Passed You By
Mike Oldfield Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

And whatever happened to the girl we used to know?
Oh, the one with the mousy hair.
All fumbling for love in the back of the car
But you never quite found it there.


And the randy old barmaid, she's gone in after you
To the man with the satin bow tie,
Who looks down his nose as he serves out the booze
And he'd rather you passed him by.


Passed him by.
And he'd rather you passed him by.


And whatever happened to the deals we used to make
Watch your hands, there's a copper about!
Ah, the pub's not the same since they changed the name
And the bankers look shiny and smart.


And there's no friends left, they've all married and gone
And they live on the edge of the town.
All part of the team in the country club scene
And they'd rather you passed them by.


Passed them by.
And they'd rather you passed them by.


So you've fled to the city for to find a new scene,
With the posers and the girls with fast cars
And the rock-and-roll boys with their electrified toys
And the managers pass cigars.


And your out on your own and you've found a new bone.
Going back was crazy, I did.
When your making your name, things we'll never stay the same,
And it's better you passed them by.


Passed them by.
And it's better you passed them by.


Passed them by.
And it's better you passed them by.


And whatever happened to the girl we used to know?
Oh, the one with the mousy hair.
All fumbling for love on the park bench out tonight,
But you never quite found it there.


And the randy old barmaid, she's gone in after you
To the man with the satin bow tie,
Who looks down his nose as he serves out the booze
And he'd rather you passed him by.


Passed him by.
And he'd rather you passed him by.






Passed him by.
And he'd rather you passed him by.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Mike Oldfield's song "Passed You By" reflect on the passage of time and the changes that come with it. The singer questions the fate of the girl with "mousy hair" he used to know, who was always searching for love but never found it in the back of the car. The lyrics also describe how the local pub is not what it used to be since it changed its name and the clientele became flashy bankers with shiny suits who would rather be passed by. The singer realizes that his old friends have moved on and married, living in the suburbs and attending country club events, where he is not welcome. He has fled to the city and found a new scene among the posers, fast cars, and rock-and-roll boys with their electrified toys. The chorus repeats the line "And it's better you passed them by" suggesting that sometimes it's better to move on and not hold onto the past.


The lyrics to "Passed You By" capture a sense of nostalgia and the inevitable changes that come with the passage of time. The song reflects on the different stages of life and how we must adapt to different environments and people. The lyrics also evoke a sense of regret for missed opportunities and a desire to move forward and find something new. Overall, the song speaks to the universal experiences of growing up and moving on, while acknowledging the bittersweet feelings that come with these changes.


Line by Line Meaning

And whatever happened to the girl we used to know?
What became of the girl we used to be friends with?


Oh, the one with the mousy hair.
I am referring to the girl who had dull, mousy hair.


All fumbling for love in the back of the car
We used to be awkward and unsure while trying to find love in the backseat of a car.


But you never quite found it there.
Unluckily, we never quite succeeded in finding love in that place.


And the randy old barmaid, she's gone in after you
The sexually aggressive old woman who works at the bar has gone to pursue you.


To the man with the satin bow tie,
The man wearing a fancy satin bow tie is her target.


Who looks down his nose as he serves out the booze
The bartender dislikes his customers and provides them drinks with contempt.


And he'd rather you passed him by.
The bartender hopes you will avoid him entirely.


And whatever happened to the deals we used to make
I wonder what happened to the promises and agreements we made before.


Watch your hands, there's a copper about!
Be careful not to get caught by the police officer patrolling this area!


Ah, the pub's not the same since they changed the name
The pub feels very different now that its name has been altered.


And the bankers look shiny and smart.
The bankers appear to be well-dressed and professional.


And there's no friends left, they've all married and gone
There isn't anybody remaining from our group of friends, as they're all now married and living elsewhere.


And they live on the edge of the town.
They've settled on the outskirts of the city.


All part of the team in the country club scene
They're now members of a country club and actively engaged in its community.


And they'd rather you passed them by.
They would prefer you keep your distance and not get involved in their activities.


So you've fled to the city for to find a new scene,
You've gone to the city in search of new experiences.


With the posers and the girls with fast cars
You've met some vain people and girls who like speed.


And the rock-and-roll boys with their electrified toys
You've encountered some rock musicians with their electric instruments.


And the managers pass cigars.
The managers or bosses of that place smoke cigars.


And your out on your own and you've found a new bone.
Now you're completely independent and have acquired a new lover.


Going back was crazy, I did.
Returning to my previous relationships would be insane, and I know that now.


When your making your name, things we'll never stay the same,
When you're trying to be successful, things will inevitably change and evolve.


And it's better you passed them by.
It's better if you move on and leave the past behind you.


Passed them by.
You have left them behind in the past.


And whatever happened to the girl we used to know?
What happened to our former friend?


Oh, the one with the mousy hair.
I'm talking about the girl with plain, mousy hair.


All fumbling for love on the park bench out tonight,
She was trying to find love on a park bench on this particular night.


But you never quite found it there.
Unfortunately, she was not able to find love in that place either.


And the randy old barmaid, she's gone in after you
The lustful old woman from the pub is now trying to attract you.


To the man with the satin bow tie,
She has turned her sights on the gentleman in the fancy bow tie.


Who looks down his nose as he serves out the booze
The bartender is disdainful of his customers as he serves their drinks.


And he'd rather you passed him by.
The bartender prefers that you avoid him entirely.


Passed him by.
You've chosen to ignore the bartender and move on.


And he'd rather you passed him by.
The bartender still hopes you will avoid him entirely.


Passed him by.
And indeed, you have continued to ignore the bartender.




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS

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Comments from YouTube:

Carsten Grunwald

love this song, I heard it after my mother died in 1993. In the car, on the way home from the hospital. I can't get it out of my mind! It was 3:30 a.m.! Thanks for this song! I will never forget him!

Alan Moorhouse

This is a very likeable version of the song. I am not sure which my favourite is. I used to like the live, acoustic version with Paul Downes. The Arizona Smoke Revue did a fine version too. It's a smashing song and it's always good to hear Phil sing.

Steve Scott

Fantastic! First time I've ever heard this at the proper speed.

xyzzy450

First heard this on a Transatlantic Sampler LP over half a century ago!!! Still brilliant.

pontus henriksson

Simply a brilliant song❤

Peter Hell

So good to hear this song. Listening to it reminds me that there was once a time when people could make good music. Long ago...

Miguel Ángel Humanes

Gracias por subir esta canción con tan buena calidad! Thanks you!

chrisq78

Beautiful song!

Jan Johannes Doff

Great song!

NNPT Piano Tutorials and Entertainment

Lovely

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