Where Do You Start
Michael Feinstein Lyrics

Where do you start? How do you separate the present from the past?
The singer is asking how to begin moving on from the past and living in the present.

How do you deal with all the thing you thought would last? That didn't last
The singer wonders how to cope with things that were expected to last forever but came to an end.

With bits of memories scattered here and there
The singer is surrounded by memories that are fragmented and disconnected.

I look around and don't know where to start
The singer is lost and overwhelmed by the prospect of moving on from the past.

Which books are yours?
The singer is trying to untangle their possessions from their ex's after a break-up.

Which tapes and dreams belong to you and which are mine?
The singer is trying to identify which memories and aspirations are specific to them or were shared with their ex.

Our lives are tangled like the branches of a vine that intertwine
The singer's life and their ex's are intertwined and difficult to separate.

So many habits that we'll have to break
The singer acknowledges that they and their ex had habits that must be broken after the break-up.

And yesterday's we'll have to take apart
The singer will have to deconstruct the memories of their past with their ex in order to move forward.

One day there'll be a song or something in the air again
The singer imagines a future when they will unexpectedly be reminded of their ex in a sentimental way.

To catch me by surprise and you'll be there again
The memory of the singer's ex will suddenly come back to them like a surprise.

A moment in what might have been
The memory will evoke a sense of nostalgia for the past and what could have been.

Where do you start? Do you allow yourself a little time to cry?
The singer is wondering whether it's acceptable to mourn the loss of the past before moving on.

Or do you close your eyes and kiss it all goodbye? I guess you try
The singer acknowledges that it's not easy to let go of the past, but that they must try to do so.

And though I don't know where and don't know when
The singer is uncertain about when and how they will move on from the past.

I'll find myself in love again
Despite their uncertainty, the singer is confident that they will fall in love again one day.

I promise there will always be a little place no one will see
The singer assures their ex that they will always hold a special place in their heart, even if it's out of sight.

A tiny part within my heart, that stays in love with you
The singer admits that they will always love their ex, even if they move on from the past.