I Surrender Dear
Don Cornell Lyrics
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Sworn enemy of love
Kept my lips from saying
Things I was thinking of.
But now my pride you've humbled,
I've cast it to the winds,
Broken, beaten, sick at heart
My confession begins.
We've played the game of stay away
But it cost more that I can pay.
Without you I can't make my way,
I surrender, dear.
I may seem proud, I may act gay,
It's just a pose, I'm not that way,
'Cause deep down in my heart I say
I surrender, dear.
Little mean things we were doing
Must have been part of the game,
Lending a spice to the wooing,
But I don't care who's to blame.
When stars appear and shadows fall,
Why then you'll hear My poor heart call,
To you my love, my life, my all
I surrender, dear.
We've played the game of stay away
But it cost more that I can pay.
Without you I can't make my way,
I surrender, dear.
I may seem proud, I may act gay,
It's just a pose, I'm not that way,
'Cause deep down in my heart I say
I surrender, dear.
Little mean things we were doing
Must have been part of the game,
Lending a spice to the wooing,
But I don't care who's to blame.
When stars appear And shadows fall,
Why then you'll hear My poor heart call,
To you my love, my life, my all
The song “I Surrender Dear” by Don Cornell is a romantic ballad about a man who has been too proud to confess his feelings for someone he loves. The lyrics describe the man’s struggle with pride, and how it has kept him from expressing his true intentions. He has played the “game of stay away” but now realizes that he cannot make it without this person in his life. He admits that he has been a “splendid liar” and a “sworn enemy of love”, but now his pride has been humbled and he is ready to confess his love.
The song has a melancholic tone with the use of words such as “broken”, “beaten” and “sick at heart”. The repeated phrase “I surrender, dear” signifies the songwriter’s willingness to let go of his pride and surrender to his feelings for the other person. The lyrics also suggest that there were “little mean things” that were done in the past while courting this person, but regardless of who is to blame, the songwriter is ready to surrender their heart to this person.
Overall, “I Surrender Dear” is a heartfelt love ballad that captures the experience of a person who has been too proud to confess their love but has finally come to terms with their feelings.
Line by Line Meaning
Pride, sad, splendid liar,
I have been lying to myself by pretending to be proud and happy, while deep down I am sad and vulnerable.
Sworn enemy of love
My pride has made me reject love and see it as my enemy.
Kept my lips from saying
I have been holding back my true feelings, not daring to express what I was really thinking.
Things I was thinking of.
There were things I wanted to say, but I didn't know how or was too afraid.
But now my pride you've humbled,
Finally, my pride has been brought low, and I am forced to confront my true feelings.
I've cast it to the winds,
With my pride gone, I am free to be honest and open.
Broken, beaten, sick at heart
I feel shattered, defeated and emotionally exhausted.
My confession begins.
I am ready to confess my love and express my true feelings.
We've played the game of stay away
We have been trying to stay apart from each other, as if it were a game.
But it cost more that I can pay.
But the price of staying away from you is too high for me to bear.
Without you I can't make my way,
I cannot imagine going on without you in my life.
I surrender, dear.
I give up, I am ready to let my guard down and love you with all my heart.
I may seem proud, I may act gay,
I may try to come across as confident and carefree, but that is just a façade.
It's just a pose, I'm not that way,
I am not really as proud and happy as I make myself out to be.
'Cause deep down in my heart I say
In my heart of hearts, I know the truth.
Little mean things we were doing
Perhaps we were being petty or spiteful towards each other.
Must have been part of the game,
Maybe we thought it was all part of the courtship, or we were trying to get the upper hand.
Lending a spice to the wooing,
Adding a bit of excitement to the whole process of courting each other.
But I don't care who's to blame.
But in the end, I don't care whose fault it was, I just want to move forward.
When stars appear and shadows fall,
During those quiet moments of the night.
Why then you'll hear My poor heart call,
You will hear my heart crying out for you.
To you my love, my life, my all
Because you are everything to me, my love, my life, my everything.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, Integrity Music
Written by: GORDON CLIFFORD, HARRY BARRIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind