The original members of the group were singer Christian James, guitarist Ray St. John and keyboard player Neil Palmer, but Christian continued to play gigs under the name Halo James after the group split.
Could Have Told You So
Halo James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
could have told you
dreams would come and go
could have told you so
but we were young
down in that place
defending your faith
you're out on your own
sleeping in stone
hunting the kick inside
you love like a gun
the power is strong
but when things turn bad
and things go wrong
you strayed off the rail
chasing your tail
out of the field
walking in s***e
fallen from grace
with your back to the wheel
love will come
and love will go
and life will never be the same
love will come
and love will go
you learn it different every day
but you were young
how would you know
The song “Could’ve Told You So” by Halo James is a vibrant and poignant piece of art that explores the theme of love’s unpredictable nature. The song opens with the line “could have told you so, could have told you” which is the singer expressing vindication that a situation they anticipated has come to pass. The lyrics go ahead to explore the uncertainty of dreams and how they can come and go. The singer laments that the two people in the song were young and probably did not know better.
The second verse of the song paints a picture of a challenging circumstance where the person is in a place where they have to defend their faith with nowhere to hide. They are out on their own, sleeping in stone and hunting for a kick inside, which could be an allusion to being lost, broken longing for something to fill the emptiness. The chorus of the song emphasizes the unpredictability of love and how it can never be the same; it comes and goes.
The final verse of the song talks about the moment when things turn bad or go wrong, and the person strays off the rail, chasing their tail, signaling a loss of control. They are out of the field, walking in space, fallen from grace, and have their back to the wheel. The wheel could be a metaphor for life – they have lost control of their life, and they don’t know how to take charge anymore. The song ends on a melancholic note, questioning how would they have known any better because they were young.
Line by Line Meaning
could have told you so
I knew this would happen, but you didn't listen.
could have told you
I could have warned you.
dreams would come and go
Life is unpredictable, and things may not always work out the way you want them to.
could have told you so
I really should have warned you that this would happen.
but we were young
But we were inexperienced and didn't know any better.
down in that place
In that difficult situation.
defending your faith
Trying to hold on to what you believe in.
with nowhere to hide
Feeling vulnerable and exposed.
you're out on your own
You are alone and have to face things by yourself.
sleeping in stone
Feeling unresponsive and stuck.
hunting the kick inside
Trying to find fulfillment and excitement within yourself.
you love like a gun
You love intensely and with great passion.
the power is strong
The force of your love is overwhelming.
but when things turn bad
When things go wrong.
and things go wrong
When everything falls apart.
you strayed off the rail
You lost your way and got off course.
chasing your tail
Pursuing something endlessly and fruitlessly.
out of the field
Removed from your normal environment or situation.
walking in s***e
Feeling lost and hopeless.
fallen from grace
Having lost respect or lost your way.
with your back to the wheel
Without control or power over your situation.
love will come
You will find love.
and love will go
But you may also lose love.
and life will never be the same
Your life will change, for better or worse.
love will come
Love will find you.
and love will go
But it may not last forever.
you learn it different every day
Every day, you learn something new about love and life.
but you were young
But when you were young, you didn't know any better.
Writer(s): St John, ray
Contributed by Anthony F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Gerald
on Could Have Told You So
Walking in space, surely?