Carry On
Timothy B. Schmit Lyrics
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I could deceive you
And if you were here
You would believe
But would you suspect
My emotion wandering, yeah?
Do not want a part
The rain water drips
Through the cracks in the ceiling
And I'll have to spend
My time on repair
And just like the rain
I'll be always fallin', yeah
Only to rise and fall again
If you were here
I could deceive you
And if you were here
You would believe
But would you suspect
My emotion wandering, yeah?
Do not want a part
of this anymore
If you were here
I could deceive you
And if you were here
You would believe
But just like the rain
I'll be always fallin', yeah
Only to rise and fall again
The lyrics of Timothy B. Schmit's song "Carry On" conveys the deep emotions and struggles of the songwriter. The first line, "If you were here, I could deceive you," suggests that he is experiencing some sort of internal conflict that he is not able to address when he's in the presence of someone he cares a great deal about. The next line "and if you were here, you would believe," implies that the person he is addressing has a certain degree of trust in him, which he fears he may betray with his current state of mind.
The following lines "But would you suspect my emotion wandering? Do not want a part of this anymore" reveal that the songwriter is struggling with some sort of emotional turmoil. His wandering emotions are something he's not willing to expose to the person he's talking to. The rainwater imagery stands as a metaphor for his emotional strife. The rainwater drips through the cracks in the ceiling, which he relates to having to spend time on repair, indicating that the internal struggles are taking a toll on him.
The final lines of the song, "Just like the rain, I'll be always fallin', yeah, only to rise and fall again," shows an acceptance of the fact that he is going to keep dealing with this emotional laying on and off, just as the rain will keep falling and stopping in between. Overall, carrying on with life is the only way he knows how to handle these emotional setbacks.
Line by Line Meaning
If you were here
If you were here with me physically
I could deceive you
I could hide my true emotions from you and pretend everything is okay
And if you were here
If you were here with me physically
You would believe
You would be easily convinced by my fake facade
But would you suspect
Would you have any doubts or suspicions
My emotion wandering, yeah?
That I am feeling lost and uncertain
Do not want a part
I don't want to be involved
of this anymore
any longer
The rain water drips
Water from the rain is leaking
Through the cracks in the ceiling
Through the holes in the ceiling
And I'll have to spend
I will need to use
My time on repair
My time to fix the leak
And just like the rain
Similar to the water from the rain
I'll be always fallin', yeah
I too will always have ups and downs
Only to rise and fall again
To experience a cycle of success and failure
If you were here
If you were here with me physically
I could deceive you
I could hide my true emotions from you and pretend everything is okay
And if you were here
If you were here with me physically
You would believe
You would be easily convinced by my fake facade
But just like the rain
Similar to the water from the rain
I'll be always fallin', yeah
I too will always have ups and downs
Only to rise and fall again
To experience a cycle of success and failure
Contributed by Emily R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Gus Gambatese
I didn't think the CSNY could be any better. I can't say which is "better", they are just different interpretations, but I will say the is an AWESOME version! The harmony is just as good as CSNY, but I like this instrumental part better. More of an edge.
Captain Aero
I love the original, but this version takes the song to a new level! Thanks for posting!
Treeske Soentken
A great cover this is. Wonderful vocals <3
Ralph Burton
Hard to beat the original tune but Timothy B Did
The DJ Kojak show
I played this song at a rock and roll dance party. I got bombarded with people saying "who is that?? Where can I get it????"
MissDataa
why not carry on?? this song makes me happy, & glad Timothy & friends nailed it!! YES!
Joseph Ballew
CSNY did it with 4 vocals. There is at least 8 layers of vocals here. Great version.
Rich Mattiford
I had no idea this existed… Interesting interpretation. Still think the version on four-way street is the best one.
pedal4ever
pretty damn good! No question he nails harmony thing. I must say, I usually favor the original version. Now I have to think about it. Which is what doing an alternate version is all about. But if I must choose this is better!
greg8557
Gus you nailed it