There are multiple artists called Jerry Butler:

1) Jerry Butler, Jr… Read Full Bio ↴There are multiple artists called Jerry Butler:

1) Jerry Butler, Jr. (born December 8, 1939 in Sunflower, Mississippi) is an American soul singer also known as "The Ice Man" because of his cool demeanour while singing often intensely emotional lyrics.

Butler was dubbed the "Iceman" by a Philadelphia disc jockey while performing in a Philadelphia theater. However, Butler achieved what eluded many earlier Doo Wop groups during the 1950s and 1960s — longevity. Butler’s solo career had a string of hits, including "He Will Break Your Heart," "Moon River," "Make It Easy On Yourself," "Let It Be Me" (the Everly Brothers classic re-done as a duet with Betty Everett), "Brand New Me," "Ain’t Understanding Mellow," (duet with Brenda Lee Eager), and "Never Gonna Give You Up," followed by two hugely successful albums The Iceman Cometh in 1968 and Ice On Ice in 1970. The Iceman Cometh garnered Butler three Grammy nominations. Jerry Butler further made recordings for Philadelphia International Records in the 80's. His most noted song for the label was "Cooling Out"

It's Too Late
Jerry Butler Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Soon it's never more
When you've got to pay for
Promises, made in the night

Call the magic one
And with the magic comes
Forever chained to the flame

It's too late
Too late for tears
Too late
And no one hears you
Do you feel a touch of evil
(Then) It's too late

To wish and make it so
To feel the power growing
Stronger, blessed by the dark

And when the candle fades
You can say it was a
Joke you played
So you must let me go, no

It's too late
You've said the word
Too late
Something heard you
Too late, now the race is on
And you're run out of road
Too late
For tears
Too late
And no one hears you
Can you feel the touch of evil
It's too late

Oh oh oh save me
I believe in your name
Oh oh I've fallen down
But now I've found
Nobody to take the blame

Misery
It's come to drag me away
And when the hunter cries
No alibis
Get ready for judgment day

As the candle fades
You can say it was a game you made
So you must let me go, let me go

It's too late, you've said the word
Too late, something heard you
Too late, the spell is gone
And this time you're the fool

It's too late for tears
Too late
And no one hears you
Welcome to forever

Welcome it's too late
Too late

Overall Meaning

The song "It's Too Late" by Jerry Butler is a powerful ballad about the consequences of making promises that cannot be kept. One of the central themes in the song is the idea that actions have consequences, and once you've made a promise, you must be willing to pay the price for it. The opening lines set the tone for the song by warning listeners that soon it will be too late to avoid the consequences of their actions. The magic referred to in the song represents the temptation to indulge in a fleeting pleasure at the risk of long-term pain.

The chorus of the song is a haunting declaration that it is too late for tears or regrets. The repetition of this line drives home the song's message that there are no second chances in life, and once you've made a mistake, you must live with the consequences. The final verse of the song is a plea for forgiveness and redemption, as the singer begs for someone to save them from the misery that has consumed their life. Despite this plea, the song ends with a sense of finality, reinforcing the idea that sometimes it is too late to make things right.

Line by Line Meaning

Soon it's never more
Time is running out

When you've got to pay for
Consequences come with actions

Promises, made in the night
Irresponsible and thoughtless commitments made in the moment

Call the magic one
Desperate attempt to fix a problem

And with the magic comes
Quick solution that is temporary and unreliable

Forever chained to the flame
Stuck in a dangerous and destructive cycle

It's too late
No turning back

Too late for tears
No use in regret

And no one hears you
Alone in facing the consequences

Do you feel a touch of evil
Realization of one's own wrongdoing

(Then) It's too late
Too far gone to fix the problem

To wish and make it so
Life does not work that way

To feel the power growing
Dangerous influence taking over

Stronger, blessed by the dark
Negative forces taking over

And when the candle fades
Temporary solutions will not last

You can say it was a
Denial of responsibility

Joke you played
Making light of a serious situation

So you must let me go, no
Let go of irresponsible behavior and face consequences

You've said the word
Actions have spoken louder than words

Something heard you
Consequences will catch up

Now the race is on
Time is running out to make things right

And you're run out of road
No more opportunities to fix the problem

Can you feel the touch of evil
Realization of the gravity of the situation

Oh oh oh save me
Pleading for help

I believe in your name
Turning to a higher power for help

Oh oh I've fallen down
Admitting to mistakes

But now I've found
Realization of the need for change

Nobody to take the blame
No one to blame but oneself

Misery
Pain and suffering

It's come to drag me away
Consequences cannot be avoided

And when the hunter cries
Judgment day has come

No alibis
No excuses

Get ready for judgment day
Face the consequences of one's actions

The spell is gone
The temporary solution is over

And this time you're the fool
Realization of one's own foolishness

Welcome to forever
Consequences will last forever

Welcome it's too late
Acceptance of the reality of the situation

Too late
No way to change the past

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG Rights Management
Written by: RICHARD BUTLER, STEVE MC EWAN, MIKE ELIZONDO

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS