When You Were My Baby
The Magnetic Fields Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

We walked alone in the rain and lightning
When you were my baby
So much in love it was almost frightening
When you were my baby
Everybody called you a fool
When you wouldn't play by the rules
Everybody was wrong. Oahu.
There was nowhere to run away to
When you were my baby
Everybody began to hate you
When you were my baby
Time wasn't on our side
Me and my foolish pride
Then I said goodbye. Oahu.
Now you've gone away and left me on my own
Now I'm walking down the highway all alone
On a rainy night and crying out my eyes
We were young, yeah, but old enough to...
When you were my baby
And I just couldn't help but love you
When you were my baby
Just the way you wore your hair
And the way you just didn't care




And the wayyou danced do do do, etc.
When you were my baby

Overall Meaning

The Magnetic Fields' song When You Were My Baby is a bitter-sweet reminiscence about a past relationship. The song opens with the singer and his lover walking in the rain and lightning while they were still filled with love for each other. They were so in love that it was almost scary, but it seemed to be worth the risk. They were both outsiders, and society didn't approve of their unconventional behavior. They cheered each other on and didn’t let anyone else dictate how they should behave.


However, time was not on their side, and the singer's pride got the best of him. He said goodbye to his lover despite still being in love and being unable to imagine a life without her. Now he walks alone on the highway crying his eyes out. He remembers the days of their relationship with fondness when his lover had an unconventional haircut and didn't care about societal norms. He was smitten with her because she had a unique approach to life. Now he is left with the memories of when they were in love and happy.


Line by Line Meaning

We walked alone in the rain and lightning
We were together, braving whatever came our way, be it rain, lightning or anything else life threw at us


When you were my baby
I am referring to a time when you and I were together and you weren't as distant as you are now


So much in love it was almost frightening
Our love was intense and passionate, to the point where it almost scared us


Everybody called you a fool
People judged you for not conforming to their expectations and thought less of you


When you wouldn't play by the rules
You refused to abide by social norms and conventions set by people around us


Everybody was wrong. Oahu.
Despite what people thought, they were mistaken, and their judgments didn't matter


There was nowhere to run away to
We were stuck in a situation where it was impossible to escape or find refuge


When you were my baby
Again, I am referring to a time when you and I were together and you meant the world to me


Everybody began to hate you
People's animosity towards you increased as our relationship progressed


Time wasn't on our side
We didn't have enough time to enjoy our love to the fullest extent because of various external and internal factors


Me and my foolish pride
I let my ego and pride get in the way of our relationship, which led to our separation


Then I said goodbye. Oahu.
I made the hard decision of ending our relationship and moving on, even though it was painful and Oahu could be an indication of the emotion felt while doing so


Now you've gone away and left me on my own
You have moved on from me, and I am left alone, trying to cope with the pain of your absence


Now I'm walking down the highway all alone
I am wandering aimlessly, trying to make sense of my life without you


On a rainy night and crying out my eyes
I am in a state of despair, crying profusely, and the weather outside mirrors the way I feel inside


We were young, yeah, but old enough to...
We were young and naive, yet mature enough to understand the depth of our love for each other


When you were my baby
I am reminiscing about the past when you were with me, and we were in love, truly and deeply


And I just couldn't help but love you
No matter what, my love for you remained, and I could not unlove you, even if I wanted to


Just the way you wore your hair
You had a unique and distinct style that made you stand out from the crowd


And the way you just didn't care
You did not bother about what people had to say or what they thought of you; you lived life on your terms


And the way you danced do do do, etc.
Your dance moves were mesmerizing, and they had the power to captivate and transport me to a different world




Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Stephin Raymond Merritt

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

River's Disability Videos

This song was a soundtrack to my two biggest life moments: when I went on a road trip from Cleveland Ohio to Athens Georgia with someone I met in college and only knew for two weeks (I bought this CD in an Athens record shop), and, 3 years later when I went into labor with my first child (by the same person I went to Georgia with). It was a traumatic birth, and I was trapped at home, and so had to give birth there without help, just my partner and this Magnetic Fields CD . I haven't heard this song in over 12 years since that night, and, all the memories come flooding back.

Pete B

"so much in love it was almost frightening" always gets me.

MrBerenstain

such a great song. i love it.

CoinRotator

Just heard this in the new David Foster Wallace biopic, thought it was some obscure jesus and mary chain track I had forgotten about. What a genius he was and always has been. Have always loved Mr. Merritt even when I don't realize it's him.

Gonzalo Di Nasso

Almost the same for me, it sounds a lot like Happy when it rains from J&MC. First time i heard it i tough it was a cover from a song i cant recognize. Thanks for the clue.

porcupine cup

Everybody began to hate you, when you were my baby. now im walking down the highway all alone crying out my eyes. we were young yeah but old enough to. . just the way you wore your hair and the way you danced when you were my baby

Diana Taborda

This is just...too much :) <3

toopoable

Where it all began for me. Heard it on a college radio station, but didn't catch the exact title or name of artist. This was before Google. Drove me nuts for a while.

Malcolm

so beautiful and true.

Marc Turner

so wistful

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