The song concludes the "Yours" section of the album. On III Sides To Every Story the song comes after "God Isn't Dead?" and before "I Rise and Shine"
Don't Leave Me Alone
Extreme Lyrics
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I'll set the mood
There's nothing wrong
Prefer solitude
Alone to think
Of what I don't know
The deeper I sink
The further I'll go
Nothing to fear
No need to hide
I'm already there
Came in from outside
Safe in my nest
Home sweet home
No invited guests
I want to be alone
Leave me alone
Leave me alone
I wish you would
Leave me alone
Leave me alone
I just want to be alone
It's better this way
No one will get hurt
If you stay away
I won't lose my shirt
If I have become
Too defensive
I'm not the one
You have to live with
[Chorus]
I want to be, I want to be
I want to be, alone
Don't feel sorry
It's not your concern
Only the lonely
Are the ones who get burned
Safe in my nest
Home sweet home
No invited guests
I want to be alone
Extreme's "Leave Me Alone" is a song about one's preference for solitude. The lyrics convey a desire to be left alone, to be free of obligations, interruptions, and distractions. The singer sets the mood with the first line of the song, declaring that he is perfectly fine with being on his own. He says that prefer solitude and that he likes to think, but he doesn't know what about. The deeper he sinks into his thoughts, the further he goes away from everyone else. The singer is alright with it, and he feels that there is no need to hide or be afraid of anything. He's already safe in his nest, and he doesn't want any guests over.
In the chorus, the singer explicitly states that he wants to be left alone. There's an understood implication that someone is trying to reach out to him, but he rebuffs the attempt. He thinks it's better that way, so nobody gets hurt, and he won't lose his shirt. The lines before the refrain indicate that the singer could have become too defensive and that the person he's talking to doesn't have to live with him. The final line of the chorus repeats the desire to be alone three more times, emphasizing the message.
The song finishes with a couple of additional verses reiterating the same desire for solitude. The singer reassures the listener that there is no need to feel sorry for him or to be concerned about his wellbeing. Only the lonely get burned, but he's safe in his home. Finally, he repeats the same refrain, "I want to be alone," perhaps indicating that he's not content with his current situation.
Line by Line Meaning
As for this song
Regarding this specific song
I'll set the mood
I'll create the atmosphere
There's nothing wrong
There's nothing bad happening
Prefer solitude
I like being alone
Alone to think
Being by myself to ponder
Of what I don't know
About things I don't understand
The deeper I sink
The further I delve
The further I'll go
The more profound my exploration
Nothing to fear
Nothing alarmingly risky
No need to hide
No need to conceal
I'm already there
I'm already in that state
Came in from outside
Just came back in
Safe in my nest
Contentedly secure in my quarters
Home sweet home
My happy habitat
No invited guests
No guests have been called for
I want to be alone
I desire to be by myself
Leave me alone
Please don't bother me
Leave me alone
I repeat: don't bother me
I wish you would
I really do hope you would comply
Leave me alone
I really mean it, please leave me be
Leave me alone
I'm begging you to let me be
I just want to be alone
I don't want company
It's better this way
It's superior under these circumstances
No one will get hurt
Nobody will be wounded
If you stay away
If you keep your distance
I won't lose my shirt
I won't suffer a severe loss
If I have become
If I happen to be
Too defensive
Overly guarded
I'm not the one
I'm not the problem
You have to live with
You'll have to deal with it yourself
Don't feel sorry
Don't empathize
It's not your concern
It's irrelevant to you
Only the lonely
Solitude is only troubling to those who crave relationships
Are the ones who get burned
Are the ones who suffer
Safe in my nest
Peacefully comfortable in my domestic setting
Home sweet home
The place where I feel pleasantly at ease
No invited guests
No guests have RSVP'd
I want to be alone
I desperately want to be left unaccompanied
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GARY F. CHERONE, MICHAEL ANTHONY MANGINI, NUNO BETTENCOURT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
TheMarlinspike
Having bought this album on tape back in the early 1990s, I thought there was something missing from the new version!
This album is criminally underrated!
dxroadduke
Such a great song. I really wish "Don't Leave Me Alone" could be included on a reissue or a future anniversary re-release of III Sides To Every Story.
Bullish
Whoa, all these years, I own two copies of the CD, and so I had no idea this song existed! What a surprise!
dxroadduke
@Bezi Waisberg No it wasn't on the CD. I believe it's on the cassette tape though.
Bezi Waisberg
that song wasnt released on the original CD right ?
Benjamin Mankowski
I remember when this album came out, this was the song that spoke to me the most. I was at a point where I knew better, but did worse, and I felt like I deserved to have God abandon me, and feared He would. I never considered it part of Side II, and yet not quite III either. It's sort of a realization both sides so far are wrong. The album is so much more complete with just those 5 1/2 minutes included. It makes Side III more of an answer to the question at the end of this song, rather than just a "Stop! You're both wrong," response to the first 2 sides. 25 years later, the song still brings me to tears.
Mark Knight
I still have mine on cassette tape. 🙂
Mark Knight
Definitely... felt spoken to by God.
Benedict Donald
Indeed. Great song and it’s a shame that it’s not included on the CD version.
YP. Ajie
love the authentic noise from an audio cassette