Stay Or Leave
David J. Matthews 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?
David J. Matthews's song "Stay or Leave" is a poignant message that speaks about a love that has come to an end. The song appears to be about the end of a long-term relationship that had its ups and downs. The lyrics mention the winter and summer seasons, where the couple enjoyed different moments together. The line "Winters warm there you and I" suggests that the winter season was special for the couple, which they spent drinking whiskey by the fire with the snow outside. The song also talks about summer, where the couple enjoyed a swim in the river at midnight touching the bottom with muddy toes. The song beautifully merges the past and present, highlighting the memories of love and moments shared and then looking towards the future of what to do next as a person and as a couple.
The chorus, "Stay or leave, I want you not to go, but you should, it was good as good goes," is slightly conflicting. It denotes that the singer does not want the love of their life to leave, but at the same time, they insist that the person should go as it was the "good as good goes." The second verse points out that they used to wake up naked drinking coffee, planning on changing the world, but the world changed them. The end of the song expresses remorse and regret as they wonder what they should have done or could have done differently. The lyrics of the song capture the essence of love, the memories built over time, and the pain of letting go of what was once so beautiful.
Line by Line Meaning
Maybe different but remember
Though things may have changed, let's not forget the past.
Winters warm there you and I
We used to have warm winters together.
Kissing whiskey by the fire
We enjoyed private moments of intimacy while sipping whiskey by the fire.
With the snow outside
It was cold outside but the fire and each other's company made us feel warm.
And when the summer comes
During the summer, we would swim together at midnight in the river.
In the river
We swam in the river at midnight.
Swims at midnight
We would go for a swim in the river at midnight.
Shiver cold
The water was very cold.
Touch the bottom
We would touch the bottom of the river while swimming together.
You and I
We would do all these things together.
With muddy toes
Our toes would get muddy while walking around in the river.
Stay or leave
I want you to stay with me, but I also understand if you want to leave.
I want you not to go
I don't want you to leave.
But you should
But I understand if you need to go.
It was good as good goes
We had a good time together, but now it's over.
Wake up naked drinking coffee
We used to wake up in the mornings, drink coffee, and plan to change the world together.
Making plans to change the world
We would make plans and dream of making a positive impact on the world.
While the world is changing us
However, the world was changing us too, and our relationship was a part of that change.
Did I do all that I should
I question whether I did everything I could have done to make things work between us.
Remember we used to dance
We used to dance together and everyone wanted to be like us.
And everyone wanted to be
Others envied our relationship.
What day is this
I am so lost without you, I don't even know what day it is anymore.
Besides the day you left me
Every day without you is essentially the same day, the day you left me.
What day is this besides the day you went
Every day feels the same without you, and I can't stop thinking about you.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DAVID JOHN MATTHEWS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind