A Beautiful Story
Sonny and Cher Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

What's your name is it Jane
Would you mind sitting next to a silly old fool?
It's just I tired of wasting my hours
Talking to trees and watching flowers grow
Watching birds chasing bees
Little boys scraping knees
Even my tears have all dried
Can I sit by your side?

[Chorus]
Don't misunderstand me
I'm just an old man with no place to go
And if you oblige me and sit here beside me
I'll tell you a story a beautiful story
That you might not know Please don't go

Pardon me mister tree
I hope I didn't offend you before
You are my friend but I wanted much more
But now I'm back once again
Like always before
Watching birds chasing bees
Little boys scraping knees
Even my tears have all dried
Can I sit by your side?

[Chorus]

Overall Meaning

The song "A Beautiful Story" by Sonny and Cher begins with the singer asking a stranger for their name, wondering if it is Jane. He expresses his boredom with the mundane activities of life such as talking to trees and watching flowers grow, and even his tears have dried. He is simply an old man with no place to go, seeking companionship from the person next to him. In the chorus, he stresses that he is not trying to deceive the stranger and promises to tell her a "beautiful story" that she might not know. He pleads for her to stay, implying that he finds solace in her presence.

In the second verse, the singer apologizes to the tree, stating that he hopes he hadn't offended it before but admits that he desired something more from it. He repeats his statement from the previous verse, expressing his frustration with the monotony of his life, and asks again if he can sit next to the stranger. The song ends with the chorus, where the singer reassures the stranger that he means no harm and promises to share a "beautiful story" with her.

The lyrics seem to revolve around themes of loneliness, finding comfort in others, and the search for meaning in life. It could be interpreted as a tale of an old man's struggle with isolation and his attempt to find someone to connect with, even if it is a stranger on a bench. The chorus's promise of telling a "beautiful story" hints at the idea that life has its ups and downs, but it is always possible to find something beautiful in every situation.

Line by Line Meaning

What's your name is it Jane
Excuse me, I don't know your name. Could you please tell me if it's Jane?

Would you mind sitting next to a silly old fool?
I know I'm old and foolish, but would it be okay for me to sit next to you?

It's just I tired of wasting my hours
I'm feeling bored and unproductive with my time lately.

Talking to trees and watching flowers grow
I've been spending my time talking to inanimate things like trees and just watching nature grow.

Watching birds chasing bees
I've been watching the natural world and its creatures, like birds chasing bees.

Little boys scraping knees
I've also been observing the lives of children and their minor misfortunes like scraping their knees.

Even my tears have all dried
I'm so bored and unemotional that I can't even cry anymore.

Can I sit by your side?
May I have permission to sit next to you?

Don't misunderstand me
Please don't take my request the wrong way.

I'm just an old man with no place to go
I'm just an elderly man who has nowhere in particular to be at the moment.

And if you oblige me and sit here beside me
If you allow me to sit next to you, I would appreciate it.

I'll tell you a story a beautiful story
I have a beautiful story to share with you if you're willing to listen.

That you might not know Please don't go
This story may be unfamiliar to you, so I hope you don't leave before hearing it.

Pardon me mister tree
Excuse me, tree, I'm sorry if I offended you before.

I hope I didn't offend you before
I'm hoping I didn't do anything to upset you earlier.

You are my friend but I wanted much more
I consider you my friend, but I was hoping for a deeper connection than just friendship.

But now I'm back once again
I'm back to trying to make a connection with someone new again.

Like always before
This is a pattern for me, always searching for someone to talk to.

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: SONNY BONO

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS

Genre not found

Artist not found

Album not found

Search results not found

Song not found

Comments from YouTube:

WhoKnowsWhy

9y↑6

My oldest sister sang this to me when I was a baby. I miss her and those times every day.

dramdad

7y↑4

i found this in my parents album collection. i listen to this and think about them and smile. i miss them both so much

WhoKnowsWhy

5y↑3

I know what you mean. My late sister was 13 years older than me and I can remember her singing this to me when I was sad. I wish she could sing it now because I am sad again.