this house is empty now
Elvis Costello with Burt Bacharach Lyrics
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Remember when they were always filled with laughter?
But now they're quite deserted
They seem to just echo voices raised in anger
Maybe you will see my face
Reflected there on the pane
In the window of our poor
Forlorn and broken home
Still this house is empty now
There's nothing I can do
To make you want to stay
So tell me how
Am I supposed to live without you?
These walls were lined with pictures
Remember the glass we charged in celebration?
With all that I can to deaden this sensation
Do you recognize the face
Fixed in that fine silver frame
Were you really so unhappy then?
You never said
So this house is empty now
There's nothing I can do
To make you want to stay
So tell me how
Am I supposed to live without you?
Oh, if I could just become forgetful
When night seems endless
Does the extinguished candle care
About the darkness?
It's funny how my mem'ry
Will bring you so close then make you disappear
Meanwhile all our friends must choose
Who they will favour, who they will lose
Hang the garland high or close the door
And throw away the key
This house is empty now
There's no one living here
You have to care about
This house is empty now
There's nothing I can do
To make you want to stay
So tell me how
Am I supposed to live without you?
This house is empty now
There's no one living here
You have to care about
This house is empty now
There's nothing I can do
To make you want to stay
So tell me how
Am I supposed to live without you?
The lyrics in Elvis Costello and Burt Bacharach's song "This House Is Empty Now" are a poignant and bittersweet reflection on the aftermath of a failed relationship. The song describes a lonely and deserted house, once filled with warmth and happiness, which now only echoes with the sound of angry voices. The singer of the song is struggling to come to terms with the loss of their partner and the emptiness of their life without them.
The lyrics vividly depict the pain of separation and the longing for the return of the person who once made the house a home. The singer wonders if they will see their face reflected on the windowpane, but ultimately knows that there's nothing they can do to make their partner want to stay. The lyrics suggest that filling one's life with distractions and attempting to forget is not enough to dull the pain of losing someone so important.
The lyrics also touch on the impact of a failed relationship on shared social circles. The songwriter illustrates the impact of the broken romance, as friends must choose who they favor, who they will lose, and decide whether to hang the garland high or close the door and throw away the key.
Line by Line Meaning
These rooms play tricks upon you
The emptiness of these rooms can make you believe there are still people living here.
Remember when they were always filled with laughter?
Think back to when these rooms were full of joy and happiness.
But now they're quite deserted
But now they are empty and abandoned.
They seem to just echo voices raised in anger
The emptiness of these rooms only serves to amplify the angry voices and arguments that once happened here.
Maybe you will see my face
Perhaps you will catch a glimpse of my reflection.
Reflected there on the pane
Looking back at you from the window.
In the window of our poor
In the window of our sad and empty.
Forlorn and broken home
And broken home, where little hope remains.
Still this house is empty now
Nevertheless, this house is empty now.
There's nothing I can do
There is nothing I can do to change that.
To make you want to stay
To make you want to return and live here again.
So tell me how
So please, tell me how.
Am I supposed to live without you?
Am I expected to go on living without you?
These walls were lined with pictures
These walls used to be filled with photographs.
Remember the glass we charged in celebration?
Remember the festive occasions when we raised our glasses in celebration?
But now I fill my life up
But now I try to fill the emptiness in my life.
With all that I can to deaden this sensation
With whatever I can find to numb the pain I feel.
Do you recognize the face
Do you remember whose face that was?
Fixed in that fine silver frame
Encased in that beautiful silver picture frame.
Were you really so unhappy then?
Were you truly unhappy during those times?
You never said
You never spoke up about your feelings.
Oh, if I could just become forgetful
If only I could forget.
When night seems endless
During those long nighttime hours.
Does the extinguished candle care
Does a candle that is out care about the darkness?
About the darkness?
About the all-encompassing darkness?
It's funny how my mem'ry
It's curious how memories can work.
Will bring you so close then make you disappear
They can make you feel so near, but then bring you so impossibly far away.
Meanwhile all our friends must choose
And all the people we know and love must pick sides.
Who they will favour, who they will lose
They have to choose who to support and who to abandon.
Hang the garland high or close the door
They must decide to either continue to celebrate or close this chapter of their lives.
And throw away the key
And leave it behind, locking it away forever.
This house is empty now
This house is empty and abandoned.
There's no one living here
No one resides here any longer.
You have to care about
You have to be emotionally invested in.
So tell me how
So please, explain to me how.
Am I supposed to live without you?
Am I expected to go on living without you?
Contributed by Jason E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.