Suddenly Single
Terri Clark Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

In the pale neon light of a Saturday night
You'll see him walk up to the bar
He'll size up the ladies, the "no's" and the "maybe's"
Till he finds one who'll let down her guard
Then the band on his hand gets slipped off again
And his disarming charm starts to work
And with a drink and a lie, in the blink of an eye
Something amazing occurs

He's suddenly single
Instantly free
And for three or four hours
He's the man of her dreams
He acts like there's no one waiting at home
He'll be suddenly single
Till he's suddenly gone

He sneaks through the door at a quarter to four
But tonight there's no one to wake
The note that she wrote him says, "I've given up hoping
I'd be able to change you someday."
He sits on the bed, shaking his head
A man in complete disbelief
He knows what he's lost
Oh, but he never thought
Someday, he'd really be

Suddenly single
Instantly free
And for the rest of his life
She'll haunt his dreams
And now there'll be no one waiting at home
He's suddenly single
'Cause she's suddenly gone




He's suddenly single
'Cause she's suddenly gone

Overall Meaning

The song Suddenly Single by Terri Clark is about a man who frequents bars on Saturday nights and tries to pick up women. The man wears a band on his hand to fake being married, but once he finds a woman willing to let her guard down, he slips off the band and uses his charm to win her over. The lyrics suggest that the man is troubled in his relationship and looking for an escape through his behavior. The song tells the story of the man coming home one night to find a note from his significant other saying she has given up hope for change and has left him. The man is suddenly single and free, but faced with the realization that he has lost someone who has been an important part of his life. The song suggests that the man will always be haunted by this relationship and the woman who left him.


Overall, the lyrics examine the relationship patterns of some people who try to avoid problems in their relationships by seeking comfort outside of them. The song seems to take a critical view of this behavior, suggesting that it might lead to the loss of truly meaningful relationships. The lyrics warn that the consequences of such behavior can be painful and that it is important to address and work through problems that arise in relationships.


Line by Line Meaning

In the pale neon light of a Saturday night
On a Saturday night, he is at a place illuminated by dim neon lights


You'll see him walk up to the bar
He approaches the bar


He'll size up the ladies, the "no's" and the "maybe's"
He checks out the women at the bar, trying to gauge their interest


Till he finds one who'll let down her guard
He continues assessing women until he finds one who is receptive to his advances


Then the band on his hand gets slipped off again
He removes his wedding ring


And his disarming charm starts to work
He puts on his charming act


And with a drink and a lie, in the blink of an eye Something amazing occurs
He offers her a drink and some lies and manages to attract her in no time


He's suddenly single Instantly free
He feels single and free in the moment


And for three or four hours He's the man of her dreams
For a brief period, he pretends to be the man of her dreams


He acts like there's no one waiting at home
He behaves as though he doesn't have a wife waiting for him


He'll be suddenly single Till he's suddenly gone
He'll continue to feel single till it's time for him to leave


He sneaks through the door at a quarter to four
At 3:45 AM, he enters his home quietly


But tonight there's no one to wake
There's no one to wake up because his wife has left him


The note that she wrote him says, "I've given up hoping I'd be able to change you someday."
He finds a letter from his wife that says she has lost hope in changing him


He sits on the bed, shaking his head A man in complete disbelief
He sits on the bed, unable to fathom what has happened


He knows what he's lost Oh, but he never thought Someday, he'd really be
He realizes what he has lost, but never thought that the time would come when his wife would leave him


Suddenly single Instantly free
He is now truly single and free


And for the rest of his life She'll haunt his dreams
His wife will continue to haunt his dreams for the rest of his life


And now there'll be no one waiting at home
His wife won't be waiting for him at home anymore


He's suddenly single 'Cause she's suddenly gone He's suddenly single 'Cause she's suddenly gone
He is alone because his wife has unexpectedly left him




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: TOM SHAPIRO, TERRI CLARK, CHRIS WATERS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

More Versions