Please Don't Go
Lost Dog Street Band Lyrics


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I once was a baby, lyin' in a cradle
My mother fed me from the kitchen table
I'm grown now, and the world sure has changed
It's diseased, a lot like me, and I'm getting on a train
She says, "No, please don't go. Boy, I love you more than you know."
She says, "No, please don't go. Boy, I love you more than you know."
"I love you more than you know."
I once had a lover. I made her my queen.
She had eyes that could tell no lies, made of ivory and green.
I was younger then, and my day was drawing near.
I stumbled in the doorway, and she whispered in my ear
She says, "No, please don't go. Boy, I love you more than you know."
She says, "No, please don't go. Boy, I love you more than you know."
"I love you more than you know."
And, oh, my father, he tried at raising me.
He drank away a life of pain, of pints of misery.
He's sober now, but I can't say the same.
I can hear his tone on the telephone, echoing in vain.
He says, "No, please don't go. Boy, I love you more than you know."




He says, "No, please don't go. Boy, I love you more than you know."
"I love you more than you know."

Overall Meaning

The song "Please Don't Go" by Lost Dog Street Band has a theme of longing and love, as expressed in the lyrics. The song starts with a reflection on childhood, when the singer was a baby and his mother took care of him. The world has changed since then and the singer is getting on a train, but his mother pleads with him not to go because she loves him more than he knows. This speaks to the universal experience of leaving home and family, and the resulting fear and uncertainty.


The second verse of the song is about a lover who the singer made his queen. He remembers how she had eyes that could tell no lies and were made of ivory and green. But now he’s older and his day is drawing near. He hears her whispering in his ear pleading with him not to go because she too loves him more than he knows. This verse picks up on the theme of love and longing, but also introduces the idea of mortality and mortality looming in the background.


The final verse of the song is about the singer's father, who tried to raise him but had a life of pain and misery. His father is now sober, but the singer is haunted by his tone on the telephone, echoing in vain as he pleads with him not to go because he loves him more than he knows.
The message of the song seems to be about the basic human need for love and connection, and how it endures through time and circumstance. As we journey through life, we encounter many challenges and uncertainties, but the love of those who matter to us can help ground us and give us strength.


Line by Line Meaning

I once was a baby, lyin' in a cradle
At one point in my life, I was an innocent child, in need of care.


My mother fed me from the kitchen table
My mother provided me with nourishment and care from where she could.


I'm grown now, and the world sure has changed
As an adult, I've come to realize how different the world is now from when I was a child.


It's diseased, a lot like me, and I'm getting on a train
The world is plagued with ailments just like me, and I'm leaving by train.


She says, "No, please don't go. Boy, I love you more than you know."
Someone who cares about me doesn't want me to leave and expresses their love for me.


"I love you more than you know."
The person who cares about me loves me more than I realize.


I once had a lover. I made her my queen.
I used to be in a romantic relationship where I treated my lover like royalty.


She had eyes that could tell no lies, made of ivory and green.
My lover had pure and honest eyes, described as ivory and green.


I was younger then, and my day was drawing near.
I was still immature and unaware of how life was catching up to me.


I stumbled in the doorway, and she whispered in my ear
I was disoriented, and my lover comforted me by speaking softly to me.


And, oh, my father, he tried at raising me.
My father made an effort to take care of me while raising me.


He drank away a life of pain, of pints of misery.
My father numbed his pain and misery by drinking alcohol all his life.


He's sober now, but I can't say the same.
My father has stopped drinking, but I haven't been able to overcome my own issues yet.


I can hear his tone on the telephone, echoing in vain.
I can sense the desperation in my father's voice during our phone conversations.




Contributed by Jake F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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