A brief summary of Paul's work over the past decades as listed on Wikipedia… Read Full Bio ↴A brief summary of Paul's work over the past decades as listed on Wikipedia:

Paul Carrack (born April 22, 1951 in Sheffield, England) is an English keyboardist, singer and songwriter. Carrack has had multiple careers which have overlapped over the last three-plus decades. He has been a member of several bands including Ace, Squeeze, and Mike + The Mechanics, been a session and touring musician for several others, and has enjoyed success as a solo artist as well. His distinctive voice shows up on some of his affiliated bands' best-known hits.

If I were you
Paul Carrack Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

If I were you
I wouldn't hurt the ones you love the way you do
I wouldn't make them cry
If I were you

I would learn to see the other point of view
You don't even try
Let's say that you were me

We'd do things differently

Cut out all the fear and lies
Then maybe you could see
The possibility to compromise
If I were you

I would look at all the quarrelling we do
'Cause that's no help at all
If I were you
I would give a little credit where it's due

That would be my call
Let's say that you were me
We'd do things differently
And cut out all the hurt and pain

Then maybe you could see
The possibility to love again
If I had the choice
You would make yourself heard

Without raising your voice
In my master plan
You could get your own way
Without raising your hand

I don't want to be the one
Getting it wrong time after time
I no longer want to play games
For any reason or rhyme

Nobody's asking you to do something
You don't want to do
If I were you
I wouldn't hurt the ones you love the way you do

I wouldn't make them cry
If I were you
I would learn to see the other point of view
But you don't even try

If I were you
If I were you
If I were you

If I were you
If I were you

Overall Meaning

The song "If I Were You" by Paul Carrack is the singer's poignant plea to a loved one who is hurting those closest to them. The lyrics exhort the person to look at the situation from the other person's point of view and to make an effort to compromise instead of causing pain and disunity. Carrack sings that if he were in the person's position, he would cut out the fear, lies, hurt, and pain and create a master plan where everyone could get their own way without raising their voice or hand. However, he is no longer willing to play games or get things wrong time after time.

The song's message is one of empathy and understanding, and it highlights the need for people to put themselves in others' shoes and strive for compromise and communication in relationships. It also acknowledges the difficulty that people face when trying to see things from a different perspective and accept others' points of view. The repeated refrain of "If I were you" emphasizes the idea that the person's actions are causing harm and stress and urges them to reconsider their behavior.

The song has a simple yet effective melody that complements the lyrics well, and Carrack's gravelly voice adds an emotional intensity to the delivery. It is a timeless song that has resonated with many people over the years and continues to be a favorite among his fans.

Line by Line Meaning

If I were you
If I were in your position

I wouldn't hurt the ones you love the way you do
I would refrain from causing emotional pain to those you care about as you currently do

I wouldn't make them cry
I would not cause them to weep

If I were you
If I was in your shoes

I would learn to see the other point of view
I would be willing to understand and appreciate the perspective of others

You don't even try
But you don't attempt to do so

Let's say that you were me
Suppose the roles were reversed

We'd do things differently
We would act in a different way

Cut out all the fear and lies
Eliminate all anxiety and falsehoods

Then maybe you could see
Perhaps you would be able to perceive

The possibility to compromise
The chance to reach a midway point

If I were you
If I were in your place

I would look at all the quarrelling we do
I would examine all the arguments we engage in

'Cause that's no help at all
Because it provides no benefit whatsoever

If I were you
If I were in your position

I would give a little credit where it's due
I would acknowledge when someone deserves praise or recognition

That would be my call
That is the action I would take

Let's say that you were me
Assuming that you were in my place

We'd do things differently
We would adopt different methods

And cut out all the hurt and pain
And eliminate all the emotional suffering

Then maybe you could see
Perhaps you could understand

The possibility to love again
The opportunity to experience love once more

If I had the choice
If I had the power to choose

You would make yourself heard
You would express yourself verbally

Without raising your voice
Without having to shout

In my master plan
According to my well-considered scheme

You could get your own way
You could have your desired outcome

Without raising your hand
Without needing to resort to physical force

I don't want to be the one
I do not wish to be the person

Getting it wrong time after time
Constantly making mistakes

I no longer want to play games
I no longer want to engage in any form of manipulation or deceit

For any reason or rhyme
For any cause or motive

Nobody's asking you to do something
No one is demanding you to take any action

You don't want to do
You do not desire to do

If I were you
If I were in your situation

I wouldn't hurt the ones you love the way you do
I would avoid inflicting emotional pain on those you care about as you do now

I wouldn't make them cry
I would not cause tears to flow

If I were you
If I were in your position

I would learn to see the other point of view
I would endeavor to comprehend the perspective of others

But you don't even try
But you do not even make an effort to do so

If I were you
If I were in your shoes

If I were you
If I was in your position

If I were you
If I were in your place

If I were you
If I were in your situation

If I were you
If I were in your position

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: PAUL CARRACK

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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