If You Don't Come Back
The Undertakers Lyrics


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A noise woke me up this morning
I looked through the Venetian blind
You were gone, and the car was gone
And I almost lost my mind

[Chorus]
If you don't come back (if you don't come back)
If you don't come back today (if you don't come back)
Well, you can call up the people in the crazy house
To take this crazy man away

I threw myself against the wall now
I ripped up my clothes and I sobbed
I ran into the street, in my stocking feet
Yelling "Police! I've been robbed"

[Chorus]

Mrs A is talking about me
To the people way across the street
She says "I cooked that boy a bucket of soup
But the poor thing doesn't eat"

[Chorus]

The doctor come up to see me
To check me with a fine-tooth comb
He said "You ain't sick, but you're gonna die
If you don't get your baby back home"





[Chorus x2]

Overall Meaning

The Undertakers' song "If You Don't Come Back" talks about a protagonist who wakes up one morning and finds out that his lover has left with the car, which throws him into a panic attack. He throws himself against the wall, rips up his clothes, runs out into the street and starts yelling "Police! I've been robbed." The chorus of the song is the singer's plea to his lover to come back home, warning that if they don't, he will be taken away to a madhouse.


The second verse introduces another character, Mrs. A, who is talking about the singer to other people across the street, saying she cooked him a bucket of soup, but he does not eat. The third verse talks about the doctor visiting the singer and telling him that he is not sick, but he will die if he does not get his mate back home.


The lyrics of the song highlight how extreme losing a loved one can be and how it can cause individuals to lose control over their emotions. The singer's reaction to his lover leaving him is so extreme that he believes he has been robbed and may need to be taken away to a madhouse. The song may also highlight the importance of emotional support and the impact that losing a loved one can have on an individual's health.


Line by Line Meaning

A noise woke me up this morning
I was asleep and then a sound disrupted my slumber


I looked through the Venetian blind
I peered through the slatted window covering to see what was happening outside


You were gone, and the car was gone
You and the vehicle were both missing


And I almost lost my mind
I came close to going crazy with worry and confusion


If you don't come back (if you don't come back)
In the event that you do not return


If you don't come back today (if you don't come back)
Specifically, if you do not come back by the end of the day


Well, you can call up the people in the crazy house
This implies that the singer is becoming increasingly irrational and/or experiencing a mental breakdown


To take this crazy man away
The artist is essentially admitting that he may need to be institutionalized or confined to a psychiatric ward


I threw myself against the wall now
I slammed my body into the hard surface of the wall in a fit of desperation and grief


I ripped up my clothes and I sobbed
I tore my garments apart and cried uncontrollably


I ran into the street, in my stocking feet
I ran outside onto the road without wearing shoes, only my socks remained on my feet


Yelling "Police! I've been robbed"
I shouted at the top of my lungs, hoping to attract the attention of law enforcement and report a theft


Mrs A is talking about me
Someone named Mrs. A is gossiping or spreading false rumors about the singer


To the people way across the street
Mrs. A is sharing untruths or details about the singer's situation to individuals who are quite far away


She says "I cooked that boy a bucket of soup
Mrs. A claims that she prepared a large quantity of soup for the singer


But the poor thing doesn't eat"
Mrs. A asserts that the artist is not eating, although this may not be true


The doctor come up to see me
A physician visited the artist


To check me with a fine-tooth comb
The doctor did a thorough examination of the singer, investigating every detail closely


He said "You ain't sick, but you're gonna die
The physician declared that the singer was not presently ill, but would soon perish if the singer was unable to locate his departing lover


If you don't get your baby back home"
If the artist isn't able to return home with his lover, he will likely perish in despair or heartache


[Chorus x2]
This is the repetition of the chorus, which emphasizes the central theme of the song: the artist is dying without his lover, and he needs them to return to him




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JERRY LEIBER, MIKE STOLLER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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