If Only
Ships Have Sailed Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Open my eyes it's 7am, there's a note laying on your side of the bed.
Was it something I did? Something I said? Was I using my heart in spite of my head?
Oooh, oooh, oooh.

The shades are down to keep out the sun, playing the songs that we used to love,
Fit my life in a paper cup, got an empty glass, wanna fill it up with
You, you, you...

But the world's passin' by and, I'm stuck inside and I just want the chance to change your mind.

If only I could feel your heart beat close to mine,
If only I could touch your body one more time,
Spend another night with you…
If only I could make you take back your goodbye.

Saw you last night you went out with your friend, I couldn't believe he was holding your hand,
I turned away because I gotta pretend, that I might just win you back again,
Oooh, oooh, oooh.

But the world's passin' by and, I'm stuck inside and I just want the chance to change your mind.

If only I could feel your heart beat close to mine,
If only I could touch your body one more time,
Spend another night with you…
If only I could make you take back your goodbye.

But the world's passin' by and, I'm stuck inside and I just want the chance to change your mind.

If only I could feel your heart beat close to mine,
If only I could touch your body one more time,
Spend another night with you…
If only I could make you take back your goodbye.

If only I could feel your heart beat close to mine,
If only I could touch your body one more time,
Spend another night with you…
If only I could make you take back your goodbye.

If only I could make you take back your goodbye...

Overall Meaning

These lyrics depict the aftermath of a breakup where the singer is left alone in bed, thinking about the reasons why their partner left them. The refrain "If only" is used throughout the song, indicating the singer's regret and longing to go back in time and fix things. The first verse starts with the singer waking up in the morning to an empty bed, finding a note from their partner, and questioning if they did something wrong. The second verse describes the singer running into their ex with another person and feeling jealous and heartbroken. However, throughout the song, the singer holds on to the hope of winning their ex-partner back, just for one more night.

The song's somber tone and simple guitar strums, coupled with the repetition of "If only," intensify the singer's feelings of desperation and loneliness. The lyrics effectively convey the struggle of dealing with the aftermath of a breakup, the emotions of regret and longing, and the yearning for a chance to redo things.

Line by Line Meaning

Open my eyes it's 7am, there's a note laying on your side of the bed.
Waking up to an empty, lonely bed, and finding a note from a lover, makes me wonder if I said or did something wrong that led to their departure.

Was it something I did? Something I said? Was I using my heart in spite of my head?
Searching for answers, questioning my actions and intentions, wondering if my emotions overrode my logic and screwed things up.

But the world's passin' by and, I'm stuck inside and I just want the chance to change your mind.
Feeling trapped in a time loop, watching life move on without me, yearning for an opportunity to fix things and win back the person I love.

If only I could feel your heart beat close to mine, If only I could touch your body one more time, Spend another night with you… If only I could make you take back your goodbye.
Craving intimacy and physical closeness with my lost love, wanting to relive the magic we shared and erase the painful goodbye.

Saw you last night you went out with your friend, I couldn't believe he was holding your hand, I turned away because I gotta pretend, that I might just win you back again, Oooh, oooh, oooh.
Running into my ex and their new flame, feeling a pang of jealousy and anger, but pretending to be cool and suave, secretly hoping to win them back despite the competition.

If only I could make you take back your goodbye...
Summing up the whole song's theme and the singer's deepest desire - to rewind time and undo the painful goodbye, to have a second chance and a happy ending with the one that got away.

Contributed by Julian Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS