The group gained some notoriety when a single from its first album, Blood and Roses, was included on the soundtrack for and as the theme song of the 1986 Albert Pyun movie Dangerously Close and the video got some moderately heavy rotation on MTV. The group spent some time in its initial semi-celebrity phase defending itself in Rolling Stone against thinly-veiled accusations of sounding too much like The Byrds and The Beatles, pointing out that its Marshall Amplifier-heavy live sound was closer to heavy metal than it was to The Beatles.
Along with a basic Eastern-coast roots-rock sound that owed much to the inspirations of DiNizio, including Buddy Holly, The Who, The Clash, Elvis Costello, and Nick Lowe, the Smithereens deployed a uniquely retro obsession with Mod, the late British Invasion pop of John's Children and The Move, and other artifacts of fifties and sixties culture that lent its music substance and style. The highest position a Smithereens album attained on the Billboard pop charts was in 1990, when 11 peaked at #41 on the strength of the single A Girl Like You (which hit #38). The group is still active and tours frequently, but went for seven years without releasing a new studio album, following God Save the Smithereens in 1999.
In January 2007, the band released a cover of the album Meet the Beatles titled Meet the Smithereens. Bassist Mike Mesaros does not appear on the album, replaced by Severo "The Thrilla" Jornacion . An album of original material was promised for later in the year, but Christmas with The Smithereens, released in October 2007, included only three original songs along with nine covers of Christmas songs.
Time And Time Again
The Smithereens Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've looked everywhere
Tried to find someone like you
My own loves all wrong
Girl you know I'm not that strong
How can I tell her we're through?
Each time we make romance I keep thinkin' bout no one but you
Each time I hold her I seem to get colder and I just don't know what to do
Will I ever learn?
I've done everything trying to get next to you
You still got nothing to say
You won't stay with me, tell me that you must be free
I guess I'll just go my own way
Every time I take her hand I keep thinkin' bout no one but you
Each time I hold her I seem to get colder and I just don't know what to do
Time and time again, time and time again, time and time again
Will I ever learn?
Each time I meet a girl I keep hoping that she'll be like you
But once I know her well I start looking for somebody new
Time and time again, time and time again, time and time again
Will I ever learn?
When will I ever learn? When will I ever learn?
The Smithereens's song Time And Time Again is a poignant and relatable exploration of the struggles of moving on from a past love. The lyrics discuss the singer's attempts to find a new love, but he keeps thinking about the person he lost. He tries to replace her with new relationships, but nothing compares to her. He questions if he will ever learn to let go and move on from his past mistakes.
The chorus repeats the line "time and time again," emphasizing the cyclical nature of his failed attempts to find love. He keeps making the same mistakes, trying to force himself to move on when his heart isn't ready. The lyrics also touch on the idea of idealizing a past relationship and comparing new partners to an unrealistic standard.
Overall, the song is a sad but relatable exploration of the difficulty of moving on from a lost love. It captures the feeling of trying to replace someone who can never truly be replaced and the frustration of feeling stuck in a cyclical pattern of failed relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
I've tried everything
I have exhausted all possible ways to find someone like you
I've looked everywhere
I have searched all over the place to find someone like you
Tried to find someone like you
I have made efforts to find a person who resembles you
My own loves all wrong
My love for anyone else is not right since I compare them to you
Girl you know I'm not that strong
I am not strong enough to let go, as you know already
How can I tell her we're through?
How can I end the relationship with the other girl?
Each time we make romance I keep thinkin' bout no one but you
Whenever I am with the other girl, I keep thinking about you
Each time I hold her I seem to get colder and I just don't know what to do
Whenever I am close to the other girl, my feelings for her get weaker, but I don't know how to express this
Time and time again, time and time again, time and time again
Repeatedly and persistently
Will I ever learn?
Am I ever going to figure this out?
You still got nothing to say
You still do not want to respond to my advances
You won't stay with me, tell me that you must be free
You refuse to be with me and claim that you need your freedom
I guess I'll just go my own way
I suppose that I will just have to move on
Every time I take her hand I keep thinkin' bout no one but you
Even when I am holding the other girl's hand, I keep thinking about you
Each time I meet a girl I keep hoping that she'll be like you
Whenever I meet a new girl, I keep wishing that she was similar to you
But once I know her well I start looking for somebody new
But as soon as I get to know her better, I start searching for someone else
When will I ever learn? When will I ever learn?
When will I finally figure out how to get over you?
Contributed by Cameron C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Robert Cochran
on Blood And Roses
The Ulgiest Cool Band in the World
Tony C.
on I Don't Want To Lose You
The lyrics listed on here are for the song "Especially For You", rather than "I Don't Want to Lose You". Ironically, "Especially For You" isn't the title track from their full length debut, it's from their second studio album 'Green Thoughts'.