Vanish
Paul Young Lyrics


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He'll fall asleep touching her skin
And wake up alone
He'll call out her name in the night
And she will be gone
Just when he thinks he's found
Someone to turn his world around
She'll vanish again
He'll never know how often
She's done this before
There are so many warnings he'll choose
To simply ignore
Just when he thinks he's saved
The same tragic scene is replayed...
She'll vanish again
There'll always be somebody else
Just over the rise
The proof is right there in her eyes
She'll do it to him don't you see
She's done it to me...
And just when he thinks he's found
Someone to turn his world around...
She'll vanish again
Just when he's feeling so sure




And he says that magic word...
She'll vanish again

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Paul Young's song "Vanish" paint a picture of a man who repeatedly falls for a woman who disappears at the slightest sign of intimacy. He falls asleep with her by his side, only to wake up alone. He calls out her name in the night, but she's already gone. This pattern repeats itself over and over, and despite the numerous warnings he receives, he continues to believe that he's found someone who will change his world. But she always disappears again.


The song speaks to the complexity of relationships, and the difficulty of letting go even when we know someone isn't good for us. The man in the song seems to be caught in a cycle of hope and disappointment, always searching for something that ultimately proves elusive. The lyrics suggest that he's not the only one to fall victim to this woman's charms - the singer himself has been hurt by her in the past.


In the end, the song is a cautionary tale about the dangers of ignoring warning signs in our relationships, and the importance of recognizing patterns in our own behavior. It serves as a reminder that sometimes, the best thing we can do for ourselves is to let go and move on.


Line by Line Meaning

He'll fall asleep touching her skin
He feels a sense of intimacy and comfort as he drifts off to sleep next to her


And wake up alone
He wakes up to an empty bed, feeling the loss of the person he fell asleep with


He'll call out her name in the night
In his dreams or half-awake state, he yearns for her presence and calls out to her


And she will be gone
By the time he fully wakes up, she has already left, leaving him feeling abandoned and alone


Just when he thinks he's found
Every time he starts to believe he has a stable relationship and a partner to rely on


Someone to turn his world around
Someone who will bring him out of the loneliness and darkness he has been struggling with


She'll vanish again
She will leave him abruptly, without warning or explanation, and break his heart all over again


He'll never know how often
He can't be certain how frequently she's been doing this to other people, or if he's the only one


There are so many warnings he'll choose
He ignores the obvious red flags and chooses to believe things will be different for him


To simply ignore
He doesn't want to acknowledge the signs that she's not fully committed to the relationship


Just when he thinks he's saved
When he's convinced that he's succeeded in convincing her to stay


The same tragic scene is replayed...
The sadness and disappointment of her departure repeats itself time and time again


There'll always be somebody else
She will always seek out new people to fill her emotional needs, leaving her former partners behind


Just over the rise
She's always looking for the next adventure, the next person to captivate and then abandon


The proof is right there in her eyes
Her eyes reveal a sense of unfulfillment and restlessness, causing others to question her loyalty


She'll do it to him don't you see
She'll repeat this pattern with him, just as she has done with others


She's done it to me...
The singer knows firsthand the pain and disappointment of her disappearing acts


And just when he thinks he's found
He's lured in once more by the possibility of a long-lasting and meaningful relationship


Someone to turn his world around...
Someone who can bring lightness and happiness back into his life


She'll vanish again
But true to form, she'll suddenly leave him alone and heartbroken yet again


Just when he's feeling so sure
When he has started to let his guard down and trust her


And he says that magic word...
Just as he's about to express his deepest feelings and desires


She'll vanish again
She'll vanish, leaving him with a broken heart and empty promises




Contributed by Julia P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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