I knew that I would write a story about Buddy when I first saw him.


Watching him wash his hands repeatedly.
I watch Buddy wash his hands over and over again.


Where did your mother go?
I wonder where Buddy's mother went.


I know you must miss her Buddy.
I know Buddy must miss his mother.


Saw him on the street just once - Sunday suit, And his hair wet down to his face. He smiled at no one i could see.
I saw Buddy once on the street in his Sunday suit, his hair wet, and he didn't smile at anyone.


There's a Buddy on every block.
There are people like Buddy on every block.


There's a Buddy behind some big brick wall
There are people like Buddy who are isolated and hidden away.


Keeping company with newspapers, Passing time to the sound of their own voice.
They keep company with newspapers and pass their time talking to themselves.


I knew the moment I saw you.
I knew that I would write a story about Buddy when I first saw him.




Contributed by Isabella N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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