Slipping Away
Richard Marx Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

I said I wouldn't cry
The day you say goodbye
It's not like I'll never see you again
I guess the things you need
You just can't get from me
But you still can reach out to me now and then

My head is spinning round
All my defenses down
I have held the world in my hands
But I can't keep you from slipping away,

If time will show me grace
And you to a better place
Then I can live knowing it wasn't in vain
It hurts so much to know when love means letting go
And no one can tell me that they've felt my pain

No strength can stop you now
Will someone show me how
How to live it over again
'cause I can't keep you from slipping away

I will never break your power over me
I could never shake the thought of you burning in my mind
You're all I see

Repeat Chorus





Oh, I can't keep you from slipping away
Oh, Slipping away,

Overall Meaning

The lyrics for Richard Marx's song Slipping Away reflect the pain and heartbreak of losing someone you love. The singer expresses the difficulty of letting go and the pain that comes with knowing that the person they love is slipping away. The opening lines, "I said I wouldn't cry, the day you say goodbye, it's not like I'll never see you again," convey the sense of denial that comes with a breakup. The singer acknowledges that they will see their lover again, but it doesn't make the situation any easier.


The singer recognizes that their partner needs certain things that they cannot provide, but there is still hope that they can reach out to each other from time to time. The lyrics, "I guess the things you need, you just can't get from me, but you still can reach out to me now and then" show a glimmer of hope that maybe they can still maintain some kind of connection.


As the song progresses, the singer's pain becomes more evident. They feel like their world is spinning out of control and their defenses are down. They have held so much power in their hands, but they cannot keep their lover from slipping away. The chorus repeats this idea, emphasizing the sense of loss and helplessness that the singer is feeling.


The second verse is almost an acceptance of things as they are. The singer hopes that time will show them grace and that their lover will find a better place. They accept that love sometimes means letting go, and no one can truly understand the pain they're feeling. However, the pain is still there, and the singer can't find the strength to stop their lover from slipping away.


Overall, the lyrics to Slipping Away are powerful and emotional, reflecting the turmoil that comes with losing someone you love. The song is a great example of how music can convey complex emotions and experiences.


Line by Line Meaning

I said I wouldn't cry
I made a promise to myself that I would not cry, but now I find myself in tears.


The day you say goodbye
The day you said goodbye to me, I knew that everything was going to change.


It's not like I'll never see you again
Although you're leaving my life, it's not like we'll never cross paths in the future.


I guess the things you need
I assume that there are certain things that you need in your life.


You just can't get from me
As much as I would like to provide everything you need, there are some things that I simply cannot give.


But you still can reach out to me now and then
Even though we are going our separate ways, you can still reach out to me from time to time if you need anything.


My head is spinning round
My mind is in a state of confusion and chaos.


All my defenses down
I am vulnerable and defenseless, with no protection from the pain I feel.


I have held the world in my hands
I have felt powerful and in control of everything around me.


But I can't keep you from slipping away
No matter how hard I try, I can't prevent you from leaving my life and slipping away from my grasp.


If time will show me grace
If time will be kind to me and heal my wounds.


And you to a better place
And if time will take you to a better place, one where you can find what you need in your life.


Then I can live knowing it wasn't in vain
If time will be kind to both of us, then I can live with the knowledge that our time together wasn't a waste.


It hurts so much to know when love means letting go
It's painful to accept that sometimes loving someone means letting them go, even if it hurts us.


And no one can tell me that they've felt my pain
No one can truly understand the pain and heartache that I feel in this moment.


No strength can stop you now
I have no power or strength to keep you from leaving me.


Will someone show me how
I need someone to show me how to cope with this pain and heartache.


How to live it over again
I wish I could go back in time and relive our relationship, hoping that things would turn out differently.


'cause I can't keep you from slipping away
No matter what I do or say, I can't prevent you from slipping away from me and our relationship.


I will never break your power over me
Even though you are leaving me, your power and influence over me still remains strong and unbroken.


I could never shake the thought of you burning in my mind
I cannot get you out of my mind, the memory of you is constantly present and burning in my thoughts.


You're all I see
No matter where I turn or what I do, you are the only thing that I can see and think about.


Oh, I can't keep you from slipping away
I can't keep you from leaving me, no matter how hard I try.


Oh, Slipping away
Oh, how you are slowly slipping and fading away from me and our relationship.




Contributed by Jason R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

SnazzyBoxx

[ Lyrics ]

Verse 1
I said I wouldn't cry
The day you say goodbye
It's not like I'll never see you again
I guess the things you need
You just can't get from me
But you still can reach out to me now and then

Chorus 1
My head is spinning round
All my defenses down
I have held the world in my hands
But I can't keep you from slipping away

Verse 2
If time will show me grace
And you to a better place
Then I can live knowing it wasn't in vain
It hurts so much to know when love means letting go
And no one can tell me that they've felt my pain

Chorus 2
No strength can stop you now
Will someone show me how
How to live it over again
Cause I can't keep you from slipping away

Bridge
I will never break your power over me
I could never shake the thought of you burning in my mind
You're all I see

Chorus 1

Oh, I can't keep you from slipping away
Oh..
From slipping away



Al Vazquez

I said I wouldn't cry
The day you say goodbye
It's not like I'll never see you again
I guess the things you need
You just can't get from me
But you still can reach out to me now and then


My head is spinning round
All my defenses down
I have held the world in my hands
But I can't keep you from slipping away,

If time will show me grace
And you to a better place
Then I can live knowing it wasn't in vain
It hurts so much to know when love means letting go
And no one can tell me that they've felt my pain

No strength can stop you now
Will someone show me how
How to live it over again
'cause I can't keep you from slipping away

I will never break your power over me
I could never shake the thought of you burning in my mind
You're all I see



Oh, I can't keep you from slipping away
Oh, Slipping away



All comments from YouTube:

Mary Nongbri

What a soulful connection..it takes me back to the dying moments of my beloved husband..this song accompanied the days of my solitude when I was so much in grief...I know he is always around me and my 4 children to this day.

SnazzyBoxx

[ Lyrics ]

Verse 1
I said I wouldn't cry
The day you say goodbye
It's not like I'll never see you again
I guess the things you need
You just can't get from me
But you still can reach out to me now and then

Chorus 1
My head is spinning round
All my defenses down
I have held the world in my hands
But I can't keep you from slipping away

Verse 2
If time will show me grace
And you to a better place
Then I can live knowing it wasn't in vain
It hurts so much to know when love means letting go
And no one can tell me that they've felt my pain

Chorus 2
No strength can stop you now
Will someone show me how
How to live it over again
Cause I can't keep you from slipping away

Bridge
I will never break your power over me
I could never shake the thought of you burning in my mind
You're all I see

Chorus 1

Oh, I can't keep you from slipping away
Oh..
From slipping away

Amos Sirait

can we just remake this song? what a heavenly song!!

Denise Hedden

🥀Beautiful Song amazing lyrics, vocals and music it's all fantastic 🥀☝️

Rosangela Pellizzari

It´s a great song! touching!

Nerissa Llave

I love listening to Richard Marx songs. His songs makes me more hopeless romantic.

Lev

Best voice, music n lyrics ❤️❤️❤️

Aksara Lerak

This song didn’t exist in any music streaming apps, so I have to play in Youtube. How unlucky.. This song is memorable for me 😭

Ibenk Metalova

This song was never exist in outside Asia actually, because this song only available as a bonus track for Asia regional only (Japan version). CMIIW

Yudho Pe

Yes, It doesn't exist in spotify

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