Turn the Page
Sally Anthony Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On a long and lonesome highway east of Omaha
I ain't listening to my engine rolling out his final song
And the night fills up with scent
Of the men I knew the night before
Well my thoughts will soon be wandering the way they always do
And I don't feel much like driving
I just wish the trip was through
Say here I am on the road again
There I am up on the stage
Here I go playin' star again
There I go
Turn the page
Well I walk into a restaurant strung out from the road
And I feel the eyes upon me as I'm shakin' off the cold
I pretend it doesn't bother me
But I just want to explode
Some times I can hear them talk other times I don't
It's the same ol' cliches, that a man is in control
So I don't bother talking baby
What do they know
Say here I am on the road again
There I am up on the stage
There I go playin' star again
There I go
Turn the page
Out there in the spotlight I'm a million miles away
And every ounce of energy I try to give away
As my soul pours out my body
And the music that I play
Later in the evening while I lie awake in bed
With the echoes from the amplifiers ringin' in my head
I take too many pills
To forget what I did
Ah here I am on the road again
There I am up on the stage
Here I go playin' star again
There I go
Turn the page
Here I am on the road again
There I am up on the stage
Here I go playin' star again
Here I go, here I go
Here I go, here I go
Turn the page
Turn the page, turn the page, turn the page
Ah, turn the page, turn the page, turn the page
Ah, turn the page, turn the page, turn the page
Sally Anthony's song "Turn the Page" is an emotional narrative about the life of a musician on the road. The song opens with the singer driving on a long and lonely highway, listening to the sound of the engine. The night is filled with the scent of men from the previous night, suggesting a life full of short-term flings and adventures. The singer expresses the desire to escape this life, to settle down and stop driving, but it's not possible for them.
As the song progresses, it becomes clear that life on the road is not a glamorous one. The singer walks into a restaurant, strung out from the road, feeling the eyes of others watching them. They try to ignore it, but it's clear that they're bothered by the attention. The song suggests that people see the singer as a "star" and assume that they have everything under control. But the singer knows this isn't true; being on the road is hard work, and the pressures of being a musician can be overwhelming.
In the end, the song suggests that the only way to deal with the pain of a life on the road is to turn the page, to move on to the next adventure. The singer has taken too many pills to forget what they've done, suggesting a darker side to their lifestyle, but they know they have to keep moving forward. The song fades out with a repeated refrain of "turn the page," suggesting that there will always be another chapter in this musician's life.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm sorry I was just turning the page
I'm sorry for not being able to commit or stay in one place. I always feel the need to move on to the next adventure.
On a long and lonesome highway east of Omaha
I'm traveling alone on a deserted highway in the middle of nowhere.
I ain't listening to my engine rolling out his final song
I'm not paying attention to my car. I'm too lost in my own thoughts and emotions.
And the night fills up with scent of the men I knew the night before
The night is filled with the lingering scent of men I had a one-night stand with. They were all temporary and just passing through.
Well my thoughts will soon be wandering the way they always do
My thoughts will soon start to wander and I'll be lost in my own world - this always happens when I'm on the road.
When I'm riding sixteen hours and there's nothing left to do
When I've been driving for hours on end and there's no other form of entertainment, my mind starts to wander.
And I don't feel much like driving, I just wish the trip was through
I'm tired of being on the road and want the journey to end already.
Say here I am on the road again, there I am up on the stage
Here I am once again, back on the road going from town to town, and performing on stage in front of crowds.
Here I go playin' star again, there I go, turn the page
I'm stepping into the spotlight again and performing as a star, but I'm ready to move on to the next city, the next show, and just turn the page on this experience.
Well I walk into a restaurant strung out from the road
As soon as I get off the road, I walk into a restaurant exhausted and drained from traveling for hours.
And I feel the eyes upon me as I'm shakin' off the cold
People in the restaurant stare at me as I try to recover from the long drive and shake off the cold from being outside for so long.
I pretend it doesn't bother me, but I just want to explode
I act like the attention doesn't bother me, but deep down I feel overwhelmed and want to scream.
Sometimes I can hear them talk, other times I don't
People often talk about me, but sometimes I choose not to listen and tune them out.
It's the same ol' cliches, that a man is in control
People say the same old cliches about men always being in control, and I'm tired of hearing it.
So I don't bother talking baby, what do they know
I don't engage with these people because they don't understand me or my struggles.
Out there in the spotlight I'm a million miles away
When I'm performing on stage, it feels like I'm in a completely different world and disconnected from reality.
And every ounce of energy I try to give away
I put all my energy into my performances, trying to connect with the audience and give them a great show.
As my soul pours out my body and the music that I play
Playing music on stage is where I feel most alive and where I can truly express myself - it's where my soul comes out.
Later in the evening while I lie awake in bed
After a long day on the road and performing, I can't sleep and am up late at night.
With the echoes from the amplifiers ringin' in my head
I can still hear the echoes of the music I played on stage in my head, even when I'm trying to fall asleep.
I take too many pills to forget what I did
To try to quiet my mind and forget all the stress and pressure that comes with my lifestyle, I sometimes take too many pills.
Turn the page, turn the page, turn the page
I'm always turning the page and moving on to the next city, performance, or adventure - I can never stay in one place for too long.
Ah, turn the page, turn the page, turn the page
No matter what happens, I'm always ready to turn the page and move on to the next chapter of my life.
Contributed by Andrew D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.