City Lights
Dottie West Lyrics


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A bright array of city lights as far as I can see
The great white way shines through the night for lonely girls like me
The cabarets and honky tonks their flashing signs invite
A broken heart to lose itself in the glow of city lights
Lights that say forget his name in a glass of cherry wine
Lights that offer other guys with empty hearts like mine
They paint a pretty picture of a world so gay and bright
But I can't say I love you dear to a street of city lights

Lights that say forget his love in a different atmosphere
Lights that lure are nothing but a masquerade for tears





Yes they paint a pretty picture but my arms can't hold them tight
And I just can't say I love you to a street of city lights

Overall Meaning

The song "City Lights," written by Bill Anderson, is a poignant ballad about loneliness and heartache in the city. Dottie West's interpretation of the song is emotionally raw and vulnerable, highlighting the feelings of isolation and desperation that can come from being surrounded by a bustling and indifferent metropolis. The opening lines describe the impressive and alluring array of lights that can be seen from the song's narrator's vantage point, but the more the lyrics unfold, the more we see that these lights are not a source of comfort, but rather a painful reminder of everything that the singer has lost.


The flashing signs of cabarets and honky tonks might draw in those with broken hearts, promising temporary forgetfulness and a chance to drown their sorrows, but they do little to quell the singer's sense of despair. The city's lights offer a world that appears to be gay and bright, but beneath the surface lies only the temporary illusion of happiness. The singer is unable to find any solace in this world of city lights. In the final verse, she declares that she is unable to express her love to a "street of city lights," emphasizing the sense of disconnection and futility that she feels.


Overall, "City Lights" is a haunting and melancholy song that captures the bittersweet reality of life in the urban landscape. It speaks to the ways in which the city can be both alluring and isolating, highlighting the emotional complexity of the human experience.


Line by Line Meaning

A bright array of city lights as far as I can see
There are many bright lights in the city that I can see from where I am.


The great white way shines through the night for lonely girls like me
The bright lights of the city are a source of comfort for me as a lonely woman.


The cabarets and honky tonks their flashing signs invite
The bars and clubs in the city have flashing signs that invite people in.


A broken heart to lose itself in the glow of city lights
People with broken hearts may seek solace in the bright lights of the city.


Lights that say forget his name in a glass of cherry wine
The lights suggest that forgetting about someone can be achieved by drowning their memory in alcohol.


Lights that offer other guys with empty hearts like mine
The lights present the illusion that there are other men with empty hearts like mine available to me.


They paint a pretty picture of a world so gay and bright
The lights create an attractive image of a happy and bright world.


But I can't say I love you dear to a street of city lights
Despite the beauty of the lights, I cannot express my love to an inanimate street.


Lights that say forget his love in a different atmosphere
The lights imply that a change of environment can aid in forgetting about someone's love.


Lights that lure are nothing but a masquerade for tears
The lights that attract people are actually hiding the sadness and tears they may experience.


Yes they paint a pretty picture but my arms can't hold them tight
The lights may seem attractive, but they cannot provide the warmth and love that I desire.


And I just can't say I love you to a street of city lights
There is no point expressing my love to a street with no ability to reciprocate.




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bill Anderson

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Oliver Hviid

My favorite Dottie West song; one of the absolute best country singers of all time!

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