On The Shelf
Donny & Marie Osmond Lyrics


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You took my love and you threw it away
Gave you my heart and you took it that day
Took took took took it away
Took took took took it away
And I want it back
Went for a drive just the other day
I left my car and they towed it away
Took took took towed it away
Took took took towed it away
And I want it back
I'm like a dog without a bone
I'm like a house that's not a home
I'm like a watch that nobody wants to wind
(I've got all the time now)
I'm like a lock without a key
Nobody wants to lean on me
I'm so lonely, lonely without you
Back on the shelf am I baby
Went to a party 'cause you said you would go
I sat around but you didn't show
No no no you didn't show
No no no you didn't show, no no
I ring your house I don't get no reply
Well I don't know I think you're telling me lies
Ti ti ti telling me lies




Ti ti ti telling me lies oh oh
(repeat chorus)

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Donny and Marie Osmond's song "On The Shelf" are about heartbreak and feeling abandoned by someone you love. The song opens with the singer lamenting how their love was taken for granted and thrown away, leaving them feeling rejected and alone. This is symbolized by the repetition of the word "took" throughout the song, emphasizing how the singer feels like everything they cherished was taken away from them.


The second stanza talks about how the singer is going through life aimlessly, feeling restless and despondent. They compare themselves to a "dog without a bone" and a "house that's not a home," both of which are metaphors for feeling incomplete and unfulfilled. The final lines of the stanza use the metaphor of a watch that nobody wants to wind to convey how the singer feels like they have all the time in the world, but no purpose or direction.


The final stanza reveals that the singer has been stood up by someone they were supposed to meet at a party. They feel like the person they loved has been lying to them and avoiding them, leading them to despair. The chorus of the song then repeats the opening lines about how the singer feels like they are "back on the shelf" and stuck in a state of emotional isolation.


Overall, "On The Shelf" is a poignant song about heartbreak and the feeling of being discarded by someone you love. The use of metaphors and repetition throughout the song emphasize the singer's sense of loss and despair.


Line by Line Meaning

You took my love and you threw it away
You disregarded the love that I gave to you


Gave you my heart and you took it that day
I entrusted you with my heart, and you betrayed that trust instantly


Took took took took it away
You snatched my heart without a second thought


And I want it back
I yearn to have my heart returned to me


Went for a drive just the other day
I recently took a drive


I left my car and they towed it away
My car was towed away, and I was left without it


Took took took towed it away
My car was taken suddenly and forcibly


Took took took towed it away
My car was taken swiftly and without warning


And I want it back
I desire to have my car returned to me


I'm like a dog without a bone
I feel incomplete and unhappy, like a dog without a bone to chew on


I'm like a house that's not a home
I feel empty and lonely, like a house without anyone living in it


I'm like a watch that nobody wants to wind
I feel unvalued and unimportant, like a watch that nobody cares enough to wind


(I've got all the time now)
(I have an excess of time, but nobody to spend it with)


I'm like a lock without a key
I feel unneeded and useless, like a lock without a key to unlock it


Nobody wants to lean on me
Nobody wants to depend on me or seek my help


I'm so lonely, lonely without you
I am incredibly lonely and isolated without you in my life


Back on the shelf am I baby
I feel like an object that has been discarded or relegated to a storage shelf


Went to a party 'cause you said you would go
I attended a social gathering because you promised me you would be there


I sat around but you didn't show
I waited for you at the party, but you failed to appear


No no no you didn't show
You stood me up, and I am upset as a result


No no no you didn't show, no no
I am disappointed and frustrated that you did not keep your promise


I ring your house I don't get no reply
I attempted to contact you by telephone, but you did not answer


Well I don't know I think you're telling me lies
I am suspicious that you are being dishonest with me


Ti ti ti telling me lies
You are deliberately deceiving me


Ti ti ti telling me lies oh oh
Your lies are causing me distress and heartache


(repeat chorus)
(repeat the previous chorus lyrics)




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: VOICE, YELLOWSTONE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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