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.”
Memphis
Sean McConnell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I don't mean to bring this up again
But I'm still in love with you
And I know you still think of me now and then
You don't have to tell me twice, baby
I know I'm not the man that I used to be
But God knows I'm trying
Can you tell me where I was so wrong?
Said you loved me baby, now you're moving on
Well, I guess there ain't much more to say
Except our last goodbyes, Oh and by the way
You left my heart with Memphis at the break of day
These highways are lonely at night
When you're driving them all alone
Well, I heard your number ring, darling
But I just couldn't pick up my phone
You're probably just worried about me
You know I hate driving in the rain
There's so many miles to home
But there still ain't enough to ease all this pain
Can you tell me where I was so wrong?
Said you loved me baby, now you're moving on
Well, I guess there ain't much more to say
Except our last goodbyes, Oh and by the way
You left my heart with Memphis at the break of day
And all of those dreams you told me
You should have kept them all to yourself
Cause you can't imagine the hopes they sowed.
You know all those kisses you gave me
Well every one still burns on my lips
Maybe give me just one more for the road
Maybe give me just one more for the road
Cause I need you baby
Don't mean to bother you
And I'll never bring this up again
Cause I can see clearly now
Things just aren't the same as they were then
I'm not gonna change for you, baby
You should love me the way I am
So take it or leave it, honey
Cause I'm not waiting around for you to hurt me again
Can you tell me where I was so wrong?
Said you loved me baby, now you're moving on
Well, I guess there ain't much more to say
Except our last goodbyes, Oh and by the way
You left my heart with Memphis
You left my heart with Memphis
You left my heart with Memphis
At the break of day
At the break of day
At the break of day
The lyrics of Sean McConnell's song Memphis depict the emotions of a man who is still in love with his ex-girlfriend. He apologizes for any inconvenience he is causing and accepts that he is not the man he used to be, but he is trying to make things right. He believes that his ex-girlfriend still feels the same way about him and wants her to be patient with him. However, he questions where he went wrong and how he ended up here.
The chorus of the song describes the sadness he feels as he drives alone on the highways, while thinking about his ex-girlfriend. He knows that she called him, but he couldn't bring himself to answer. He feels the loneliness that is increasing as the miles to home grow.
The bridge of the song is where the man expresses his emotions and desires to his girl. He is asking her to keep the dreams and kisses she gave him, but ends up asking for one more kiss. He is trying to make things right between them and hold onto the love that he still feels for her.
Overall, Sean McConnell's Memphis is a heartfelt and emotional song that depicts the struggles of a man who has lost his love and is trying to win it back.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't mean to bother you
I'm sorry for bringing this up again.
I don't mean to bring this up again
I know we've talked about this before, but it's still on my mind.
But I'm still in love with you
I haven't been able to move on, and my feelings for you are still strong.
And I know you still think of me now and then
I believe that you still have feelings for me, even though we've gone our separate ways.
You don't have to tell me twice, baby
I understand your position and don't need to hear it again.
I know I'm not the man that I used to be
I've changed since we were together, and I'm aware of that.
But God knows I'm trying
I'm doing my best to be a better person and win you back.
So why can't you be patient with me
I need more time to become the man you deserve, and I'm asking for your support and understanding.
Can you tell me where I was so wrong?
I'm not sure what I did to make you leave me, and I'm asking for your perspective.
Said you loved me baby, now you're moving on
You used to say you loved me, but now you're leaving me in the past.
Well, I guess there ain't much more to say
Our conversation is coming to an end, and there's not much left to talk about.
Except our last goodbyes, Oh and by the way
Before we end this conversation, I have one more thing to say.
You left my heart with Memphis at the break of day
Memphis is a metaphor for the pain and heartache that you caused me when you left.
These highways are lonely at night
I'm feeling lonely and lost on this journey without you.
When you're driving them all alone
It's hard to travel these roads without you by my side.
Well, I heard your number ring, darling
I received a call from you, but I couldn't bring myself to answer.
But I just couldn't pick up my phone
I'm not ready to talk to you yet.
You're probably just worried about me
I know you care about my well-being, and I appreciate that.
You know I hate driving in the rain
I'm going through a tough time, and everything feels harder than it should be.
There's so many miles to home
I'm far away from where I want to be in life, and I feel lost.
But there still ain't enough to ease all this pain
Even though I'm making progress, I'm still hurting from our breakup.
And all of those dreams you told me
You shared your hopes and aspirations with me, and I believed in them too.
You should have kept them all to yourself
It hurts to see you moving on and chasing those dreams without me.
Cause you can't imagine the hopes they sowed.
Those dreams and aspirations we shared together were so powerful, it's hard to think of them now.
You know all those kisses you gave me
The affection and love we shared were intense and passionate.
Well every one still burns on my lips
I still remember those moments as vividly as if they were happening now.
Maybe give me just one more for the road
I wish we could have one more moment of that tenderness before we part ways.
Cause I need you baby
I still love you, and I wish things could be different between us.
Don't mean to bother you
I'm sorry to be a burden or to bring up these issues again.
And I'll never bring this up again
I promise not to burden you with my feelings again.
Cause I can see clearly now
I understand that our relationship is over, and it's time to move on.
Things just aren't the same as they were then
Our relationship has changed, and we can't go back to how things were before.
I'm not gonna change for you, baby
I've realized that I can't change who I am, and I won't pretend to be someone else to win you back.
You should love me the way I am
If you truly loved me, you would accept me for who I am and not try to change me.
So take it or leave it, honey
I'm presenting you with a choice, and it's up to you to decide if you want to be with me or not.
Cause I'm not waiting around for you to hurt me again
I won't let myself be vulnerable to you if you're just going to hurt me all over again.
You left my heart with Memphis
The pain and heartache you caused me are still with me, even though you're gone.
At the break of day
I'm hoping that a new day will bring a fresh start and relief from the pain I'm feeling.
Contributed by Sophie R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.