Paul Collins' Beat have been making music for more than 30 years and are often called "The Godfathers Of Power Pop." Power Pop is a form of punk rock that combines rythm and blues and 60s rock sounds such as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and The Byrds with the raw energy of notable punk and garage rock acts such as MC5 and Iggy Pop & The Stooges.
With encouragement from his longtime friend Dee Dee Ramone of The Ramones, lead singer Paul Collins began work on new material for a future Paul Collins' Beat album nearly 12 years ago. This year, Paul Collins' Beat have released the all-new studio album entitled "Flying High," in addition to the new live album "Live In Europe," currently available as a FREE mp3 download album CD on the band's website.
Paul Collins' Beat have toured the world, playing with acts such as The Cure, The Jam (with Paul Weller), The Police (with Sting), Huey Lewis & The News, Joe Jackson and Eddie Money amongst many others.
Paul Collins' Beat originally formed in 1977 and appeared on the Caddyshack motion picture soundtrack. The Beat changed their name to Paul Collins' Beat to avoid confusion when a British Ska Band (The English Beat) were at one point using the same moniker. Paul Collins and The Beat have released 10 albums worldwide and continue to tour the continents, concentrating primarily on USA, Europe, Japan and Mexico.
Don't Wait Up for Me
Paul Collins Lyrics
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No don't wait up for me tonight
I shut the door
I feel my feet up on the ground
Walk out
Walk on
Soon I disappear and I will be gone
I tried to save
So I will leave
You got to make it on your own anyway
Yeah I tried but I just can't find a way
So I'm going so far, far, far away
I won't be back
No matter what you say
Don't wait up for me
Don't wait up for me
Tonight
Tonight
I will be so far, far, away
Out on the road
There is no place that's home for me
Yeah I tried but I just can't find a way
So I'm going so far, far, far away
I won't be back
No matter what you say
Don't wait up for me
Don't wait up for me
Tonight
Don't wait up for me tonight
No don't wait up for me tonight
I tried to save
But you would never listen anyway
So I will leave
I got to make it on my own anyway
Yeah I tried but I just can't find a way
So I'm going so far, far, far away
I won't be back
No matter what you say
Don't wait up for me
Don't wait up for me no no
Wait up for me tonight
No don't wait up for me tonight
The lyrics to Paul Collins's song "Don't Wait Up for Me" seem to be about a person who is leaving their significant other, telling them not to wait up for them as they won't be coming back. The person feels like they've tried to save the relationship, but their partner never listened anyway. The singer expresses a sense of resignation and uncertainty, saying that they'll be going "so far, far, far away" and that there is "no place that's home for me." The lyrics suggest that the person has made the decision to leave in order to make it on their own, and they seem to be telling their partner that they need to do the same.
One possible interpretation of the song is that it's about the singer's own experiences as a musician, constantly on the road and unable to find a sense of stability or connection with anyone. The repetition of the phrase "far, far, far away" suggests a sense of distance and disconnection, and the idea that there is "no place that's home" for the singer could be a reflection of the isolating nature of touring. The line "I won't be back no matter what you say" could also be interpreted as a statement about the sacrifices that are necessary to pursue a career in music--the idea that once you're on the road, there's no turning back.
Overall, the lyrics to "Don't Wait Up for Me" convey a sense of sadness and resignation, but also a determination to move forward and make a new life. By telling their partner not to wait up for them, the singer is acknowledging the pain that their departure will cause, but also saying that it's necessary for both of them to find their own paths in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't wait up for me tonight
I won't be coming home tonight, please don't stay up waiting for me.
No don't wait up for me tonight
I need you to understand that I won't be back tonight and it's best if you don't wait up.
I shut the door
I'm leaving and I don't plan on coming back anytime soon.
I feel my feet up on the ground
I'm walking away and every step I take is leading me further from you.
Walk out
I'm walking out the door and out of your life.
Walk on
I have to keep moving forward, even if it means leaving you behind.
Soon I disappear and I will be gone
I will be gone from your life soon and you won't be able to find me.
I tried to save
I wanted to help you, but you didn't want to listen to me.
But you would never listen anyway
No matter what I said, you refused to listen to me or take my advice.
So I will leave
I have to leave you behind and take care of myself.
You got to make it on your own anyway
You need to learn to take care of yourself because I won't always be there to help you.
Yeah I tried but I just can't find a way
I did my best to help us both, but I couldn't find a solution.
So I'm going so far, far, far away
I have to leave and go somewhere far away to start over.
I won't be back
I'm not coming back, at least not anytime soon.
No matter what you say
Even if you try to convince me to come back, it won't change my mind.
Tonight
This is happening tonight and there's no stopping it.
I will be so far, far, away
I will be going to a place so far away from here.
Out on the road
I'm leaving and heading out on a journey to find myself.
There is no place that's home for me
I don't feel like I belong anywhere and I need to find my place in the world.
Don't wait up for me no no
Please don't wait up for me, I need to go on this journey alone.
Wait up for me tonight
Please wait for me tonight, but in reality, I know I can't ask that of you.
Writer(s): Paul Collins
Contributed by Brooklyn B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.