In the 90's Smyth wrote music for several movie soundtracks and was nominated for a Grammy and an Academy award for her song "Look What Love Has Done" from the 1994 Arnold Schwarzenegger movie "Junior".
She dated fellow New York musician Richard Hell (lead singer of Television and Richard Hell and the Voidoids) for two years, and they had a child together. Smyth married professional tennis player John McEnroe in 1997.
Out There
Patty Smyth Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On the Coney Island Coast, I remember the way
She stood in the cold
With the sun in her hair
Me and my brother were standing by
I remember my mother started to cry
Liz just looked at the sea
I said, now Lizzy can you tell me what you see
And tell me why
You keep a looking
Out there
Why you keep searching
Out there
When everything you'll ever want or need
Is right here, with me
Yeah and I took a ride with whoever would ask
I looked for the future, was done with the past and the present
Hey that was just something to get through
And the nights went by
And the years went too
My life was a mirror
The reflection was you
And at the end of the day
My voice was so far away
Ooh but maybe you could tell me who I am
And tell me why
I keep a looking
Out there
Why I keep searching
Out there
For something you can't taste or touch or see
No no no
'Cause it's right here, in me
And I know it's all an illusion
You see what you want to see
And I know, I know, ain't nothing gonna rescue me now
I can take all this confusion
I just want to be here now
And everything you'll want or need
I know
It's right here
I keep a looking
Out there
I keep reaching
Out there
For something you can't taste, touch, or see
No no no
'Cause it's right
I said
Na na na
Na na na
Na na na
Out there
Na
Na
It's always right here
The song "Out There" by Patty Smyth tells a story of Lizzy getting married on Christmas Day at Coney Island Coast. The singer reminisces about the memory and how Lizzy stood in the cold with the sun in her hair while he and his brother stood by watching. The singer's mother started to cry while Lizzy looked towards the sea, a million miles away. The singer then asks Lizzy what she sees and why she keeps searching out there when everything she ever wants or needs is right here.
The song progresses with the singer recalling his own experiences, taking rides with whoever would ask, searching for the future, and being done with the past and present. He reflects on how his life mirrors that of the person he is addressing. He then longs for the person to tell him who he is and why he keeps searching out there. The singer ultimately comes to the realization that what he is looking for is right here, and everything he'll ever want or need is within himself.
The song's lyrics offer a commentary on the human condition and how we are often searching for something that isn't tangible or doesn't really exist. It suggests that what we are searching for is always within ourselves, and it's up to us to recognize it. It's a beautiful song with profound meaning that encourages us to look within ourselves and find the answers we have been searching for instead of looking elsewhere.
Line by Line Meaning
Lizzy got married on Christmas Day
The singer recalls how Lizzy got married on Christmas Day
On the Coney Island Coast, I remember the way
The singer remembers the wedding day vividly being held on the Coney Island Coast
She stood in the cold
The singer remembers how Lizzy was standing in the cold during her wedding day
With the sun in her hair
The artist recalls how the sun was shining on Lizzy's hair during her wedding day
Me and my brother were standing by
The artist and her brother were present during Lizzy's wedding day
I remember my mother started to cry
The singer remembers how her mother started to cry during Lizzy's wedding day
Liz just looked at the sea
The singer recalls how Lizzy was looking at the sea
A million miles away
Lizzy was lost in thought, far away from the surrounding environment
I said, now Lizzy can you tell me what you see
The artist asks Lizzy what she sees while staring out at the sea
And tell me why
You keep a looking
Out there
Why you keep searching
Out there
When everything you'll ever want or need
Is right here, with me
The artist wonders why Lizzy is looking for something far away when everything she could ever want or need is here with them
Yeah and I took a ride with whoever would ask
I looked for the future, was done with the past and the present
Hey that was just something to get through
And the nights went by
And the years went too
The singer describes how they went through life taking a ride with whoever was available while looking for their future and moving on from the past and present
My life was a mirror
The reflection was you
The artist's life was a reflection of their relationship with Lizzy
And at the end of the day
My voice was so far away
At the end of the day, the singer felt distant from themselves
Ooh but maybe you could tell me who I am
And tell me why
I keep a looking
Out there
The singer asks Lizzy to help them understand who they are and why they keep searching for something far away
Why I keep searching
Out there
For something you can't taste or touch or see
No no no
'Cause it's right here, in me
The singer wonders why they keep searching for something they can't experience when what they're looking for is within them
And I know it's all an illusion
You see what you want to see
The artist acknowledges that what they're searching for is an illusion and one sees what they want to see
And I know, I know, ain't nothing gonna rescue me now
I can take all this confusion
I just want to be here now
The artist knows that nothing is going to rescue them from their confusion and all they want is to be present in the moment
And everything you'll want or need
I know
It's right here
I keep a looking
Out there
The singer understands that everything that Lizzy will ever want or need is right here with them, yet they keep looking for something far away
I keep reaching
Out there
For something you can't taste, touch, or see
No no no
'Cause it's right
I said
Na na na
Na na na
Na na na
Out there
Na
Na
It's always right here
The singer realizes that they shouldn't be reaching for something they can't have or experience and what they're looking for is always present around them
Lyrics © Songtrust Ave
Written by: KEN BLOCK, JEFF BERES, ANDREW COPELAND, RYAN CARTER NEWELL, MARK E. TROJANOWSKI, AL BLOCK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind