Close the Door
Mary Beth Peil Lyrics

These strangers
Referring to the people in her life who come and go.

Come calling
They come in and out of her life at their own discretion.

Soon enough they're gone
They don’t linger or stay very long in her life.

The twilight
Referring to when the sun sets and the sky is just before it becomes dark.

Is falling
The day is ending and night will soon come.

Lamps will soon go on
It will soon be dark and indoor lights will be turned on.

And where does summer go?
A rhetorical question about how quickly time passes.

I will never know
Time passes quickly and without realization or notice in life.

Summer used to last endlessly
A nostalgic memory of when time seemed limitless in the past.

Children all in white
Outside playing and enjoying the freedom and simplicity of childhood.

Running down the sand
The beach is a place of freedom and happy memories, full of movement and laughter.

To me... To me...
The memories will always belong to her and they will always make her happy.

These strangers
The people who come and go in her life, sometimes without her consent.

Sent packing
She doesn’t want or need them in her life any longer.

What do they expect?
She doesn’t understand why they keep coming back despite being unwanted.

So grasping
They take too much or demand too much from her life.

So lacking
They don’t bring enough or give enough to make their presence worthwhile.

Why not be direct?
She’d rather they tell her what they want instead of trying to grab things from her life sneakily.

The beating of my heart
Referring to the feeling of anxiety and pain she gets once they leave.

After they depart
Once she’s alone and they’re no longer in her life.

Lying wide awake
She can’t sleep, as her thoughts and worries keep her up.

Through the night
Referring to the hours between sun set and sun rise.

Will you ever come
Referring to the one she truly wants and hopes will stay.

Running home to me?
She wants them to be with her, have a home and not keep her waiting.

You might... You might...
Hopeful expectation that the one she loves may return.

I've believed so long
She’s been patiently waiting for them to come into her life for a long time.

I have dared to hope
She has been brave enough to wish and dream that they will finally come.

That the door might open
The barrier between them might finally break down.

And that you might enter
The one she loves will come into her life as she’s been waiting for them.

Playing hide and seek
A common activity which represents the pursuit of the one she loves.

Kisses on my cheek
Physical and emotional expression of love.

The lamps begin to glow
The indoor lights are switched on and the darkness recedes.

In my heart, I know
She has feelings for the one she loves.

You’re a lie that I've waited for
The hope of love is becoming less real and almost a lie to her.

Tell them all to go
She needs all the unwanted strangers to leave her life, so as to make space for someone special.

Tell them all - no more!
She wants a new beginning and the one she truly loves.

Tell them I close the door
She is cutting off all the negativity and toxic people in her life to find joy and love with the one she truly wants and hopes for.