Baby Learns To Crawl
Paul Westerberg Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Baby learns to crawl
Watching daddy's skin
Learns to fall
Get up again

Baby learns to cry
Watching mama's smile
In the mirror
Can you hear her

Baby learns to swear
With your hair
Learns to love
Watching t.v

Baby learns to cope with
What she sees
In the mirror
Don't go near her (nearer?)

Baby learns to hide
Down on your knees
Learns to pray when
Somebody sneezes
Baby don't you say you love me
In the mirror

One last crushing blow
A final crashing bore
And it's always time to go
As you're inching to the door
(let's go)

Baby learns to live
Watching daddy's life
Baby learns to give
Everything away

Baby learns to cry
It's alright
In the mirror
Baby learn to crawl

Watching daddy's skin




Baby learns to crawl
Watching daddy's skin

Overall Meaning

The song "Baby Learns To Crawl" by Paul Westerberg is a poignant exploration of the process of growing up and learning to navigate the world. The lyrics trace the journey of a child as she learns to crawl, cry, swear, love, cope, hide, and live – all through the lessons and examples set by her parents. The opening line, "Baby learns to crawl, watching daddy's skin," sets the scene for the rest of the song, as the child observes and imitates the actions and behaviors of her parents.


As she progresses through the stages of development, the child looks to her parents for guidance, sometimes finding solace and comfort in their love and affection, and other times recoiling from the darkness and pain that they hold within them. The lyrics "Baby learns to cry, watching mama's smile, in the mirror, can you hear her?" capture the complex emotions of a child who sees both the joy and sorrow in her mother's face, and who is beginning to recognize her own reflection in the world around her.


Throughout the song, there is a sense of both wonder and danger, as the child learns to navigate the mysteries of life. The lines "Baby learns to swear, with your hair, learns to love, watching TV" hint at the conflicting messages that the child receives from the adults in her life, as she grapples with the concepts of love and anger, beauty and ugliness, right and wrong.


Ultimately, the song suggests that the journey towards maturity is one of self-discovery and resilience, as the child learns to pick herself up after each fall and keep moving forward. This message is beautifully captured in the final verse, as the child "learns to give everything away," embodying the spirit of generosity and compassion that will carry her through the challenges of life.


Line by Line Meaning

Baby learns to crawl
The baby starts learning how to move around on four limbs.


Watching daddy's skin
The baby is observing how daddy moves to learn how to crawl himself.


Learns to fall
The baby is bound to fall when learning how to crawl and tries to get back up again.


Get up again
The baby doesn't give up when he falls and tries to get back up to learn to crawl again.


Baby learns to cry
The baby learns how to express their feelings looking at their mother's face.


Watching mama's smile
The baby is observing their mother's smile to learn when it is appropriate to cry or smile.


In the mirror
The baby is looking at their own reflection to understand their emotional expressions better.


Can you hear her
The baby is asking if their mother can see the same thing as they can when looking in the mirror.


Baby learns to swear
The baby starts picking up foul language and other influences from their environment and people around them.


With your hair
The baby is using their mother's hair to learn how to grab and pull things.


Learns to love
The baby learns how to love things (such as TV) from watching their parents.


Watching t.v
The baby is looking at the TV for a long time and tries to figure out what's happening on the screen.


Baby learns to cope with
The baby starts learning how to deal with the things she sees and experiences around her.


What she sees
The baby is trying to make sense of what's happening around her and how to process the information she's getting.


Don't go near her (nearer?)
The baby is warning somebody not to go near her because she's trying to process her thoughts.


Baby learns to hide
The baby starts learning how to hide or protect herself (such as getting down on the knees).


Down on your knees
The baby is protecting herself from something she perceives as dangerous by getting down on the ground.


Learns to pray when
The baby starts learning to pray as a coping mechanism when someone sneezes and to express thankfulness for not getting sick.


Somebody sneezes
The baby associates a sneeze with something that could be considered dangerous, like getting sick.


Baby don't you say you love me
The baby is too young to understand the true meaning of love and is learning how to express things they don't fully understand yet.


In the mirror
The baby is exploring their emotions and attempting to understand how they feel by looking at their reflection.


One last crushing blow
Something happens that has a significant impact on the baby's development and psyche.


A final crashing bore
The baby is forced into a situation that is monotonous, unpleasant, or uneventful in their eyes, which can crush their mental and emotional development.


And it's always time to go
The baby knows when it's time to move on from a situation, and when it's time to try something new.


As you're inching to the door
The baby is ready to leave a situation and is moving towards the door, inch by inch.


Baby learns to live
The baby starts learning how to live life by looking at their father's life.


Watching daddy's life
The baby is observing how their father moves in life, what they do, and how they interact with different situations.


Baby learns to give
The baby starts learning how to be generous watching how their father gives away things and experiences in his life.


Everything away
The baby is learning how to be generous and not hold on to things too tightly.


It's alright
The baby is learning how to cope with different situations and emotions and that it's okay to feel sad or cry.


Baby learn to crawl
The baby is encouraged to keep trying to learn and develop by crawling while trying to explore things around her.




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: PAUL WESTERBERG

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Lawrence Frauens

Paul just gets better!

Scott Harkness

The SHIT !

Powell Pressburger

Stereo was so great, a wonderful record, better than most Replacements albums, which always had their share of filler.

Spencer Coe

Powell Pressburger ...were you listening to a different Replacements?

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