Holly McNarland (born in Winnipeg, Manitoba) is a Canadian singer-songwrite… Read Full Bio ↴Holly McNarland (born in Winnipeg, Manitoba) is a Canadian singer-songwriter. Her more noteworthy songs include "Stormy," "Elmo," and "Numb."

She collaborated with Matthew Good for his song "Flight Recorder From Viking 7," which can be found on his album "Loser Anthems" and with fellow Canucks of The Tea Party on "Wishing you would stay".

I Won't Stay
Holly McNarland Lyrics

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If I go home
And come back another day
Tell me I won't miss you much
Tell me I won't
And I won't stay
Tell me I won't miss you much
And I won't stay

And I saw danger
When I went to look the other way
Didn't think I'd miss you much
Didn't think I'd feel

[Chorus:]
But I got my cats and my carpets
And my fish in my brain
I got the walls around me
They never change
I got my cats and my carpets
And the walls around me
And the walls around me

Well, hello again
You're another hour late
You didn't think I'd notice
You didn't think, I know you never think
You didn't think I'd notice
Oh, you never think

[Chorus]

If I go home and come back another day
Tell me I won't miss you much
Tell me
And I won't stay

But I got my cats and my carpets
And my fish in my brain
I got the walls around me
They never change
I got my cats and my carpets
And the walls around me

And the walls around me
And the walls around me

Overall Meaning

The song "I Won't Stay" by Holly McNarland is about a woman who is disillusioned with a relationship that she feels is going nowhere. In the first verse, she asks her partner to tell her that she won't miss him if she leaves and doesn't come back for a while. She's trying to distance herself emotionally from him because she knows that if she doesn't, she won't be able to stay away. The second verse seems to suggest that the woman has already tried to ignore the problems in their relationship ("And I saw danger when I went to look the other way") but she still can't shake the feeling that something isn't right.

The chorus focuses on the things that the woman has in her life that do remain constant – her cats, her carpets, and the walls around her. These physical objects give her a sense of stability and familiarity in a world that's changing around her. The final verse is a confrontation between the woman and her partner, but it's clear that the woman has already made up her mind to leave. She points out that her partner is always late and doesn't seem to care about how his behavior affects her. The woman is resolved to leave and not come back until she can tell herself that she won't miss him too much.

In summary, "I Won't Stay" is a song about the struggle to move on from a relationship that isn't working. The woman in the song is trying to convince herself that she won't miss her partner if she takes a break from them, but it's clear that she's still deeply attached. The chorus emphasizes the importance of stability and consistency in the midst of change, while the final verse shows the woman standing up for herself and making a difficult decision.

Line by Line Meaning

If I go home
If I leave this place and come back some other day

And come back another day
And return to this place on some other day

Tell me I won't miss you much
Assure me that I won't feel a strong longing for you

Tell me I won't
Promise me that I won't

And I won't stay
I won't remain in this place

And I saw danger
I noticed something potentially dangerous

When I went to look the other way
When I tried to avoid or ignore the danger

Didn't think I'd miss you much
Didn't expect to feel a strong longing for you

Didn't think I'd feel
Didn't expect to have any emotions about the situation

But I got my cats and my carpets
I have my pets and my comfortable home furnishings

And my fish in my brain
And my own thoughts and inner life