Stay Or Leave
Dave and Friends Lyrics
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Winters warm there you and I
Kissing whiskey by the fire
With the snow outside
And when the summer comes...
The river swims at midnight shiver cold
Touch the bottom, you and I
With muddy toes
Stay or leave
I want you not to go
but you should
It was good as good, goes
Stay or leave
I want you not to go
but you did
Wake up naked drinking coffee
Making plans to change the world
While the world is changing us
It was good good love
You used to laugh under the covers
Maybe not so often now
The way I used to laugh with you
Was loud and hard
Stay or leave
I want you not to go
but you should
It was good as good goes
Stay or leave
I want you not to go
but you did
so what to do
with the rest of the days afternoon
Hey, isn't it strange how we change everything we did
Did I do all that I should?
or that I coulda done
Remember we used to dance
And everyone wanted to be you and me
I want to be too
what day is this?
besides the day you left me
what day is this?
besides the day you went
So what to do with the rest of the days afternoon
Hey, isn't it strange how we change everything we did
Did I do all that I could?
Remember we used to dance
And everyone wanted to be you and me
I want to be too
what day is this?
besides the day you left me
what day is this?
The lyrics to Dave and Friends' "Stay or Leave" tell a bittersweet story of a relationship that has ended, but the nostalgia and love still linger. The opening lines of "May be different but remember, winters warm there you and I" evoke a sense of a shared experience, of memories that bring warmth even in the present. The imagery of "Kissing whiskey by the fire, with the snow outside" is a snapshot of a moment in time that, even though it may have been fleeting, is still powerful enough to linger in the mind.
The chorus, "Stay or leave, I want you not to go, but you should, it was good as good goes," suggests a reluctance to let go of the relationship, knowing that it has run its course. The lines "Wake up naked drinking coffee, making plans to change the world, while the world is changing us" convey a sense of optimism and hope for the future, but also the realization that change can be unpredictable, and even painful.
The final lines of the song, "Remember we used to dance, and everyone wanted to be you and me, I want to be too, what day is this? Besides the day you left me, what day is this?" carry a sense of longing and sadness, of wishing to return to a time when things were simpler and happier, but also an acknowledgment that time moves forward, and the present must be faced.
Overall, "Stay or Leave" is a poignant and heartfelt exploration of the complexities of love and loss, and the beautifully imperfect nature of human relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
May be different but remember
Although things may have changed, don't forget the way things used to be
Winters warm there you and I
We shared a comfortable and cozy winter together
Kissing whiskey by the fire
We enjoyed each other's company while drinking whiskey and warming up by the fire
With the snow outside
The weather outside was cold and snowy
And when the summer comes...
Looking forward to the summertime
The river swims at midnight shiver cold
We went swimming in a cold river one night
Touch the bottom, you and I
We both touched the river bottom together
With muddy toes
Our toes became muddy from the river
Stay or leave
Should we stay together or should we break up?
I want you not to go
I don't want you to leave
but you should
But you probably should leave
It was good as good, goes
Our relationship was good, but it couldn't last forever
Wake up naked drinking coffee
We used to wake up together and enjoy coffee naked
Making plans to change the world
We had big dreams for the future
While the world is changing us
But reality has a way of changing our plans and changing us as people
It was good good love
Our love was really great
You used to laugh under the covers
We used to share lots of happy moments in bed
Maybe not so often now
Nowadays, those happy moments are less frequent
The way I used to laugh with you
I miss the happiness we once shared
Was loud and hard
Our laughter was really loud and joyful
so what to do
What should we do now?
with the rest of the days afternoon
What should we do for the rest of the day?
Hey, isn't it strange how we change everything we did
It's strange how things have changed between us over time
Did I do all that I should?
I wonder if I did everything I could to make our relationship work
or that I coulda done
Or if there was something else I could have done
Remember we used to dance
We used to dance together and have fun
And everyone wanted to be you and me
Our relationship was envied by others
I want to be too
I want our relationship to go back to being envied by others
what day is this?
What day of the week is it today?
besides the day you left me
Other than the day you left me, what else can I focus on?
what day is this?
What day of the week is it today?
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DAVID JOHN MATTHEWS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Arquitectura
increible como este tipo puede componer letra y musica de una cancion asi, y que a la mayoria de las personas les llegue tanto al corazon. love DMB.
warcath
This is an eerily awesome song. There is a great deal of loneliness and sentimentality drawn into it. Each time I listen to it I drown in introspection shivering and shaking...
Michael DeMeritt
well said my friend. this has always been a particularly poignant song for me. right up there with the live in central park version of "what you are". so cathartic.
Johnjayhawk83
I was in the front row! Best night ever!
im4evergrateful
This was a life changing event for me. My ex wife had been asking for a divorce that I really didn’t think I wanted? After this weekend I went home and filed the paperwork, got clean a few months later and and a few years later met the woman that has made my happier than I’ve ever been before.
Kristina Wetherbee
Awesome
alexn159
I saw this song when dave played it for the first time, it was in norfolk with tim reynolds 3/26/03
Dan Evans
beautifully sad is a great way to describe this song
LivesoninHeadPhones
sounds like davedump hides his w sarcasm. More power to you, warcath. That was something I loved about his solo stuff. Very dark, compared to most of DMB's more obtimistic LIOG, Everyday, Pig, etc. We are all depressed and overjoyed, sometimes in the same moment.
Miss Pianist
Ray Paczkowski is the keyboardists name