Stay
Lisa Loeb Lyrics


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You say I only hear what I want to
You say I talk so all the time so.

And I thought what I felt was simple,
And I thought that I don't belong,
And now that I am leaving,
Now I know that I did something wrong 'cause I missed you.
Yeah, I missed you.

And you say I only hear what I want to:
I don't listen hard,
I don't pay attention to the distance that you're running
Or to anyone, anywhere,
I don't understand if you really care,
I'm only hearing negative: no, no, no (bad)

And so I, I turned the radio on, I turned the radio up
And this woman was singin' my song:
The lover's in love and the other's run away,
The lover is cryin' 'cause the other won't stay.

Some of us hover when we weep for the other who was
Dying since the day they were born.
Well, this is not that:
I think that I'm throwing, but I'm thrown.

And I thought I'd live forever, but now I'm not so sure.

You try to tell me that I'm clever,
But that won't take my anyhow, or anywhere with you.

You said that I was naive,
And I thought that I was strong.
I thought, "hey, I can leave, I can leave."
Oh but now I know that I was wrong, 'cause I missed you.

You said, "I caught you 'cause I want you and one day I'll let you go."
You try to give away a keeper, or keep me 'cause you know you're just so scared to lose.
And you say, "Stay."





You say I only hear what I want to.

Overall Meaning

In Lisa Loeb's song "Stay," the singer is reflecting on a relationship that has ended and her realization that she didn't appreciate her partner while they were together. The first stanza sets up this idea that the singer thought everything was simple and that she didn't belong, but leaving has made her realize that she did something wrong because she missed her partner. This idea is further explored in the second stanza, where the partner accuses the singer of only hearing what she wants to and not paying attention to their relationship. The singer admits that she only hears negative things, indicating that she was closed off to listening to her partner's needs.


In the chorus, the singer turns to the radio to find solace and hears a woman singing a song that seems to speak to her situation. The song describes the common trope of one lover staying while the other leaves, but the singer notes that her situation is not quite like that. She feels like she's thrown off course and unsure of herself. The third stanza indicates that the partner tried to warn the singer about her naivete and that she thought she was strong enough to leave their relationship. However, now she realizes that leaving was a mistake because she missed her partner.


Finally, the partner pleads with the singer to stay and realize that their love is worth keeping, even if it means taking risks and facing fears. Overall, the song is a powerful exploration of how relationships can be complicated and difficult to understand in the moment, but it's essential to take the time to listen and appreciate the people we care about before it's too late.


Line by Line Meaning

You say I only hear what I want to
You claim that I'm selective with what I choose to listen to


You say I talk so all the time so.
You say that I speak too much and don't allow others to speak


And I thought what I felt was simple,
I believed my emotions were easy to understand


And I thought that I don't belong,
I once believed that I didn't fit in anywhere


And now that I am leaving,
Now that I'm departing


Now I know that I did something wrong 'cause I missed you.
I feel remorse because I realize I did something wrong and now long for your presence


Yeah, I missed you.
I had a strong desire to be with you


I don't listen hard,
I don't pay close attention


I don't pay attention to the distance that you're running
I don't notice or care about the problems you're facing


Or to anyone, anywhere,
I don't care about anyone, anywhere


I don't understand if you really care,
I'm not sure if you truly care about me


I'm only hearing negative: no, no, no (bad)
All I seem to hear are negative things


And so I, I turned the radio on, I turned the radio up
To distract myself, I turned up the radio


And this woman was singin' my song:
I related to the song being sung by a woman


The lover's in love and the other's run away,
The song was about a couple, one in love and the other leaving


The lover is cryin' 'cause the other won't stay.
The one in love is upset because the other won't continue the relationship


Some of us hover when we weep for the other who was
Some of us are present for others when they're going through a tough time


Dying since the day they were born.
Experiencing hardships since they were young


Well, this is not that:
But that's not what's happening here


I think that I'm throwing, but I'm thrown.
I thought I was in control, but I'm the one being thrown off guard


And I thought I'd live forever, but now I'm not so sure.
I once thought I was invincible, but now I have doubts


You try to tell me that I'm clever,
You praise me for being smart


But that won't take my anyhow, or anywhere with you.
But compliments won't change whether or not I'll go with you


You said that I was naive,
You claimed I was unaware or inexperienced


And I thought that I was strong.
I used to think I was capable and confident


I thought, "hey, I can leave, I can leave."
I was under the impression that leaving would be easy


Oh but now I know that I was wrong, 'cause I missed you.
I realize now that I was mistaken because now I desire your presence


You said, "I caught you 'cause I want you and one day I'll let you go."
You stated that I'm wanted and someday you'll let me leave


You try to give away a keeper, or keep me 'cause you know you're just so scared to lose.
You're hesitant to let me go because you're afraid of losing me


And you say, "Stay."
You plead with me to stay




Lyrics © REACH MUSIC PUBLISHING
Written by: Lisa A. Loeb

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@jrex8914

Can we talk about the impeccable guitar work? Man oh man...

@goldtown6747

Judging by that little yellow thingy and the white box behind her right shoulder, Lisa Loeb has a perfect taste in music... 😁
Btw: Great performance and still a perfect song after all these years. 👍👍👍👍👍

@robertbeining141

Lisa Loeb is truly one of a kind. Her music and presence is truly a gift. The lady just plain rocks!

@janmichaellao1091

Masterpiece. I missed the old days.

@wildmike85

Legend has it the earth heals itself a little bit more everytime she sings.

@AlgernonMoncrieff77

Her voice is still as beautiful as it was 26 years ago. And somewhere in the corner of my heart I am still the 16 year old boy who had a crush on Lisa Loeb ❤

@itzed

I will admit to still having that crush.

@marc7505

could`nt say it better. And have not much to add, just a yep. Me too.

@benkmoskomusic3679

Yep🙋‍♂️

@dr.thunder4845

Feel the same.

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