Born and raised in New York City, Kenny Rankin was a singer/songwriter whos… Read Full Bio ↴Born and raised in New York City, Kenny Rankin was a singer/songwriter whose music combined jazz, folk and pop influences. Between 1967 and 2002, he released 13 albums. Among the most successful were 1976's "The Kenny Rankin Album," which reached No. 99 on the "Billboard" album charts, and 1980's "After the Roses," which charted at No. 171. Both albums were produced by Don Costa.

Rankin's best-known composition, "Peaceful," was a major hit for Helen Reddy in 1973. He had a major fan in Johnny Carson, who had Rankin appear on "The Tonight Show" more than two dozen times. Carson wrote the liner notes for Rankin's 1967 debut album, "Mind Dusters."

Rankin died June 7, 2009, in Los Angeles. According to his management company, he was diagnosed with lung cancer three weeks earlier.

Regrets
Kenny Rankin Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I wish that I could take back
All the things I've done to hurt you
I didn't mean to be so cruel
Yet I know that I've been selfish
And at times a jealous fool

And every thoughtless Thing I've done
Keeps comin' back To haunt me 'Cause you took

Each one too hard And as I realise
That it's my fault We've grown worlds apart

I have regrets Regrets for my mistake
In thinking only of myself
All that I have left Are these regrets
Regret the things I did That somehow
you Just can't forgive
I guess I'll have to Live with these regrets

If I could right The wrong I've done
Maybe I could Stop your leavin'
But there's much I'm guilty of
And it's too late To say I'm sorry
Bein' sorry is not enough

I have regrets Regrets for my mistake
In thinking only of myself
All that I have left Are these regrets
Regret the things I did That somehow
you Just can't forgive
I guess I'll have to Live with these regrets

With every angry word I said,
Your love for me is dying,
Each word left a lasting scar.
And right now I feel so helpless.
Wish that I could change the way things are.

I have regrets Regrets for my mistake
In thinking only of myself
All that I have left Are these regrets
Regret the things I did That somehow

you Just can't forgive
I guess I'll have to Live with these regrets

Overall Meaning

Kenny Rankin’s song “Regrets” lays bare the guilt and remorse of a person who has hurt someone they love. The singer in the song regrets every thoughtless action and every angry word they have said to their partner. They recognize that they have been selfish and jealous, causing their relationship to fall apart. But it’s too late to go back and undo their actions. They wished they could right their wrongs but understand that just being sorry is not enough.

The repetition of the phrase “I have regrets” throughout the song underscores the singer’s remorse and the irreversibility of their actions. The chorus, in particular, is haunting with the lyrics “All that I have left are these regrets, regret the things I did that somehow you just can’t forgive, I guess I’ll have to live with these regrets”. The singer’s words of regret are not only to apologize but also to emphasize their own pain and suffering in losing the love they once had.

In this song, Rankin perfectly illustrates the feeling of “If only” that many of us have after a relationship has gone wrong. It is a powerfully emotive song, with beautiful piano backing, that perfectly captures the feeling of loss, grief, and regret.

Line by Line Meaning

I wish that I could take back
I regret my actions and wish I could undo the things I did to hurt you

All the things I've done to hurt you
I acknowledge that my behavior has caused you pain

I didn't mean to be so cruel
I know I hurt you, but I didn't intend to be as harsh as I was

Yet I know that I've been selfish
I understand that my actions were motivated by my own desires and needs, rather than considering yours

And at times a jealous fool
I realize that my insecurities and jealousy led me to act irrationally and foolishly

And every thoughtless Thing I've done
I'm aware that my behavior was not considerate of your feelings or needs

Keeps comin' back To haunt me 'Cause you took
I can't stop thinking about my past actions and how they have affected you

Each one too hard And as I realise
I recognize that my actions hurt you deeply, and I regret that

That it's my fault We've grown worlds apart
I understand that my behavior has caused a rift between us and distanced us from one another

I have regrets Regrets for my mistake
I feel remorseful for the things I've done and the pain they've caused you

In thinking only of myself
I acknowledge that my focus on my own needs and wants caused me to act thoughtlessly and hurtfully

All that I have left Are these regrets
My only remaining feelings are those of regret and sadness

Regret the things I did That somehow you Just can't forgive
I regret the harm I caused you, but understand that it may be hard for you to forgive me

I guess I'll have to Live with these regrets
I accept the consequences of my actions and am coming to terms with the fact that I may never make things right

If I could right The wrong I've done
If I had the power to undo the harm I caused, I would do so in a heartbeat

Maybe I could Stop your leavin'
I realize that my actions have pushed you away, and if I had acted differently, maybe our relationship could have been saved

But there's much I'm guilty of
I understand that my regrettable behavior goes beyond just one or two actions

And it's too late To say I'm sorry
I know that apologies can't change the past or undo the harm I've caused

Bein' sorry is not enough
I recognize that simply expressing regret is not sufficient; I need to take responsibility for my actions and make changes

With every angry word I said,
I realize that my words were hurtful and destructive to our relationship

Your love for me is dying,
I understand that my actions have caused you to question your feelings for me

Each word left a lasting scar.
I recognize that my words had a profound impact on you and will continue to affect our relationship for a long time to come

And right now I feel so helpless.
I feel powerless to undo the harm I've caused and to fix our relationship

Wish that I could change the way things are.
I regret my past actions and wish I could make things right with you

Contributed by Annabelle Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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