Been Here Before
Jeremy Enigk Lyrics

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Been here before
Though there's something in the air this time
Now I wanna give away what I've taken back
Run away with you toward the night

A thousand names.
Though there's something in me cannot smile,
Don't wanna spend the day retracing steps.

Run away with you toward the light.

I can't stay long in the morning.
Another one went wrong
It's ok now that you're gone.
Only in your eyes a sudden need
I sympathize.

A diamond daze
A thousand strands of sunlight in her eyes.
Now I wanna give away what I've taken back.
Step away with you toward the night.

Only in your eyes a sudden need denied
I empathize.
It's ok now that you're gone

Hurry up and sleep,
To the night you go.

Overall Meaning

The song "Been Here Before" by Jeremy Enigk is a poignant representation of the conflicting emotions one experiences while reminiscing a past romance. The lyrics begin by asserting that despite the familiarity of the situation, there's something in the air that signifies a new beginning, and now the singer wants to give away what he has taken back, which could mean that he has reclaimed his feelings for someone who he'd initially distanced himself from. Further emphasizing this point is the line "run away with you toward the night," implying that he is willing to trade everything for one more chance at love.

The singer then reflects on how despite the memories he shares with his love, there's something that stops him from smiling, and the thought of retracing his steps fills him with dread. However, he still yearns to escape into the night with his beloved. The subsequent lines depict a person who is struggling to move on from the heartbreak but cannot seem to let go of the need they feel for the other person. The mention of morning and how another one went wrong implies that the singer's relationships have been unsuccessful in the past.

Towards the end of the song, the lyrics convey a shift in tone with the mention of a "diamond daze" and "thousand strands of sunlight in her eyes." The singer acknowledges that he wants to give back what he's taken, meaning, he doesn't want to hold onto the past and the negative emotions that come with it. The song fades away with him bidding his love to "hurry up and sleep," implying that they should leave the past behind and begin anew.

Line by Line Meaning

Been here before
I've experienced this same situation before

Though there's something in the air this time
I sense that there's something different about this situation compared to the previous ones

Now I wanna give away what I've taken back
I want to share what I've regained after losing it before

Run away with you toward the night
Let's escape together and embrace the darkness

A thousand names.
There are countless identities that I could assume

Though there's something in me cannot smile,
Despite this, I'm unable to feel happy inside

Don't wanna spend the day retracing steps.
I don't want to waste time repeating the same mistakes

Run away with you toward the light.
Let's run away together towards hopeful prospects

I can't stay long in the morning.
I cannot endure the daylight for too long

Another one went wrong
Another experience ended in disappointment

It's ok now that you're gone.
I feel fine now that you're no longer present