Waltzing Back
The Cranberries Lyrics


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Who gave them the right
Waltzing back into your life?
Your life, your life?
Now I feel fear
I wish that they'd never come here
Here, here

What they gonna do?
What they gonna say
Taking you away
From my life?
My life, my life?

Say, what they gonna do?
What they gonna say
Taking you away
From my life?
My life, my life?

Who gave them the right
Turning it back into light
Tonight, tonight?
And then I felt fear
I wished that they'd never come here
Here, here

What they gonna do?
What they gonna say
Taking you away
From my life?
My life, my life?

Oh, I don't wanna line
I wanna shine




I wanna say
'Cause it's your life
Your life, your life

La
La
La

Who gave them the right?
The right?
The right?
Who gave them the right?
The right?
The right?
Who gave them the right?
The right?
The right?
Who gave them the right?
The right?
The right?

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to The Cranberries’ song Waltzing back are incredibly emotional, as they deal with themes of fear, loss and betrayal. The song is told from the perspective of someone whose partner has been taken away from them by someone else, and who is struggling to reconcile the feelings of sadness and anger that come with this situation. Overall, the lyrics are a powerful exploration of what it feels like to have your heart broken by someone you love, and the way that this can leave you feeling powerless and alone.


The main theme of the song is loss, specifically the loss of someone you love to another person. The lyrics are almost like a dialogue, with the singer asking questions and trying to make sense of what has happened to them. The repeated refrain of “What they gonna do? What they gonna say? Taking you away from my life? My life, my life” really emphasizes the feeling of powerlessness and fear that comes with losing someone to someone else. The chorus of the song is also incredibly powerful, with the singer expressing their desire to “shine” and to be happy again, despite the pain they are currently experiencing.


Overall, Waltzing Back is a deeply emotional song that resonates with anyone who has ever experienced the pain of heartbreak. While the lyrics are simple and straightforward, their power lies in the raw honesty with which they express the singer’s pain and fear. They are a reminder that even in the darkest moments of our lives, there is always hope for a better tomorrow.


Line by Line Meaning

Who gave them the right
Asking who gave the people who are waltzing back into the singer's life the right to do so


Waltzing back into your life?
Questioning the people who are coming back into the singer's life as to why they are doing so in a fancy and carefree manner


Your life, your life?
Emphasizing that it is the singer's life that is being affected by the return of these people


Now I feel fear
Stating that the singer is now experiencing fear as a result of these people's return


I wish that they'd never come here
Expressing the singer's desire for these people to have never returned to their life


What they gonna do?
Wondering about the actions the people will take upon returning


What they gonna say
Questioning what words the people will utter upon returning


Taking you away
The possibility of these people taking someone or something important away from the singer


From my life?
Clarifying that what the people do upon returning will have an impact on the singer's life


Say, what they gonna do?
Reiterating the question of what actions the people will take upon returning


Oh, I don't wanna line
Expressing the singer's desire to shine rather than blend in, stand out rather than conform


I wanna shine
Stating that the singer wants to stand out and be noticed


'Cause it's your life
Understanding that it is the singer's life, and the decisions made should be theirs


La, La, La
Repeating a melody, stripping verses down to a core of pure feelings


Who gave them the right?
Repeating the initial question to ponder again, emphasizing the severity of the situation


The right?
Reflecting on the authority of the people who have come back into the singer's life


The right?
Questioning the intentions and reasoning behind the actions of the people who are back in the singer's life


The right?
Emphasizing the confusion and frustration felt by the singer regarding the return of these people




Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DOLORES MARY O'RIORDAN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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