No Place For You
Paul Westerberg Lyrics


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Nobody claims to
See it coming
Nobody blames you
Can't help thinking

A marriage license, a job was waiting
By your mid-30's
You feel unholy

no place for you
To be a girl
No place for you
They closed your world

No place for you
To live and grow
No place for you
That I know

approaching mirrors
Waiting tables
Fix your lipstick
Don't disappoint those
Who have nothing to do this evening
No day is safe from thoughts of you leaving

no place for you
To be a girl
No place for you
They closed your world

No place for you
To live and grow
No place for you
That I know

Just add water
Someone's done for
I'm getting nervous and there's one more
Just add water
Someone's done for
I'm getting nervous there goes one more

No day is safe from thoughts of you leaving
Marriage license
Can't help thinking
It's all for nothing
She's so unholy
Up in the skies now
She's getting away

No place for you
To be a girl
No place for you
They closed your world

No place for you
To live and grow




No place for you
That I know

Overall Meaning

The song "No Place For You" by Paul Westerberg is a poignant take on the struggles of a woman in a society that restricts her personal and professional growth. The lyrics suggest that the woman in question perhaps had a conventional life mapped out for her, including marriage and a stable job, but as she grew older, she may have realized that she was trapped in this life and that it wasn't fulfilling her true potential. The song suggests that her struggles were not apparent to anyone around her, and that she had to quietly endure the pain and sadness of her situation.


The repeated chorus "no place for you" is a powerful statement that highlights the lack of options and opportunities available to women, particularly those who don't conform to traditional gender roles. Westerberg's use of the phrase suggests that society has created a situation that is not sustainable or fair, and that change is necessary. The song also suggests that the woman in question might have been forced to adopt a persona or identity that wasn't truly reflective of who she was, making her feel alone and isolated.


Line by Line Meaning

Nobody claims to
Nobody admits or professes


See it coming
To foresee or anticipate the negative events about to occur


Nobody blames you
No one assigns culpability or wrongdoing to you


Can't help thinking
Unable to suppress thoughts or suspicions


A marriage license, a job was waiting
After obtaining a marriage license, a job was secured


By your mid-30's
By the age of thirty-five


You feel unholy
Feeling impious or sinful


no place for you
There is no appropriate place for you


To be a girl
To exist and perform cultural gender roles and expectations assigned to females


They closed your world
Others restricted and shut down your possibilities and potentialities


To live and grow
To experience and flourish in the processes of living and maturation


That I know
From my knowledge and understanding


Approaching mirrors
Walking towards reflective surfaces


Waiting tables
Attending to customers in a restaurant as a server


Fix your lipstick
Adjusting your makeup by applying lipstick to your lips


Don't disappoint those
Do not disillusion, frustrate, or let down those individuals


Who have nothing to do this evening
Individuals looking for social activities to occupy themselves tonight


No day is safe from thoughts of you leaving
On any day, the idea of your departure lingers in the minds of others


Just add water
The addition of water is sufficient; no further effort is needed


Someone's done for
Someone has completed all they can, and their demise is forthcoming


I'm getting nervous and there's one more
I am feeling anxious, and one more person is about to follow a similar fate


Up in the skies now
Now elevated in the atmosphere


She's getting away
She is escaping and becoming free from her oppression


It's all for nothing
The efforts were inefficacious and pointless


She's so unholy
She is reprehensible, immoral and profane




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: PAUL WESTERBERG

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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