In his own words (from his myspace page):
“For me it’s all about the SONG. I remember watching my father sitting at our dining room table for hours and hours with his pencil and pad crafting his songs; spending the time to find the perfect word, the perfect chord, the perfect melody. That really made an impression on me. When I write a song it really is a kind of science, an operation; but it isn’t mathematical or calculated, it is alive and breathing and moving. At the risk of sounding like a hippie on a soapbox, music is still powerful and holy and sacred to me. You can turn it into a product and a business, but you can’t start it that way. To me the genesis of a song has to be honest and unassuming. I truly believe that God hands me these gifts and it is my job to translate them as honestly as I can. You have to let a song be what it is. We can’t lose that. When I write songs, I like to focus on the fact that we are all the same and we are all just searching for answers and trying to make sense of everything. It's about exploring life and celebrating truth when you find it.”
Closing Time
Sean McConnell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They're cleaning the place
There's no more encores
The hand off the stage
I came with a fifty now I don't have a dime
It's closing time
I gave my heart
Nobody cheated and nobody lied
That's why I'm confused
There's no explanation
There's no reason why
But it's closing time
Please don't kiss me like that baby
One more time's just a lie
Quick and cold's the only way we're gonna make it out alive
And don't tell me that you love me girl I know that you do
Love ain't been the problem girl you know I love you too but
It's closing time there's nothing left to say
Lets close out these tabs call separate cabs and go our own ways
And don't call me when you get home
You know we'll change our minds
It's closing time
It's closing time
There's nothing left to say
Please don't call up my phone you know I'm not home I've gone away
Don't dial my number because I'm not on the line
It's closing time
The song Closing Time by Sean McConnell is a melancholic ballad about a couple coming to the end of their relationship but unable to provide any real explanations for why things have come to a close. The first verse starts with the singer at a bar, watching the cleaning crew begin their work as the night winds down. The second verse turns to the relationship between the singer and their lover, acknowledging that although they gave their all, the love couldn't sustain them. The chorus repeats the line "It's closing time," serving as a metaphor for both the end of the night at the bar and the end of the relationship.
The final verse is where the true sadness of the song comes through. The singer begs their lover not to kiss them like they used to or tell them that they love them, knowing that it will only make it harder to let go. They suggest a "quick and cold" departure is the only way to survive, acknowledging that it's not the love that has failed them but the inability to make it work. As the song closes, the singer asks their lover not to contact them anymore once they've parted ways.
Line by Line Meaning
It's closing time
The place is closing and it's time for everyone to go home.
They're cleaning the place
The staff is cleaning up the place to prepare for closing.
There's no more encores
The show is over and there won't be any more encores.
The hand off the stage
The performer has finished and handed the stage over to the staff.
I came with a fifty now I don't have a dime
The person has spent all their money and is broke.
I gave my heart
I gave my love and emotions to you.
And you gave yours too
You also gave your love and emotions to me.
Nobody cheated and nobody lied
Neither of us cheated or lied to each other.
That's why I'm confused
Despite there being no cheating or lying, things still didn't work out and it's confusing.
There's no explanation
There's no clear reason for why things didn't work out.
There's no reason why
There's no discernible reason for why things ended.
Please don't kiss me like that baby
Please don't give me false hope with a passionate kiss.
One more time's just a lie
If we kiss again, it's just a lie that we're something more than we are.
Quick and cold's the only way we're gonna make it out alive
We need to be quick and unemotional about this breakup to move on and survive.
And don't tell me that you love me girl I know that you do
Don't tell me you love me when we both know it's not enough to make things work.
Love ain't been the problem girl you know I love you too but
Love is not the issue, but we're still not meant to be together.
Lets close out these tabs call separate cabs and go our own ways
Let's pay our bills, get our own ride home, and end things now.
And don't call me when you get home
Don't try to prolong anything by contacting me after we part ways.
You know we'll change our minds
We both know we might waver on this decision if we stay in touch.
Please don't call up my phone you know I'm not home I've gone away
Please don't contact me, I've left and don't want to deal with this anymore.
Don't dial my number because I'm not on the line
Don't try to call me, I'm not going to pick up or answer any texts.
It's closing time
The end of the night has arrived.
There's nothing left to say
There's nothing more to discuss or hope for.
Contributed by Ruby V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.