Wasted Time
Eagles Lyrics


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Well baby, there you stand
With your little head, down in your hand
Oh, my God, you can't believe it's happening again
Your baby's gone, and you're all alone
And it looks like the end

And you're back out on the street
And you're tryin' to remember
How do you start it over
You don't know if you can
You don't care much for a stranger's touch
But you can't hold your man

You never thought you'd be alone
This far down the line
And I know what's been on your mind
You're afraid it's all been wasted time

The autumn leaves have got you thinking
About the first time that you fell
You didn't love the boy too much, no, no
You just loved the boy to well, farewell

So you live day to day
And you dream about tomorrow, oh
And the hours go by like minutes
And the shadows come to stay
So you take a little something
To make them go away
I could have done so many things, baby
If I could only stop my mind
From wonderin' what I left behind
And from worrying 'bout this wasted time

Ooh, another love has come and gone
Ooh, and the years keep rushing on
I remember what you told me before you went out on your own
Sometimes to keep it together, we got to leave it alone

So you can get on with your search, baby
And I can get on with mine
And maybe someday we will find
That it wasn't really wasted time
Mmm, hmm mm




Oh, ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh, mmm mmm

Overall Meaning

The Eagles' song "Wasted Time" describes the feeling of heartbreak and loss. The lyrics tell the story of a woman who has lost her lover and is struggling to move on. The opening lines set the tone for the song as the singer describes the woman standing with her head down in her hands, overcome by sadness. The repetition of "it's happening again" suggests that this is not the first time the woman has experienced this pain.


The chorus of the song reveals the woman's fear that all the time she spent with her lover has been wasted. She never thought that she would be alone at this point in her life and is struggling to come to terms with her situation. The final verse describes the passing of time and how the woman has turned to drugs to numb her pain. The lines "And the hours go by like minutes, And the shadows come to stay" highlight her despair and the feeling that she is stuck in an endless cycle.


The song's final lines suggest a glimmer of hope as the singer acknowledges that, perhaps someday, they will find that the time they spent together was not wasted after all. The song ends on an optimistic note, suggesting that the pain of heartbreak does not have to be the end.


Line by Line Meaning

Well baby, there you stand
The singer acknowledges the person's presence


With your little head, down in your hand
The person is in despair and is feeling downcast


Oh, my God, you can't believe it's happening again
The person is experiencing the same tragedy as before, making them hopeless


Your baby's gone, and you're all alone
The person's loved one is no longer with them, leaving them lonely


And it looks like the end
The situation seems hopeless as if the end has come


And you're back out on the street
The person is out in the open, in the world


And you're tryin' to remember
They are reminiscing about the past


How do you start it over
They are trying to figure out how to restart life


You don't know if you can
The person is uncertain whether they can move on


You don't care much for a stranger's touch
They don't like unwanted attention


But you can't hold your man
They are missing their loved one who is no longer with them


You never thought you'd be alone
They never anticipated being in this situation


This far down the line
They've been through a lot


And I know what's been on your mind
The singer understands what the person has been thinking


You're afraid it's all been wasted time
The person is scared that everything has been done without purpose


The autumn leaves have got you thinking
The changing season has made the person contemplative


About the first time that you fell
They are thinking about the initial time they experienced love


You didn't love the boy too much, no, no
The love was intense


You just loved the boy to well, farewell
They loved the boy so much that they have to say goodbye


So you live day to day
The person is just living life


And you dream about tomorrow, oh
They spend time wishing for a better future


And the hours go by like minutes
Time is moving too fast


And the shadows come to stay
The darkness is here to stay


So you take a little something
The person uses drugs to feel better


To make them go away
They are trying to escape their problems


I could have done so many things, baby
The singer regrets some choices made


If I could only stop my mind
Desiring to escape the negative thoughts


From wonderin' what I left behind
The singer is thinking about the past


And from worrying 'bout this wasted time
Worrying about whether their life has been spent meaningfully


Ooh, another love has come and gone
Another relationship has ended


Ooh, and the years keep rushing on
Time goes by too quickly


I remember what you told me before you went out on your own
They recall the advice they received in the past


Sometimes to keep it together, we got to leave it alone
One needs to let go to keep things together


So you can get on with your search, baby
They can start looking for what they seek


And I can get on with mine
The singer can also move on


And maybe someday we will find
Perhaps they will find what they are searching for


That it wasn't really wasted time
They will realize that their life was not a waste


Mmm, hmm mm


Oh, ooh, ooh


Ooh, ooh, mmm mmm




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Glenn Lewis Frey, Donald Hugh Henley

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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