Twenty-Four Hours From Tulsa
Dusty Springfield Lyrics


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Dearest, darlin'
I had to write to say that I won't be home anymore
For something happened to me
As I was driving home
And I'm not the same anymore

Oh, I was only twenty-four hours from Tulsa
Oh, only one day away from your arms
I saw the welcoming light
And stopped to rest for the night

And that is when I saw him
As I pulled in outside of a small hotel
He was there
And so I walked up to him
Asked where I could get something to eat
And he showed me where

Oh, I was only twenty-four hours from Tulsa
Oh, only one day away from your arms
He took me to the cafe
And he asked me if I would stay
I said "Okay"

Oh, I was only twenty-four hours from Tulsa
Oh, only one day away from your arms
The jukebox started to play
And nighttime turned into day
As we were dancing closely
All of a sudden I lost control as he held me tight
And then he kissed me, caressed me
Told me he would die before he would let me out of his arms

Oh, I was only twenty-four hours from Tulsa




Oh, only one day away from your arms
I hate to do this to you
But I've found somebody new
What can I do?
And I could never, never, never go home again

Overall Meaning

The song Twenty-Four Hours From Tulsa is about a man who is driving home to be reunited with his lover, but on the way, he stops at a hotel and falls for another woman. The man explained through a letter in the song that he won't be home anymore because he is not the same anymore, and something happened to him as he was driving home. He was only twenty-four hours from Tulsa, one day away from his lover's arms, but he met another lady on his way. The man sees the welcoming light and decides to rest for the night at a small hotel where he meets a woman. She shows him where to get something to eat, and he follows her to the café. Then, they start dancing closely, and he loses control as she held him tight.


The music video was made in 1964 and features Dusty Springfield walking down a street in the middle of a group of musicians playing and stopping to sing into the camera. The song is written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David and produced by Ivor Raymonde.


Line by Line Meaning

Dearest, darlin'
Addressing her beloved with love and affection


I had to write to say that I won't be home anymore
Informing her beloved that she can no longer to return to him


For something happened to me
Implying that something significant and unexpected happened to her


As I was driving home
While she was journeying back to him


And I'm not the same anymore
Expressing that she has changed in some way


Oh, I was only twenty-four hours from Tulsa
She was so close to returning home


Oh, only one day away from your arms
She was only a day away from being reunited with her beloved


I saw the welcoming light
She saw lights that were welcoming


And stopped to rest for the night
She found a place to stay for the night


And that is when I saw him
Referring to the individual responsible for her change and holding her back


As I pulled in outside of a small hotel
She was parked outside of a hotel when it happened


He was there
Indicates the presence of the person who held her back


And so I walked up to him
She approached the person


Asked where I could get something to eat
She inquired as to where she could find something to eat


And he showed me where
The person gave her direction to the place where she could eat


He took me to the cafe
He escorted her to the cafeteria


And he asked me if I would stay
He asked if she might extend her stay


I said "okay"
She complies with his question


The jukebox started to play
The jukebox began to play music


And nighttime turned into day
The night quickly passed as they remained together


As we were dancing closely
She and the person danced intimately


All of a sudden I lost control as he held me tight
She lost herself in the moment as the person held her tightly


And then he kissed me, caressed me
The person engaged in physical intimacy


Told me he would die before he would let me out of his arms
The person expressed an extreme desire to hold on to her


I hate to do this to you
She is sad to inform her beloved what transpired


But I've found somebody new
She has found a new person she is with


What can I do?
She is questioning what she can do in this situation


And I could never, never, never go home again
Her actions have changed things and prevented her from returning home




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: HAL DAVID, BURT BACHARACH

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Anonymous


on You Don't Have To Say You Love Me

You Don't Have To Say You Love Me - Lisa Dillan - Lyrics

When I said, I needed you
You said you would always stay
It wasn't me who changed, but you
And now you've gone away

Don't you see that now you're gone
And I'm left here on my own
Then I have to follow you
And beg you to come home

You don't have to say you love me
Just be close at hand
You don't have to stay forever
I will understand
Believe me,
I can't help but love you
But believe me, I'll never tie you down

Left alone with just a memory
Life seems dead and so unreal
All that's left is loneliness
There's nothing left to feel

You don't have to say you love me
Just be close at hand
You don't have to stay forever
I will understand
Believe me, believe me
You don't have to say you love me
Just be close at hand
You don't have to stay forever
I will understand
Believe me, believe me. Believe me…

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