Fifteen
Foy Vance Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

When you're only fifteen
How can you know what hurt means?
When I saw that look in your eyes, ran out into the cold night
Stole a car just to sleep inside

I realize when you're fifteen
You surely know what love means
And when that gets taken aside and replaced with nothing but fighting
You'll know what hurt means alright

I did not know where to go
And then you showed up like a rainbow
But I got much more than a pot of gold
I got a mate for my soul, babe
A mate for my soul

We were only fifteen
Trying to work out what it means
To want someone by your side for the rest of your life
And yet not over butterflies

Before I met you at fifteen
Back in nineteen-sixty
I was always on the run, unsure of what to run from
Or where I'd be when morning would come

I did not know where to go
Then you showed up like a rainbow
But you brought me much more than a pot of gold
I got a mate for my soul
A mate for my soul




A mate for my soul
Baby, you were made for my soul

Overall Meaning

The song "Fifteen" by Foy Vance is a beautiful ballad about two teenagers falling in love for the first time. The lyrics speak to the purity and intensity of young love and the hope it provides even in the face of difficult circumstances. The first verse acknowledges that at the age of fifteen, it can be tough to know what real hurt is. The singer of the song sees this pain in his lover's eyes, and it drives him to act impulsively, stealing a car to find shelter together. Through this experience, they both learn the gravity of their situation and the depth of their feelings for each other.


In the second verse, the lyrics shift to talk about the singer's life before he met his current partner. He describes feeling lost and uncertain, unsure of what he was running from and where he would end up. However, when he meets his lover at fifteen, everything changes. Suddenly, he has someone by his side who feels like a "mate for his soul." The chorus repeats this sentiment, emphasizing the transformative power of a deep, transformative love.


Overall, "Fifteen" is a touching tribute to the transformative power of love, particularly love that comes early in life. Through the ups and downs of teenage romance, the singers in Vance's lyrics find each other, grounding their tumultuous young lives together.


Line by Line Meaning

When you're only fifteen
At the age of fifteen, you may not yet be familiar with emotional pain.


How can you know what hurt means?
It is difficult to understand what true emotional pain is when you are young.


When I saw that look in your eyes, ran out into the cold night
The singer witnessed something painful in the eyes of the person they care about and had to leave in a hurry to deal with their own feelings.


Stole a car just to sleep inside
To escape their pain, the artist resorted to stealing a car and sleeping inside it.


I realize when you're fifteen
Upon reflection, the artist understands that being fifteen can be a time of great emotional depth.


You surely know what love means
At fifteen, one can have a deep understanding of what love is.


And when that gets taken aside and replaced with nothing but fighting
When love is replaced with constant conflict, it can be incredibly painful.


You'll know what hurt means alright
Experiencing such an event will give someone a true understanding of emotional pain.


I did not know where to go
The artist felt lost and unsure of their feelings and direction in life.


And then you showed up like a rainbow
The person the artist fell in love with was like a symbol of hope and happiness in a dark time.


But I got much more than a pot of gold
The relationship with this person gave the singer something priceless and valuable.


I got a mate for my soul, babe
The artist found a partner who complements them fully and understands them on a deep level.


We were only fifteen
The singer and their partner were both very young when they fell in love.


Trying to work out what it means
They were both figuring out what it meant to be in love and what their feelings meant for their future.


To want someone by your side for the rest of your life
The deep desire to have their partner in their life for the long term was present from the early days of the relationship.


And yet not over butterflies
Despite the depth of their love, the artist still feels the excitement and passion of a new relationship.


Before I met you at fifteen
Before meeting their partner, the artist felt lost and had no direction in life.


Back in nineteen-sixty
The singer is specifying the time period to give context to their story.


I was always on the run, unsure of what to run from
Before meeting their partner, the singer felt like they were constantly on the move, without a clear understanding of what they were fleeing from.


Or where I'd be when morning would come
The artist was unsure what their future held and where they were headed in life.


But you brought me much more than a pot of gold
The relationship with their partner gave the artist something priceless and valuable.


I got a mate for my soul
The artist found a partner who complements them fully and understands them on a deep level.


Baby, you were made for my soul
The singer truly believes that their partner is their perfect match and understands them better than anyone else ever could.




Contributed by Landon R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Teresa Peppel George


on Be the Song

Awesome Song!!

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