Sixteen
Ida Gard Lyrics

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She was sixteen when she met him
He was twenty one
He was the star of a local band
He didn't plan for her to come dancing
Into his dreams on that August night
Paint her eyelashes and send him a smile
She was just having fun
And he was just twenty one

He showed her what he knew of love
He knew a lot but not enough
A tiny little thing that he forgot
A tiny little thing that meant a lot
'Cause when you're sixteen and you're in love
You're in a movie
You're in a movie
You're in a movie

Weekends flew by so discretely
They met every Friday night
Stealing glances through the crowd
Until one fine night when he asked her out
Into the dawning light
He showed her a playhouse in which they could hide
It had a bench and sand on the floor
He kissed her where no man had ever been before

And she didn't notice that there was just one thing missing
'Cause she was sixteen and so in love with him

He showed her what he knew of love
He knew a lot but not enough
A tiny little thing that he forgot
A tiny little thing that meant a lot
'Cause when you're sixteen and you're in love
You're in a movie
[x2]

You're in a movie
You're in a movie

Overall Meaning

Ida Gard's song Sixteen is a tender and poignant story about first love between two young people. The opening lines of the song introduce the characters: a sixteen-year-old girl and a twenty-one-year-old man who is the star of a local band. The two meet on a Friday night in August, and as she twirls into his dreams and paints her eyelashes, he falls for her. She was just having fun, and he was just a young man, but their connection was instant.

The song goes on to describe how he shows her what he knows of love, but there is one tiny thing that he has forgotten, which is important. The lyrics suggest that being in love at sixteen is like being in a movie, where everything is amplified and romanticized. The weekends fly by, and they meet every Friday night, stealing glances through the crowd. Finally, he asks her out into the dawning light, and he shows her a playhouse where they can hide. He kisses her in a place where no man has ever been before. She didn't notice that something was missing because she was sixteen and so in love with him.

The song overall reflects on the youthful idealism of love and the longing for romance that can sometimes make us overlook the imperfections of our partners. It also highlights how age and experience shape our perceptions of love and relationships.

Line by Line Meaning

She was sixteen when she met him
At the age of sixteen, she came across a guy named him.

He was twenty one
The guy was already five years older than her.

He was the star of a local band
He was popular among people for his musical skills.

He didn't plan for her to come dancing
He wasn't expecting to meet her at the dance party.

Into his dreams on that August night
She made an impression on him that he couldn't forget even after waking up.

Paint her eyelashes and send him a smile
She applied makeup to her eyelashes and showed him a captivating smile.

She was just having fun
She didn't have any serious intentions, she was just enjoying the moment.

And he was just twenty one
He was still young and carefree just like her.

He showed her what he knew of love
He taught her what he understood about love and relationships.

He knew a lot but not enough
He had some experience in love, but it wasn't comprehensive.

A tiny little thing that he forgot
He left out a detail that ended up being significant.

A tiny little thing that meant a lot
That small detail had a significant impact on their relationship.

'Cause when you're sixteen and you're in love You're in a movie
Being in love at that age feels like being in a movie with all the intense emotions and drama.

Weekends flew by so discretely
The time they spent together passed quickly and without notice.

They met every Friday night
They had a standing date every week.

Stealing glances through the crowd
They would look at each other secretly from within a group of people.

Until one fine night when he asked her out Into the dawning light
One lucky night, he took her out as dawn was breaking.

He showed her a playhouse in which they could hide
He introduced her to a place where they could be alone and away from outside interference.

It had a bench and sand on the floor
The playhouse had a bench and a floor covered in sand.

He kissed her where no man had ever been before
He initiated intimacy that she had not experienced before.

And she didn't notice that there was just one thing missing
She didn't realize that something important was absent.

'Cause she was sixteen and so in love with him
Being in love at sixteen made her blind to the shortcomings in their relationship.

You're in a movie [x2]
The feeling of intense infatuation they both experienced made them feel like they were in a movie.

Contributed by Nathan P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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