Guitarist Bobby Arlin was subsequently in The Hook, while bassist/vocalist Jim Pons also played with Frank Zappa and The Turtles.
Words
The Leaves Lyrics
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It hurts so bad, cause when I see you, I start crying,
I've tried everything to stop, but there's no denying,
That falling in love with you, girl, is just like dying.
Oh, don't walk away,
How, how can I make you stay?
Don't turn away,
Just spoken to help nobody but you,
Words with lies inside,
But, small enough to hide till your playing was through.
Girl, don't you know we could work it out with talking?
You won't look around or slow down your walking,
I've given you everything with kiss to seal it,
You had to get your kicks out of trying to steal it.
Now, I'm standing here,
Strange, strange voices in my ears,
I feel the tears,
But, all I can hear are those words that never were true,
Just spoken to help nobody but you,
Words with lies inside,
But, small enough to hide till your playing was through, ahh.
Now, I'm standing here,
Strange, strange voices in my ears,
I feel the tears,
But, all I can hear are those words that never were true,
Just spoken to help nobody but you,
Words with lies inside,
But, small enough to hide till your playing was through.
Words that never were true,
Just spoken to help nobody but you,
Words with lies inside,
But, small enough to hide till your playing was through.
Words that never were true,
Just spoken to help nobody but you,
Words with lies inside,
But, small enough to hide till your playing was through.
The lyrics to The Leaves' song "Words" are about unrequited love and the anguish that comes from loving someone who doesn't feel the same way. The singer is in love with a girl who doesn't love him back, but he can't help but feel strongly for her every time he sees her smile. However, this love is painful, and he often ends up crying when he's around her. The singer has tried to stop loving her, but he can't, and he compares falling in love with her to dying.
Despite the pain he feels, the singer still wants to make things work between them. He asks the girl not to walk away and insists they could work things out by talking. However, the girl is not interested in him and only wants to use him to get what she wants. She lies to him with words that have no truth to them, and the singer is left feeling confused and hurt.
In the end, the singer is left alone with his tears, haunted by the lies the girl spoke to him. He can still hear her words with lies inside, words that were spoken to help nobody but her, and he realizes that she was playing him all along. The song is a poignant reminder of how powerful love can be, and how painful unrequited love can be.
Line by Line Meaning
Girl, don't you know every time I see you smiling,
The sight of you happy tortures me, because it reminds me of my unrequited love for you.
It hurts so bad, cause when I see you, I start crying,
My love for you is so intense that it causes me actual physical pain and emotional distress.
I've tried everything to stop, but there's no denying,
Despite my efforts to move on, my feelings for you refuse to dissipate.
That falling in love with you, girl, is just like dying.
Being in love with you feels like a slow and torturous death to me.
Oh, don't walk away,
Please don't leave me alone to suffer with my unrequited love.
How, how can I make you stay?
I am desperately searching for a way to make you see me in a romantic light and stay with me.
Don't turn away,
I am begging you not to reject me and shatter my heart.
I can still hear you saying those words that never were true,
I remember every false promise and assurance you gave me that you would return my love.
Just spoken to help nobody but you,
You only said those things to benefit yourself, not to spare my feelings or ease my pain.
Words with lies inside,
Your words were deceitful and misleading, designed to manipulate me into giving you what you wanted.
But, small enough to hide till your playing was through.
The lies you told me were so subtle and minor that I could not see through them until you were done playing with my emotions.
Girl, don't you know we could work it out with talking?
I am pleading with you to consider communication and compromise as a way to resolve our relationship issues.
You won't look around or slow down your walking,
You are determined to move on from me and refuse to even consider repairing our relationship.
I've given you everything with kiss to seal it,
I have given you my all in our relationship, sealing my love with physical affection in the form of kisses.
You had to get your kicks out of trying to steal it.
Rather than valuing and reciprocating my love, you enjoyed manipulating and teasing me for your own amusement.
Now, I'm standing here,
I am now alone and heartbroken, with nothing but my pain and memories of our relationship.
Strange, strange voices in my ears,
My thoughts are consumed by the echoes of your false promises and insincere words.
I feel the tears,
My anguish has become overwhelming and I cannot help but cry.
Words that never were true,
You never truly reciprocated my love or cared for my feelings, despite what you told me.
Just spoken to help nobody but you,
You only pretended to love me to satisfy your own desires and selfish motives.
Words with lies inside,
Your false promises and insincerity were built on a foundation of deceit and manipulation.
But, small enough to hide till your playing was through.
Your lies and betrayal were so subtle and concealed that I could not see them until it was too late and you had already moved on.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Tommy Boyce, Bobby Hart
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@hamilton59840
The Leaves recorded this one in 1966,
and later covered by The Monkees in 1967.
This is the first time I've heard The Leaves' version.
In The Monkees' 1967 cover, Mickey Dolenz
and the late Peter Tork performed leads...
(with Peter and the late Davy Jones on backing vocals in the chorus)
Davy Jones played drums in The Monkees' 1967 cover.
Both of these versions are definitely
on the psychedelic side.
@93KHJBOSSRADIO
The Leaves will always be my # 1 FAVE group!
@snoodman67
this is great to see om the net ,,, this is my dads band
@jimhappening
we need more Leaves stuff on the net!
@robgo5869
Christian, I met your dad twice. Once at the Fraternity house where the Leaves started and the second time was in front of the Whiskey. By this time the Leaves had broken up. He mentioned that to make in music was difficult and you needed undeniable talent like a Hendrix. He was fun to talk to and I viewed him as a rock star both times.
@nicktolkien20
Hey Christian, the leaves are amazing! did your Dad ever tell you any stories of working with Judee Sill in the late 60s? That must've been an experience.
@michaelshirley441
Christian, did your dad and the guys play all their own instruments on this? I'm guessing they did, that's why I prefer it to the Monkee's version(no criticism of The Wrecking Crew intended).
@howie9751
@Michael Shirley The Wrecking Crew didn't play on the Monkees version.
@belisarioguerra1279
Original: The Leaves ( U.S. ) - Words ( Bobby Hart - Tommmy Boyce ) ( 7/1966 ). Covers: The Regents ( U.S. ) - Words ( 8/1966 ). The Monkees ( U.S. ) - Words ( recorded: 10 and 11/6/1967, released: 10/7/1966 ). New Joys ( Finland ) - Luotin valhesiin ( 1967 ). The Boston Tea Party ( U.S. ) - Words ( 1967 ). Los Strangers ( México ) - Palabras ( 196? ).
@thomassullivan9692
The Boston Tea Party also released a version on Challenge Records.
@belisarioguerra1279
@Thomas Sullivan Thank you very much for the information !