Matchbox
The Beatles Lyrics

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I said I'm sitting here watching
Matchbox hole in my clothes
I said I'm sitting here wondering
Matchbox hole in my clothes
I ain't got no matches, but I sure got a long way to go

I'm an old poor boy
I'm a long way from home

I'm an old poor boy
And I'm a long way from home
I've never been happy
'Cause everything I ever did was wrong

Well, if you don't want my peaches, honey
Please don't shake my tree
If you don't want any of those peaches, honey
Please don't mess around my tree
I've got news for you, baby
Leave me here in misery, all right

Well, let me be your little dog
Till your big dog comes
Let me be your little dog
Till your big dog comes
And when your big dog gets here
Watch how your puppy dog runs

Well, I said I'm sitting here watching
Matchbox hole in my clothes
I said I'm sitting here watching

Matchbox hole in my clothes
I ain't got no matches, but I sure got a long way to go

Overall Meaning

The Beatles's song Matchbox is a bluesy, rock and roll filled tune that reflects the feeling of inadequacy in the singer’s life. The opening lines, ‘I said I'm sitting here watching, matchbox hole in my clothes’ give an insight into his difficult life. The singer is poor, he has a hole in his clothes and he is alone. He has no matches and a long way to go, which not only suggests that he is lost and directionless but also emphasizes the level of isolation he experiences. He then repeats the line, ‘I’m an old poor boy, I'm a long way from home’ which reaffirms the notion of isolation and also suggests he is estranged from family and friends. The line, ‘everything I ever did was wrong’ further accentuates the feeling of being unsuccessful in his life.

The following verses talk of a girl who he’s interested in. However, he warns her not to mess around with him if she doesn’t want him. He states, ‘If you don't want any of those peaches, honey please don't mess around my tree. I've got news for you, baby. Leave me here in misery all right.’ The last verse compares his life path to that of a dog. He offers to be her little dog until the big dog comes but when the big dog does come, he warns of his ability to outrun the puppy dog. The ending repeats the first verse as the music fades out to reflect the never-ending cycle of his miserable life.

Line by Line Meaning

I said I'm sitting here watching Matchbox hole in my clothes
I am currently sitting and observing my surroundings, while I have a visible hole in my clothes that I cannot fix due to a lack of resources.

I said I'm sitting here wondering Matchbox hole in my clothes
While I am sitting here, I am also deep in thought contemplating my current situation and predicament, while simultaneously acknowledging the hole in my clothes.

I ain't got no matches, but I sure got a long way to go
While I may currently lack necessary resources for my journey, I understand that I have a lot of distance to travel, implying that my journey will be difficult and perhaps even arduous.

I'm an old poor boy And I'm a long way from home
I am an impoverished individual, who is far from home, feeling lonely and perhaps even disconnected from any network of support or familiarity.

I've never been happy 'Cause everything I ever did was wrong
I feel a constant sense of discontent and sadness due to the belief that every choice or decision I have made resulted in negative outcomes.

Well, if you don't want my peaches, honey Please don't shake my tree
If you do not truly desire what I have to offer, please do not meddle in my affairs, as it will only lead to unnecessary complications and hardship.

I've got news for you, baby Leave me here in misery, all right
I have significant information to impart to you, which is that it would be better for you to leave me alone in my current sorrow rather than to provoke or exacerbate it further.

Well, let me be your little dog Till your big dog comes
Allow me to serve you in the capacity of a subservient yet loyal companion until such time as a more powerful or influential entity intervenes.

And when your big dog gets here Watch how your puppy dog runs
Once your more dominant force arrives, observe how even a subordinate like me responds or reacts to their presence or intervention.

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: CARL PERKINS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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