Originated from a surf rock group called the Crossfires, the Turtles delved into many genres such as breezy pop, psychedelic music, and folk rock. A precursor to the bubblegum pop of the late 60s and early 70s as well as a foil to the more self-consciously hip and "serious" acts of the era, the Turtles produced at least a dozen memorable, radio-friendly chart singles. Yet they remain best known for 1967's "Happy Together", which was their only chart-topping single.
The Turtles wound down their career in 1970.
The two prominent singers - Howard Kaylan ("Eddie") and Mark Volman ("Flo" a.k.a. "Phlorescent Leech") - collaborated with Frank Zappa for a short but very intensive period of one and a half years (between 1970-72) and were the cornerstone of what was known to be the Zappa "Vaudeville" band; two of the most famous achievements of that period being the albums Fillmore East – June 1971 and 200 Motels, the soundtrack of the film by the same name.
Come Back
The Turtles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I was following another
Yeah, I heard it from your brother
Before you even called
Empty
Yeah, this house is empty
Like before you even met me
So I'll forget it all
I woke up
You were gone
Come back home
Come back home
Come back home to me
Good times
They were market in the sensor
Yeah I remember dealing records
Bringing it all back home
Power
Is comin through the shower
And the lightning marks the hours
And now I'm all alone
I woke up
You were gone
Come back home
Come back home
Come back home to me
Sorry
I was over you were under
And you know it makes me wonder
Why I'm still here at all
Silence
I was curled up beside her
Mostly following behind her
Trying not to fall
I woke up
You were gone
Come back home
Come back home to me
The Turtles' song "Come Back" explores the singer's desire for their lover to return to their life. The lyrics express regret for not cherishing the relationship when it was intact and a strong desire to have it back. The first verse acknowledges that there was a significant lack of communication between the two parties, indicated by the line "Sorry, I was following another." The singer heard about their lover's departure from someone else before receiving a call, exposing a significant rift between them. The line "Empty, yeah, this house is empty," reinforces the impression that the relationship had been left in ruins, leaving the singer feeling alone and unfulfilled.
The second verse clocks back to happier times, and the singer acknowledges they took their former life for granted with the lines "Good times, They were market in the sensor." At the same time, power outages and storms made it clear that life is unpredictable, and one should appreciate the good moments they have when they have them. The singer finds themselves feeling lonely and empty, possibly even longing for the chaotic weather patterns after they say "And now I'm all alone."
The chorus, "I woke up, you were gone, come back home to me," is powerful in its simplicity, bringing the entire song around to its central theme: reconnecting with a lost love. The bridge once again acknowledges mistakes, with the lines "Sorry, I was over you were under, and you know it makes me wonder, why I'm still here at all." The verse acknowledges that the singer was present in the relationship to a degree, "Silence, I was curled up beside her, mostly following behind her, trying not to fall."
Line by Line Meaning
Sorry
I apologize for what I did
I was following another
I was not attentive to your needs and desires
Yeah, I heard it from your brother
I heard from someone else, not from you
Before you even called
I knew what you wanted before you even told me
Empty
The house feels vacant and lifeless
Yeah, this house is empty
The house feels like it did before you came into my life
Like before you even met me
The house is as it was before you came into my life
So I'll forget it all
I will move on and forget everything that happened between us
I woke up
I became conscious from sleeping
You were gone
You had departed and were no longer with me
Come back home
Return to me and to our home together
Come back home
Please return to me and our life together
Come back home to me
I want you to come back to me and our life together
Good times
The happy moments we shared
They were market in the sensor
They were recorded and imprinted in my memory
Yeah I remember dealing records
I have vivid memories of our time sharing records and music together
Bringing it all back home
Remembering all the good times and the love we shared together
Power
Energy and force
Is comin through the shower
Electricity is flowing through the plumbing and showerhead
And the lightning marks the hours
The passing of time is marked by bolts of lightning
And now I'm all alone
Without you here, I feel alone and empty
Sorry
I apologize for my behavior and my mistakes
I was over you were under
I had moved on while you were still deeply attached to me
And you know it makes me wonder
I cannot help but wonder how you feel and what you are thinking
Why I'm still here at all
I question why I am still standing here trying to reconcile with you
Silence
A lack of sound or communication
I was curled up beside her
I was physically close to another woman
Mostly following behind her
I was acquiescing and conforming to her wishes
Trying not to fall
I was trying not to become emotionally attached to her
I woke up
I became conscious from sleep
You were gone
You had left and were no longer with me
Come back home
I want you to return to me, despite everything that has happened
Come back home to me
I need you to come back to me and to our life together
Lyrics © TERRORBIRD PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: DAVID PATRICK CARROLL, DAVID PAUL SIMONETT, ERIK ROBERT BERRY, RYAN DAVID YOUNG, TIMOTHY POWELL SAXHAUG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@TigerRogers0660
Quality song from one of my fave 60s bands Victor!! Cheers Tiger.
@c.a.sixtiesandmore6965
surprising how much stuff wasn't released by bands back then victor...…...great band.