Window Shopper
Nickelback Lyrics


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Forever's a lonely time and the dogs aren't always
Aren't always on my mind
'Cause I didn't free them
The scenery is burning me 'cause I'm still in it
So why don't you free me
'Cause its not my business
What he's done to me
Control is all you really need
And I can't believe it
I can't believe that
You didn't see me

Passing glances fall on me
Like screams on deaf ears
They're all laughing at me
With encouraging cheers
What he's done to me
Control is all you really need
And I can't believe it
I can't believe that
You wouldn't free me

Why don't you see me?
Why don't you free me?
I can't believe that
You don't believe me

I guess I had it comin'
My fault for not runnin'
I just dressed too tempting
'Cause your heads fuckin empty





And I can't believe it
I can't believe that you didn't see me

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Nickelback's song "Window Shopper" appear to be an exploration of feeling trapped and unheard, while others are laughing and judging from the outside. The opening lines, "Forever's a lonely time and the dogs aren't always, Aren't always on my mind, 'Cause I didn't free them" suggest that the singer is stuck in a situation they can't escape from - they have a sense of loneliness and metaphorically, they have not freed themselves from their circumstance. The scenery "burning" them implies that it is a difficult or distressing environment to be in. The line that follows, "So why don't you free me," could be interpreted as a plea to an outside person to help them escape.


The chorus of the song repeats the lines, "What he's done to me, Control is all you really need, And I can't believe it, I can't believe that You didn't see me." This could suggest that the singer is a victim of abuse, and their abuser is manipulating and controlling them. The phrase "control is all you really need" could indicate that the abuser is using their power to keep the singer trapped in the relationship. The repetition of the line, "I can't believe that you didn't see me" suggests that the singer feels ignored or unseen by someone who they had hoped would help them.


The second verse continues to explore the idea of being dismissed and judged by others. "Passing glances fall on me, Like screams on deaf ears, They're all laughing at me, With encouraging cheers" shows how people may be watching but not sympathizing or understanding the singer's situation. The lines, "I guess I had it comin', My fault for not runnin', I just dressed too tempting," suggest that the singer may blame themselves for getting into the situation, and they feel that others are judging them for it. The last line of the song, "And I can’t believe that you didn't see me," is repeated throughout as a bleak refrain that emphasizes the feeling of being ignored and unseen.


Line by Line Meaning

Forever's a lonely time and the dogs aren't always
The future is a desolate place and one can't rely on anyone else always being there for support.


Aren't always on my mind
The singer isn't always thinking about others, even those they may have wronged in the past.


'Cause I didn't free them
The singer has a guilty conscience about something they failed to do in the past.


The scenery is burning me 'cause I'm still in it
The environment surrounding the artist is causing them stress and anxiety because they're still stuck in it.


So why don't you free me
The artist is asking someone else for help to escape their current situation.


'Cause its not my business
The singer believes that they are not responsible for the actions of others which has caused their current predicament.


What he's done to me
The singer has been harmed in some way, physically or emotionally, by another person.


Control is all you really need
The person who harmed the artist did so because they wanted to exert their control over them.


And I can't believe it
The artist is in shock that someone could be so evil and controlling towards another person.


I can't believe that
The artist is expressing disbelief at how events have unfolded for them.


You didn't see me
The singer believes that they were invisible to the person who harmed them, or that they were ignored.


Passing glances fall on me
People look at the artist but don't really see them as a person.


Like screams on deaf ears
The singer's pleas for help or attention are ignored.


They're all laughing at me
The singer feels like they are the butt of other people's jokes and ridiculed.


With encouraging cheers
The singer can't tell if the laughter is meant to be friendly or if they are being mocked.


Why don't you see me?
The artist is asking someone to acknowledge their existence and offer them help and support.


Why don't you free me?
The artist is asking someone to help them escape their current circumstances.


I can't believe that
The singer is expressing disbelief at the situation they find themselves in.


You don't believe me
The singer feels like others doubt the truth of their situation, or are not willing to help them despite knowing the truth.


I guess I had it comin'
The artist acknowledges that some of their current situation may be due to their own past mistakes and poor decisions.


My fault for not runnin'
The artist recognizes that they could have made different choices or taken different actions to escape their current situation.


I just dressed too tempting
The artist believes that they may have been targeted because of the way they dressed or presented themselves in a certain way.


'Cause your heads fuckin empty
The person who harmed the singer is described as lacking intelligence or being incapable of empathy towards others.


And I can't believe it
The artist is expressing disbelief at the actions of the person who harmed them and the situation they find themselves in.


I can't believe that you didn't see me
The singer can't believe that others didn't see the signs of abuse or didn't intervene to help them escape their situation.




Lyrics © ZERO-G MUSIC INC., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BRANDON KROEGER, BRANDON HENRY KROEGER, CHAD KROEGER, JEFF BOYD, MICHAEL KROEGER, MICHAEL DOUGLAS HENRY KROEGER, MIKE KROEGER, RYAN PEAKE, RYAN ANTHONY PEAKE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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