Leaving So Soon?
Keane Lyrics


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Ah, ah ah, ah ah, ah!
Ah, ah ah, ah ah, ah!

You must think I'm a fool
So prosaic and awkward and all
D'you think you've got me down?
D'you think I've never been out of this town?
Do I seem too eager to please to you now?
You don't know me at all
I can't turn it on, turn off like you now
I'm not like you now

Now that you're here
I bet you're wishing you could disappear
I'm trying to be kind
I get the feeling you're just killing time

You look down on me
Don't you look down on me now
You don't know me at all
A slap in the face
In the face for you now
Just might do now

You're leaving so soon
Never had a chance to bloom
But you were so quick
To change your tune
Don't look back
If I'm a weight around your neck
Cos if you don't need me
I don't need you

Ah, ah ah, ah ah, ah!
Ah, ah ah, ah ah, ah!

Leaving so soon, soon
Leaving, leaving so, soon

You're leaving so soon
Never had a chance to bloom
But you were so quick
To change your tune
Don't look back
If I'm a weight around your neck
Cos if you don't need me
Then I don't need you





Ah, ah ah, ah ah, ah!

Overall Meaning

In "Leaving So Soon?," Keane takes on the theme of unrequited love and a failed relationship. The song's lyrics center on a protagonist who feels dismissed and misunderstood by the one they love. Keane uses the repeated verse of "you're leaving so soon" to convey a sense of loss and regret, contrasting with the hopeful tone of the song's refrain in which the singer asserts their own strength and independence.


The opening verses of the song begin with self-doubt and uncertainty. The singer suspect that they are viewed as insincere and overly eager by their lover. The lyrics "Do I seem too eager to please to you now? / You don't know me at all," suggest that there are misperceptions and miscommunications between the two characters. The singer worries about how they are perceived by their lover while also questioning their own identity and the gap between the person they present to others and who they truly are.


In the chorus, the singer's tone becomes more assertive, conveying a sense that they have their own worth and strength that has been underestimated. The repetition of the line "Don't look back / If I'm a weight around your neck / Cos if you don't need me / I don't need you," highlights the character's decision to move on from the relationship, but also demonstrates a sense of defiant independence.


Overall, "Leaving So Soon?" is a melancholic yet determined song about lost love and the strength and independence that can come from standing up for oneself.


Line by Line Meaning

You must think I'm a fool
You believe I am unintelligent


So prosaic and awkward and all
Uninspired, ungraceful, and such


D'you think you've got me down?
Do you suppose you understand me?


D'you think I've never been out of this town?
Do you think I've never strayed from my area?


Do I seem too eager to please to you now?
Do I look overly willing to satisfy you at present?


You don't know me at all
You do not understand me in the slightest


I can't turn it on, turn off like you now
I am incapable of switching it on and off at will like you can now


I'm not like you now
I am dissimilar to you right now


Now that you're here
Since you have arrived


I bet you're wishing you could disappear
I am certain that you desire to vanish


I'm trying to be kind
I aim to be gracious


I get the feeling you're just killing time
I sense that you are merely wasting time


You look down on me
You view me with disdain


Don't you look down on me now
Do not debase me presently


A slap in the face
A figurative blow to one's dignity


In the face for you now
Right now, this is a challenge for you


Just might do now
It could solve the problem


You're leaving so soon
You are departing very quickly


Never had a chance to bloom
Didn't get the opportunity to flourish


But you were so quick
Yet, you were very fast


To change your tune
To change your mind or opinion


Don't look back
Do not glance backwards


If I'm a weight around your neck
If I am a burden or hindrance to you


Cos if you don't need me, then I don't need you
Because if you do not require me, the inverse is true


Ah, ah ah, ah ah, ah!
A vocalization




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: RICHARD DAVID HUGHES, TIMOTHY JAMES RICE-OXLEY, TOM CHAPLIN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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