The Clearout
Jack Bruce Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

You say you don't want me
Well I don't want you to go
You say you don't need me
You shut my hair in the door
You say you won't have me
You're leaving my wound all sore

Chorus:
Breakfast is goodnight
Yesterdays are old meals now
Times ripe for clearout

You say you can't eat it
Well I don't have any food
You say you can't face it
Well I'm not in any mood
You say you don't need it
You're leaving my head all chewed

(Chorus)

You say you can't stand it
well why don't you let it sit
You say you can't dig it
yet you'll never let me quit
you say you can't use it
you won't find a better fit





(Chorus)

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Jack Bruce's song The Clearout speak to the pain and confusion that can come with the end of a relationship. The singer of the song is addressing someone who has decided to leave them, saying that they don't actually want them to go, despite what they might have said. The first verse establishes this, with the singer telling the other person that they don't want them to leave, but also acknowledging that the other person has already hurt them. The second verse continues this theme, with the singer telling the other person that they don't have any food (presumably because they're too upset to eat), and that they're not in the mood to deal with any of the other person's complaints.


The chorus of the song speaks to the idea that sometimes it's necessary to get rid of old things in order to move on. The metaphor of breakfast being a goodnight implies that sometimes we need to say goodbye to things that used to bring us comfort or happiness, but are now stale or past their usefulness. The line "yesterday's are old meals now" furthers this idea, implying that sometimes old memories or experiences that we have held onto become outdated and need to be cleared out. The final line, "time's ripe for clearout," reinforces the idea that the time has come for the singer and the other person to move on from one another.


Line by Line Meaning

You say you don't want me
You claim you have no desire for me


Well I don't want you to go
But I wish for you to stay


You say you don't need me
You assert that you do not require my presence


You shut my hair in the door
You physically harmed me by closing the door on my hair


You say you won't have me
You declare that you refuse to be with me


You're leaving my wound all sore
Your actions have caused me emotional pain and distress


Breakfast is goodnight
The morning meal signifies the end of the relationship


Yesterdays are old meals now
The past events and memories are no longer of importance


Times ripe for clearout
The time has come for a clean break and moving on


You say you can't eat it
You claim that you cannot handle the situation


Well I don't have any food
I have no solution to offer


You say you can't face it
You admit that you are unable to confront the issue


Well I'm not in any mood
I am not willing to engage with your excuses


You say you don't need it
You insist that you do not want to continue this relationship


You're leaving my head all chewed
Your behavior is causing me mental anguish and confusion


You say you can't stand it
You express your discomfort with the situation


Well why don't you let it sit
Why don't you try and wait out the discomfort and see if things improve


You say you can't dig it
You are unable to come to terms with the circumstances


yet you'll never let me quit
Despite your aversion, you refuse to end the relationship


You say you can't use it
You challenge the usefulness of the relationship


You won't find a better fit
But know deep down that you will not find a better match




Contributed by Zachary J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

More Versions