Styx is best known for the hit songs "Lady", "Come Sail Away", "Babe", "Boat on the River", "The Best of Times", "Too Much Time on My Hands", "Renegade" and "Mr. Roboto". The band has had four consecutive albums certified multi-platinum by the RIAA.
Haven't We Been Here Before?
Styx Lyrics
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Footsteps lead down to the note on the door
That says I can't stay here anymore
And haven't we felt this same way
Sure in our hearts, but afraid just the same
To say I can't stay one minute more
Beyond our control
But that's not necessarily so
Can't you see there's a chance
For the daring young soul
Who's finally learned to say no
No, I won't be misused
Ignored or refused
And I won't just give up and let go
So tonight hold me close to you
And don't give up what's important to you
And as time rolls on
Nothing can stand in our way
And I believe if we learn from the past
We'd say haven't we been here before?
And I believe if we opened our hearts
We'd find keys to unlock every door
Dark would turn into light
We'd be strong
We'd be right
So tonight hold me close to you
And don't give up what's important to you
And as time rolls on
Nothing will stand in our way
And I believe if we learn from the past
We'd say haven't we been here before
Oh, and I believe if we open our hearts
We'd find keys to unlock every door
Hearts could change overnight
We'd be strong...We'd be right
So stay with me now
The future is ours
And we'll be the ones who go on
The song Haven't We Been Here Before by Styx speaks of a couple who have been through difficult times in the past, but they have come out stronger and with a better understanding of themselves and what they want. The verses paint a picture of someone leaving, and the lyrics suggest that this has happened before, and the couple has to learn from their previous mistakes to fix things. The chorus offers hope, that by holding onto what's important and learning from past experiences, they can overcome any obstacles in their path.
The opening lines suggest that they have gone through this before, the repetition of the question highlights how it's a recurring problem. The statement, "Footsteps lead down to the note on the door that says, "I can't stay here anymore," creates an evocative picture of someone walking away, reinforced by the sense of departure, which imbues a sense of gravity to the situation. The song's narrator then reminds their partner that they have felt this way before, and while it may seem hopeless, they can overcome it by standing up for themselves and saying, "No more." The couple must stay together and not give up on what is important to them.
The song's tone is uplifting, and the message is clear: don't give up, even if the road ahead appears difficult. The song provides hope and reassurance. If the couple learns from their past, they can grow stronger together and face whatever comes their way.
Line by Line Meaning
Haven't we been here before
Haven't we experienced this same situation before?
Footsteps lead down to the note on the door
The footsteps lead to a note on the door that says I can't stay here anymore
That says I can't stay here anymore
The note on the door indicates that I cannot continue to stay in this place
And haven't we felt this same way
Haven't we had similar feelings before?
Sure in our hearts, but afraid just the same
We are confident in our hearts, but we are also afraid
To say I can't stay one minute more
It is difficult to express that I cannot stay any longer
You might think that it's hopeless
You might think that the situation is hopeless
Beyond our control
We feel that this situation is out of our control
But that's not necessarily so
However, that may not be true
Can't you see there's a chance
Don't you realize that there is still a possibility
For the daring young soul
For those who are brave and willing
Who's finally learned to say no
Those who have finally learned to say no
No, I won't be misused
I won't let myself be mistreated
Ignored or refused
I won't allow myself to be ignored or rejected
And I won't just give up and let go
I won't just give up and accept things as they are
So tonight hold me close to you
So hold me close to you tonight
And don't give up what's important to you
And don't give up the things that are important to you
And as time rolls on
And as time passes
Nothing can stand in our way
There is nothing that can stop us
And I believe if we learn from the past
I think that if we learn from our past experiences
We'd say haven't we been here before?
We will realize that we have been in similar situations before
And I believe if we opened our hearts
If we open our hearts
We'd find keys to unlock every door
We will find solutions to any problem
Dark would turn into light
Difficult situations would become easy
We'd be strong
We would become more resilient
We'd be right
We would make the right decisions
So stay with me now
So stay with me at this moment
The future is ours
We have control over our future
And we'll be the ones who go on
We will be the ones who move forward
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: TOMMY R. SHAW
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind