Pete Yorn (b. July 27, 1974) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist… Read Full Bio ↴Pete Yorn (b. July 27, 1974) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist originally from Montville, New Jersey, United States.

Yorn started as a drummer who also played guitar. In 1990, he was drumming for his band in a high school talent contest when someone suggested he sing the Replacements song "Talent Show." That went over so well, a competing band asked him to sing Neil Young’s "Rockin' In the Free World" with them.

He was first recognized when the Farrelly brothers picked "Strange Condition" for their film Me, Myself & Irene.

He has gained increasing popularity following the use of his song "Just Another" on popular WB television show Dawson's Creek.

Another of his songs, Murray was used in the credits of the film Igby Goes Down

The song "Undercover" was used in the first Spiderman movie and appears on the soundtrack.

The song "Lose You" was used in the closing of an episode of House on Fox.

When You See The Light
Pete Yorn Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

When you see the light
You could imagine
Where you can go
And when you walk outside
You could've had it
You felt alone
You felt alone

So why'd you say those words to him
If you could start over again
When you asked for this
It was a gift, yeah
They let you have
And once you've seen the light
You will remember (you will remember!)
Where you could go (you will remember!)
When you would go away

So why'd you say those words to him
If you could start over again
Yeah, you turn it around
And see how they came to be there
Oh, but you've never seen
The lives in between
No they won't care
No they won't care

And when you tell those words to him
Be sure to start over again
And when you tell those words to him

Just be sure to start over again
Yeah, just be sure to start over again.

Overall Meaning

The song When You See The Light by Pete Yorn is a contemplative piece about decisions and regrets. The first verse sets the scene of someone standing in the dark, feeling lonely and wishing they could imagine a better future. The second verse touches on the idea that sometimes people make choices that they later regret, and they wish they could start over again. The chorus reminds us that once we have seen the light or found a better way, we will always remember where we could go and what we could achieve. The following verses continue to explore the idea of second chances and the idea that sometimes we are passive observers of events beyond our control. The song leaves us with a sense of looking forward with hope and learning from our past experiences.

Overall, the song is a poetic exploration of the human condition, of feeling lost and wishing for something more. It is about finding the courage to start over again, to try again, and to learn from our mistakes.

Line by Line Meaning

When you see the light
When you finally have clarity and understanding

You could imagine
The endless possibilities that come with a new perspective

Where you can go
The doors that have opened for you

And when you walk outside
When you face the world once again

You could've had it
You could've had more in your life

You felt alone
When you were lost and didn't know where to go

So why'd you say those words to him
Why did you say hurtful things to someone else?

If you could start over again
If you could go back in time and change your actions

When you asked for this
You asked for a new perspective in your life

It was a gift, yeah
Your new perspective is a gift in your life

They let you have
Others have given you the opportunity to see things differently