Carrie
Cliff Richard Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Sorry to disturb you
But I was in the neighbourhood
About a friend I've her picture
Could you take a look?
Oh, I appreciate you're busy
And time is not your own
Yeah, maybe it would be better
If I telephoned

[chorus]:
Carrie doesn't live here anymore
Carrie used to room on the second floor
Sorry that she left no forwarding address
That was known to me
Carrie doesn't live here anymore
You could always ask at the corner store
Carrie had a date with her own kind of fate
It's plain to see

Another missing person
One of many we assume
The young wear their freedom
Like cheap perfume
(It's useless information)
Returning my call
(To help the situation)
They've nothing at all
You're just another message
On a payphone wall





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Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Cliff Richard's song "Carrie" portray the themes of loss and nostalgia. The singer, who is in search of his friend Carrie, visits the place they know she lived in, only to discover that she has left and nobody knows where she is. The lyrics also reflect the alienation and detachment present in modern society, as the singer has to rely on a payphone to leave a message, rather than being able to reach out to someone directly.


The sense of yearning in the singer's search for his lost friend is evident in the chorus, where he repeats the phrase "Carrie doesn't live here anymore." The song creates a melancholic and haunting mood with the repetition of this line. The use of the word "fate" suggests that Carrie's disappearance was not voluntary, and that the singer may never know what happened to her.


Line by Line Meaning

Sorry to disturb you
Apologizing for interrupting


But I was in the neighbourhood
Explaining how he happened to end up where he is


About a friend I've her picture
Mentioning a friend who he has a picture of


Could you take a look?
Asking if the listener could examine the picture


Oh, I appreciate you're busy
Acknowledging that the listener may be occupied


And time is not your own
Suggesting that the listener has many obligations


Yeah, maybe it would be better
Considering the possibility of an alternative


If I telephoned
Proposing the idea of making a phone call instead


Carrie doesn't live here anymore
Reporting that someone named Carrie no longer resides there


Carrie used to room on the second floor
Indicating where Carrie's previous living quarters were


Sorry that she left no forwarding address
Expressing regret that Carrie didn't provide a new address


That was known to me
Notifying that the artist does not have any knowledge of a new address


Carrie doesn't live here anymore
Repeating that Carrie is no longer a resident of that location


You could always ask at the corner store
Providing a possible location where information about Carrie could be found


Carrie had a date with her own kind of fate
Speculating that Carrie met her destiny in a unique way


It's plain to see
Asserting that the situation is obvious


Another missing person
Acknowledging that Carrie is among the many missing individuals


One of many we assume
Postulating that there are likely other people who are also unaccounted for


The young wear their freedom like cheap perfume
Observing that young people seem to have an abundance of liberty which they don't fully value


(It's useless information)
Dismissing the significance of something he heard or read somewhere else


Returning my call
Referring to a previous message he left with someone


(To help the situation)
Clarifying his motive in making the call


They've nothing at all
Reporting that he didn't receive any helpful information


You're just another message on a payphone wall
Feeling insignificant, realizing that he's one of many who have left messages seeking information




Lyrics Β© BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Tunecore
Written by: Joey Tempest, Gunnar Michaeli

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@welshlad6427

Cliffs best period in my opinion. Carrie, Devil Woman, Wired for Sound, We don’t talk anymore πŸ‘

@TheScobbi

Totally agree with the songs youve listed

@bramleybull

Check out Throw Down A Line (credited as Cliff & Hank) from 1969. That one is superb and different to the other stuff he was doing around that period.

@victorcifuentes2411

Yes ...sublime

@briane5706

Down to Bruce Welch producing and hiring top songwriters.

@geegee8625

Dammm I cant even argue with you as ur sooo arrrrrrrrrrrr right

26 More Replies...

@rongates1234

Possibly the most underrated entertainer of ANY generation

@winehousedrunk

Released end December 1979, this captures the late 70's perfectly, and looks forward to the 80's as well. A perfect pop song, perfectly performed and produced.

@fmensah8581

The best song IMO of his late 70s/early '80s re-invention phase - i agree it captures that atmopshere of the 70s-turning-into-80s culture

@Themedusatouch89

Can we show some respect in 2023
What a tune !

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