Can't Get Excited
Ruth Brown Lyrics


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Every single feeling now
Would take my life into a year ago
You say you'll love me again
I can't say what I cannot do
It's been too long without someone
How could you let me sink this far away from you
Now you're here, wondering why you can't get near
I can't get excited
Can't get excited
There's a thousand things to do
I can't do anything with you
I can't get excited
Can't get excited
You can see me look right through
I don't feel like I used to do

I'm turning back the pages now
I've pleaded with you oh so many times
Trying just to make you see
Hoping I might be the one
So calm down love, it will be all right
The time to bring back love is not tonight
I never thought I'd have to say
That you should leave and go away

I can't get excited
Can't get excited
There's a thousand things to do
I can't do anything with you
I can't get excited
Can't get excited
You can see me look right through
I don't feel like I used to do

Not in love
Still not in love with you
Not in love
I'm still not in love with you
Not in love
Still not in love with you
Not in love

Tell me why you can't leave me lonely
Tell me why I'm taking a chance on you
Taking a chance you

I can't get excited
Can't get excited
There's a thousand things to do
I can't do anything with you
I can't get excited
Can't get excited




You can see me look right through
I don't feel like I used to do

Overall Meaning

In the song "Can't Get Excited," Ruth Brown is lamenting on the feeling of being unable to connect with a former lover despite their reconciliation. She expresses that every emotion she feels now is reminiscent of a year ago when they were together, and the thought of falling in love with them again terrifies her. Brown addresses her former partner, saying she doesn't know whether she'll be capable of loving them again. She admits that it has been too long since she's had someone in her life, but she can't understand how they allowed her to drift away so much. Finally, seeing that her former partner has come back to her, Brown asks why they can't get close to each other again.


Throughout the song, Brown's tone is melancholic, full of regret, and nostalgia. She acknowledges that there are still plenty of things she could be doing, but she can't seem to excite herself about doing them with her former partner. She seems to have deadened herself to the intense emotions that loving someone requires. She says, "I can't do anything with you," which implies that she is so disenchanted with the relationship and her former partner that she can't bring herself to try to revive it.


Overall, Ruth Brown's "Can't Get Excited" is a relatable reflection of a lost relationship. There is a sense of resignation, mixed with pockets of longing and sadness that many people can relate to. Brown's vocal inflections and the conviction in her words reflect a deep understanding of how we sometimes lose the ability to rekindle a past relationship.


Line by Line Meaning

Every single feeling now
All of my emotions at this moment


Would take my life into a year ago
Would bring me back to where I was a year ago


You say you'll love me again
You claim to have feelings for me once more


I can't say what I cannot do
I can't promise something that I am incapable of


It's been too long without someone
I have been without companionship for too long


How could you let me sink this far away from you
I blame you for allowing me to become so distant from you


Now you're here, wondering why you can't get near
You are confused as to why we are not as close as we used to be


I can't get excited
I am unable to feel enthusiastic


Can't get excited
I cannot muster up any excitement


There's a thousand things to do
There are endless possibilities of things to do


I can't do anything with you
I am unable to do anything enjoyable with you


You can see me look right through
You can tell that I am not fully present


I don't feel like I used to do
I am not feeling the same way that I used to


I'm turning back the pages now
I am reminiscing about the past


I've pleaded with you oh so many times
I have begged you numerous times


Trying just to make you see
Attempting to make you understand


Hoping I might be the one
Desperately wanting to be chosen


So calm down love, it will be all right
Relax, everything will work out


The time to bring back love is not tonight
This is not the right time to rekindle our love


I never thought I'd have to say
I never anticipated having to express this sentiment


That you should leave and go away
That you need to exit from my life


Not in love
I am not in love


Still not in love with you
I still have not developed feelings of love for you


Tell me why you can't leave me lonely
Explain why you cannot let me be alone


Tell me why I'm taking a chance on you
Tell me why I am giving you another chance


Taking a chance you
Giving you another opportunity




Writer(s): S. BROWN

Contributed by Austin K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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