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6th Avenue Heartache
The Wallflowers Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Sirens ring, the shots ring out
A stranger cries, screams out loud
I had my world strapped against my back
I held my hands, never knew how to act

And the same black line that was drawn on you
Was drawn on me
And now it's drawn me in
6th Avenue heartache

Below me was a homeless man
I'm singin' songs I knew complete
On the steps alone, his guitar in hand
It's fifty years, stood where he stands

Now walkin' home on those streets
The river winds move my feet
Subway steam, like silhouettes in dreams
They stood by me, just like moonbeams

Look out the window, down upon that street
And gone like a midnight was that man
But I see his six strings laid against that wall
And all his things, they all look so small

I got my fingers crossed on a shooting star
Just like me just moved on

Overall Meaning

The Wallflowers' song "6th Avenue Heartache" is a poignant commentary on the struggle of living in the big city, the feeling of disconnectedness, and the yearning for something more meaningful. The song's lyrics tell the story of a protagonist wandering through the streets of the city, witnessing the violence of the sirens and feeling the weight of the world on his back. He sees a homeless man with a guitar on the steps, and it makes him think about the transitory nature of life.


The singer finds solace in the fact that the same black line that was drawn on him was drawn on the homeless man, and they are both part of the same struggle. As he walks through the city, he feels the weight of the world on his shoulders and the sense that he is disconnected from the world around him. He sees the subway steam and the moonbeams and is drawn into their beauty, but he also feels a sense of yearning for something more.


By the end of the song, the singer is left with a sense of hope, as he sees the guitar of the homeless man left against the wall. He feels like he has something to reach for, and he puts his fingers crossed on a shooting star, resolved to move on and keep going forward.


Line by Line Meaning

Sirens ring, the shots ring out
Police sirens and gunshots can be heard in the distance


A stranger cries, screams out loud
An unknown person nearby is shouting and hollering


I had my world strapped against my back
I carried all my belongings with me everywhere I went


I held my hands, never knew how to act
I was unsure how to behave in this unfamiliar environment


And the same black line that was drawn on you
We both face the same obstacles and challenges


Was drawn on me
I am no different from you in the struggles we face


And now it's drawn me in
I have become a part of this too


6th Avenue heartache
The feeling of despair and sorrow on this street is overwhelming


Below me was a homeless man
I saw a man without a home on the street


I'm singin' songs I knew complete
I tried to lift my spirits by singing familiar tunes


On the steps alone, his guitar in hand
The homeless man sat on the steps playing his guitar


It's fifty years, stood where he stands
He has been struggling to survive and maintain his spot for many years


Now walkin' home on those streets
I am on my way home, walking on the same streets


The river winds move my feet
The curves of the river influence my walking path


Subway steam, like silhouettes in dreams
The steam coming from the subway is a dream-like vision of shadows


They stood by me, just like moonbeams
The figures surrounding me were like supportive moonbeams


Look out the window, down upon that street
I looked out the window at the street below


And gone like a midnight was that man
That homeless man disappeared suddenly like midnight


But I see his six strings laid against that wall
I could see his guitar among his belongings on the wall


And all his things, they all look so small
All of his possessions appeared insignificant and little


I got my fingers crossed on a shooting star
I am making a wish upon a shooting star


Just like me just moved on
I hope to move on and find my way like the homeless man did




Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JAKOB DYLAN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

dino vidal

Lyrics
Sirens ring, the shots ring out
A stranger cries, screams out loud
I had my world strapped against my back
I held my hands, never knew how to act
And the same black line
That was drawn on you
Was drawn on me
And now it's drawn me in
6th Avenue heartache
And below me was a homeless man
I'm singin' songs, I knew complete
On the steps alone, his guitar in hand
It's 50 years, he stood where he stands
And the same black line
That was drawn on you
Was drawn on me
And now it's drawn me in
6th Avenue heartache
And the same black line
That was drawn on you
Was drawn on me
And now it's drawn me in
6th Avenue heartache (heartache)
Now walkin' home on those streets
The river winds move my feet
Subway steam, like silhouettes in dreams
They stood by me (they stood by me)
(They stood by me, oh) just like moonbeams
And the same black line
That was drawn on you
Was drawn on me
And now it's drawn me in (yeah)
6th Avenue heartache (6th Avenue heartache) heartache
And the same black line
That was drawn on you
Was drawn on me
And now it's drawn me in (yeah)
6th Avenue (6th, 6th Avenue heartache) heartache
Look out the window, down upon that street
And gone like a midnight was that man
But I see his six strings laid against that wall
And all his things, they all look so small
I got my fingers crossed on a shooting star
Just like me, just moved on
And the same black line
That was drawn on you
Was drawn on me
And now it's drawn me in
6th Avenue heartache (heartache), heartache
And the same black line
That was drawn on you
Was drawn on me
And now it's drawn me in
6th Avenue heartache (6th Avenue heartache), heartache
And now it's drawn me in
Oh, and the same black line
That was drawn on you
Was drawn on me
And now it's drawn me in
6th Avenue (6th, 6th Avenue heartache) heartache, heartache



All comments from YouTube:

Dr. Bill

This was the song that was playing when I came home from work and my wife and 4 children were gone along with all my furniture and appliances . She found love on the internet 😂. Well I finally got all my kids back and raised them alone. They’re all since moved out and I’m still in the same home.alone and extremely happy . A song can bring you back to the exact moment in time .

Tasmar Vanderweghe

So very true. Glad you got your kids back. Posted my exact moment above.

Anne Collins

Glad to hear you guys all fared well.

Christian Berman

wow that's strong man, inspiring to hear. Don't let anyone take you down. Sorry it happened to you though. Been through similar shit.

AIMILIOS - CHRISTOS

I had that same crazy shit happen to me bro.

MrWayne6363

Glad to hear you're happy. I just set my son "free". He's doing well. I miss him though.

157 More Replies...

ChessieBO8583

The Wallflowers are completely underrated. This song is absolutely amazing!

Ez Ogden

Ikr. Bad ass tunes man

Rose Cruz

it sort of sounds like a country song

Chuck Little

I'll agree this song is amazing but the wallflowers being underrated that's not true, dinosaurs jr are a underrated band,nick drake or aka the van gogh of the music industry.

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