Hand-Me-Downs
Lisa Loeb Lyrics


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I know we're in September
And this is my house
And this is my town
But my clothes are in the case
And I am leaving
Don't tell me what you spent it on
You always lie
You always lie
And it's a decision
I am leaving

We used to say for fun
Lets say you lived
And then you did
You were the leader of us all
The perfect fall

You speak to the weak and old picture of me
Everybody says they wanna be free
And it's a decision
So I am leaving

The powder's in the kitchen
The spoon is on the floor
Your sister says it's different now
I don't believe her anymore

[Chorus]
And I don't want your hand me downs
They're old
They're all worn out
I don't wanna hang around
I don't want your hand me downs

So now I'm in this hotel room
I'm free and droning on
But the musics way too loud
I wanna skip to the next song

The glass is on the counter
The sheets are on the floor
Your sister says it's not the same
I don't believe her anymore
[Chorus]

So you lie yourself to sleep tonight
But you won't think of me
'cause your world revolves around you
Or so it seems
Or so it seems
And you can't get off
And I can't get on
Yourself is all you see
And I don't wanna hang around
I don't want your hand me downs anymore

You speak to the weak and old picture of me
Everybody says they wanna be free




And it's a decision
So I am leaving

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Lisa Loeb's song, Hand-Me-Downs, depicts the story of a relationship that has gone sour. The singer of the song expresses her desire to leave her town and relationship because of her partner's substance abuse problem. She packs up her things and prepares to leave, writing off her partner's lies and false promises in the process. The chorus highlights the unwillingness of the singer to accept her partner's hand-me-downs, be it clothes or promises, based on the fact that they are old and worn out. The second verse finds the singer in a hotel room after leaving home, as she struggles with the consequences of her decision. The song concludes with the singer acknowledging the self-centered nature of her partner and her relief at leaving the relationship.


Line by Line Meaning

I know we're in September
I am aware of the time of year we are in


And this is my house
I possess this current physical structure


And this is my town
This is the area I associate myself with


But my clothes are in the case
All of my attire is packed up


And I am leaving
I am departing this location


Don't tell me what you spent it on
Please do not inform me how you have used your money


You always lie
You possess a habit of not telling the truth


And it's a decision
I have made a choice to leave


We used to say for fun
As a pastime, we would utter the following


Lets say you lived
Imagine if you had existed in reality


And then you did
And let's suppose you accomplished something significant


You were the leader of us all
You had become the one who formulated and dictated our group's standards


The perfect fall
It led to an excellent, smooth event


You speak to the weak and old picture of me
You talk to the frail and aged illustration of me


Everybody says they wanna be free
All individuals utter that they desire liberty


So I am leaving
Therefore, I am departing this place


The powder's in the kitchen
The substance used for inhalation purposes is within the cooking area


The spoon is on the floor
The utensil employed to consume the aforementioned substance rests on the ground


Your sister says it's different now
Your sibling claims that circumstances have altered


I don't believe her anymore
I no longer trust her statement


And I don't want your hand me downs
I do not wish to receive your previously owned items


They're old
They are aged and worn


They're all worn out
They have been exhausted by overuse


I don't wanna hang around
It is not my desire to loiter in this vicinity


So now I'm in this hotel room
At present, I am situated in a lodging facility


I'm free and droning on
I am liberated and monotonously talking


But the music's way too loud
However, the noise level of the song is overly high


I wanna skip to the next song
I desire to move onto the subsequent tune


The glass is on the counter
The container that holds liquids is situated on the horizontal surface


The sheets are on the floor
The fabric used to cover and rest on is laying on the ground


Your sister says it's not the same
Your sibling claims that it no longer remains identical


I don't believe her anymore
I do not trust her statement


So you lie yourself to sleep tonight
You deceive yourself until you fall asleep this evening


But you won't think of me
You will not have thoughts regarding me


'cause your world revolves around you
Because your planet centers on yourself


Or so it seems
At least that's how it appears


And you can't get off
You are unable to dismount


And I can't get on
I cannot board


Yourself is all you see
Your figure is everything you perceive


And I don't wanna hang around
I do not wish to linger here


I don't want your hand me downs anymore
I longer desire any of your used items




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: LISA A. LOEB, STEPHANIE KAY BENTLEY

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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