Can We Still Be Friends?
Todd Rundgren Lyrics


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We can't play this game anymore, but
Can we still be friends?
Things just can't go on like before, but
Can we still be friends?

We had something to learn
Now it's time for the wheel to turn
Things are said one by one
Before you know it's all gone

Let's admit we made a mistake, but
Can we still be friends?
Heartbreak's never easy to take, but
Can we still be friends?

It's a strange sad affair
Sometimes seems like we just don't care
Don't waste time feeling hurt
We've been through hell together

La la la la, la la la la
Can we still be friends?
Can we still get together sometime?

We awoke from our dream
Things are not always what they seem




Memories linger on
It's like a sweet sad old song

Overall Meaning

The song "Can We Still Be Friends" by Todd Rundgren is about two people who have ended their romantic relationship and are questioning whether they can still maintain a friendship. The lyrics are filled with both sadness and hope, as the singer is trying to come to terms with the loss of their romantic relationship, but still wants to maintain a connection with their ex-partner. The initial lyrics, "We can't play this game anymore, but can we still be friends?" set the tone for the rest of the song.


Throughout the song, the lyrics touch on the difficulties of moving on from a romantic relationship and trying to build a friendship. The lines "Let's admit we made a mistake, but can we still be friends?" suggest that both partners realize that their relationship is over, but are hoping to maintain some kind of connection. Rundgren's use of repetition in the chorus with the line "Can we still be friends?" emphasizes the singer's desire for some type of continued relationship.


The lyrics also touch on the idea of deception and misunderstanding within a relationship. The line "We awoke from our dream, things are not always what they seem" suggests that both partners thought they had something special, but it turns out that they did not. The final line, "It's like a sweet sad old song," further emphasizes this idea of lost love and the nostalgia that can accompany the end of a relationship.


Line by Line Meaning

We can't play this game anymore, but
We can no longer continue this relationship in the same manner we have done before.


Can we still be friends?
Is it possible for us to maintain a platonic relationship despite ending our romantic relationship?


Things just can't go on like before, but
Our circumstances have changed, and we cannot continue our relationship as we did previously.


We had something to learn
Our relationship taught us valuable lessons.


Now it's time for the wheel to turn
It's time for us to move on and let life take its course.


Things are said one by one
Our relationship ended after a series of discussions and dialogues.


Before you know it's all gone
Our relationship ended before we fully realized it was happening.


Let's admit we made a mistake, but
We need to acknowledge that our relationship was not ideal.


Can we still be friends?
Is there a possibility of maintaining a platonic relationship despite ending our romantic relationship?


Heartbreak's never easy to take, but
The end of our relationship was painful for both of us.


Can we still be friends?
Is it possible for us to maintain a platonic relationship despite ending our romantic relationship?


It's a strange sad affair
The end of our relationship was an unusual and melancholic experience.


Sometimes seems like we just don't care
Our emotions towards each other were complicated at times.


Don't waste time feeling hurt
There's no benefit in lingering on the pain of our broken relationship.


We've been through hell together
Our relationship had moments of extreme difficulty and hardship.


La la la la, la la la la
A recurring melody used to indicate the transition to the chorus.


Can we still be friends?
Is there a possibility of maintaining a platonic relationship despite ending our romantic relationship?


Can we still get together sometime?
Is meeting up still a possibility despite the end of our relationship?


We awoke from our dream
We realized that our relationship was not sustainable.


Things are not always what they seem
Our relationship appeared to be one thing, but it turned out to be something else.


Memories linger on
Even though our relationship has ended, our memories of it remain.


It's like a sweet sad old song
Our relationship was bittersweet, like a nostalgic melody.




Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: TODD RUNDGREN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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