Back at your door
The Maroon 5 Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

From the moment the lights went off
Everything had changed
Lie awake in an empty room
In my head it all feels the same

Like the taste of the day you left
It still lingers on my breath
And the dampness of tears that left
The stain where you had wept

All alone with the negligee
That still hangs off of my bed
I keep meaning to give it away
But I just leave it there instead

No need to cry about it
I cannot live without it
Every time I wind up back at your door
Why do you do this to me?
You penetrate right through me
Every time I wind up back at your door

Three more days till I see your face
I'm afraid it's far too much
Cook a meal and fix up the place
Dial your number, hang it up

If I took you for granted
I apologize for acting tough
You're my reason for living
And there's no way I'm giving up, oh

No need to cry about it
I cannot live without it
Every time I wind up back at your door
Why do you do this to me?
You penetrate right through me
Every time I wind up back at your door

Now, every evening is a bitter fight
And I'm eating home alone on a Friday night
And I know what your friends say
"He's just wasting your love and time."
I will never let you change your mind

No need to cry about it
I cannot live without it
Every time I wind up back at your door
Why do you do this to me?
You penetrate right through me
Every time I wind up back at your door

No need to cry about it
I cannot live without it
Every time I wind up back at your door
Why do you do this to me?
You penetrate right through me
Every time I wind up back at your door





Every time I wind up back at your door
I said, every time I wind up back at your door

Overall Meaning

The Maroon 5's song "Back at Your Door" is a melancholic ballad of a person struggling to move on from a past flame. The lyrics express several emotions that come with grieving a relationship. The song's opening lines, "From the moment the lights went off, everything has changed," suggest that the singer's life took a significant turn once their relationship ended. They continue to lie awake in an empty room haunted by memories of their ex-lover, and everything else feels the same.


The verse further relates the sorrowful state of the singer by likening the taste of their ex-lover's memory to the dampness of tears that were shed when they parted. The persona admits that they still have the negligee that their ex wore but haven't gotten rid of it. They seemingly struggle to move on and still wind up back at their ex-lover's door despite the pain it causes them.


The second verse highlights their desire to go back to their ex's life and cook meals and fix up the place before their arrival. The singer acknowledges that they may have taken their relationship for granted and apologizes for any wrong actions. It is evident that their ex-lover is the 'reason for living', and they will never give up on them even as their friends tell them they are wasting their love and time.


Overall, the song is an emotional appeal for companionship and a plea to be given a second chance. The persona is anguished and hurting and cannot let go of their significant other.


Line by Line Meaning

From the moment the lights went off
Everything changed since the lights went off


Everything had changed
The situation is different from what it used to be


Lie awake in an empty room
Unable to sleep in a room with no one around


In my head it all feels the same
The memories are still fresh in my mind


Like the taste of the day you left
The pain of the day you left still lingers


It still lingers on my breath
The memories of you leaving are still fresh


And the dampness of tears that left
The tears you shed before leaving are still vivid


The stain where you had wept
The mark of your sadness is still there


All alone with the negligee
No one else is around but your clothing


That still hangs off of my bed
The clothing you left behind still reminds me of you


I keep meaning to give it away
I plan to get rid of it, but never do


But I just leave it there instead
I can't bring myself to part with it


No need to cry about it
There's no use in being upset


I cannot live without it
I can't live without you


Every time I wind up back at your door
I always end up at your doorstep


Why do you do this to me?
I don't understand why you have this effect on me


You penetrate right through me
You have a deep emotional impact on me


Three more days till I see your face
I'm eagerly waiting to see you again


I'm afraid it's far too much
I'm scared I may not be able to handle it


Cook a meal and fix up the place
I'm preparing for your arrival


Dial your number, hang it up
I'm too nervous to call you


If I took you for granted
I'm sorry if I didn't appreciate you enough


I apologize for acting tough
I'm sorry for being stubborn


You're my reason for living
I can't imagine my life without you


And there's no way I'm giving up, oh
I'll never give up on us


Now, every evening is a bitter fight
Our fights have become more intense


And I'm eating home alone on a Friday night
I'm lonely without you by my side


And I know what your friends say
I'm aware of what your friends think of me


"He's just wasting your love and time."
"He's not worth your love and time."


I will never let you change your mind
I won't give up on us, no matter what


Every time I wind up back at your door
I can't help but come back to you


I said, every time I wind up back at your door
I really mean it, every time




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Adam Levine, Jesse Royal Carmichael

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