Put Yourself In My Place
The Isley Brothers Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Put yourself in my place
If only for a day
See if you can stand
The awful hurt I feel inside

Put yourself in my place
For just a little while
Live through the loneliness
The endless emptiness
I go through

And when you lose a little sleep at night
Cause you ain't been treated right
Then you know heartaches are sad
Sitting by the telephone
Being left all alone
Then you know why I'm feeling bad
Put yourself in my place

And when you're just about to go insane
Cause it hurts to love in vain
Ask a girl who's been in love
I believed your evil line
Now I'm left alone and crying
Alone to count the stars above

Put yourself in my place
If only for a day
See if you can stand
The awful emptiness
I feel inside
Put yourself in my place

Put yourself in my place
For just a little while
Why don't you try it




Why don't you try it
Why don't you try it baby

Overall Meaning

The Isley Brothers's song Put Yourself In My Place is an emotional ballad about heartbreak, loneliness and the pain of unrequited love. The lyrics implore the listener to imagine themselves in the singer's place for just a day, to feel the "awful hurt" that he is experiencing. The song paints a clear picture of the torture of loving someone who doesn't return those feelings, highlighting the loneliness and emptiness that comes with it. The singer describes how difficult it is to sleep at night when you haven't been treated right, and how it feels to sit by the telephone waiting for someone who never calls.


The song taps into a universal feeling of heartbreak and longing. The lyrics are simple but emotive, and the delivery is sincere and heartfelt, allowing the listener to feel the pain that the singer is experiencing. The repeated refrain of "Put yourself in my place" reinforces the message that it's impossible to truly understand someone else's heartache unless you've been through it yourself.


Overall, Put Yourself In My Place is a powerful song that captures the emotional turmoil of heartbreak, loneliness and unrequited love in a way that is both relatable and moving.


Line by Line Meaning

Put yourself in my place
Imagine yourself in my situation


If only for a day
Even if it's just a temporary feeling


See if you can stand
Experience and endure


The awful hurt I feel inside
The unbearable pain that I am going through


For just a little while
Even if it's just for a brief moment


Live through the loneliness
Feel the isolation and solitude


The endless emptiness
The never-ending feeling of emptiness


I go through
That I experience every day


And when you lose a little sleep at night
When you can't sleep because of the pain


Cause you ain't been treated right
Because you have been mistreated


Then you know heartaches are sad
Then you understand how painful heartaches can be


Sitting by the telephone
Waiting for a call or message


Being left all alone
Feeling abandoned and rejected


Then you know why I'm feeling bad
Then you understand why I am suffering


And when you're just about to go insane
When you're almost losing your mind


Cause it hurts to love in vain
Because loving someone who doesn't love you back is painful


Ask a girl who's been in love
Consult someone who has experienced unrequited love


I believed your evil line
I trusted your false promises


Now I'm left alone and crying
Now I am alone and in tears


Alone to count the stars above
Alone to contemplate in the peaceful sky


Why don't you try it
Why not experience it for yourself


Why don't you try it baby
Why not try it, my love




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: LAMONT DOZIER, LAMONT HERBERT DOZIER, BRIAN HOLLAND, EDWARD HOLLAND, EDWARD, JR. HOLLAND, THORNTON JOHN, JR., JOHN THORNTON

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