Too Late
Willie Banks & The Messengers Lyrics
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And now you're knockin' on my door
I hear you knocking but you can't come in
I hear you knocking, go back where you've been
I begged you not to go, but you said goodbye
And now you tell me all your lies
I hear you knocking, but you can't come in
You better get back to your use to be
'Cause your kind of love ain't good for me
I hear you knocking, but you can't come in
I hear you knocking, go back where you've been
I told you way back in Fifty Two
That I would never go with you
I hear you knocking, but you can't come in
I hear you knocking, go back where you've been
The lyrics of Willie Banks and The Messengers' song "Too Late" convey a message of remorse and regret towards a former lover who had left long ago but now wants to come back. Despite the singer's initial plea for the lover to stay, they decided to leave and have been replaced by someone else. The singer now turns them away with the lyrics "I hear you knocking but you can't come in, I hear you knocking, go back where you've been," showing that they don't want anything to do with the former lover anymore. The singer warns the former lover to go back to their "use to be" and asserts that their "kind of love ain't good" for them.
The song also references a past rejection from the singer, where they had already told the former lover in 1952 that they would never go with them. The repetition of the phrase "I hear you knocking" throughout the song emphasizes the regretful tone in which the singer is singing. They know that they made a mistake in letting the former lover go, but they cannot bring themselves to accept them back into their life.
Overall, the lyrics of "Too Late" are a reflection of the pain of lost love and the regret that comes with realizing that you let go of someone who was important.
Line by Line Meaning
You went away and left me long time ago
You abandoned me and left me behind many years ago.
And now you're knockin' on my door
Now you're trying to come back into my life and seek my attention.
I hear you knocking but you can't come in
I acknowledge your presence, but I won't let you back into my life.
I hear you knocking, go back where you've been
Return to the place you came from and stay away from me.
I begged you not to go, but you said goodbye
I pleaded with you to stay, but you chose to leave me.
And now you tell me all your lies
You're trying to deceive me with your lies and false promises.
You better get back to your use to be
Go back to your previous life and leave me alone.
'Cause your kind of love ain't good for me
Your love is not good for me and will only bring me pain and misery.
I told you way back in Fifty Two
I warned you a long time ago, in 1952.
That I would never go with you
That I would never be with you and you should not try to pursue me.
I hear you knocking, but you can't come in
I hear your attempts to come back into my life, but I won't let you.
I hear you knocking, go back where you've been
Once again, I insist that you leave me alone and return to where you came from.
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Pearl King, Dave Bartholomew
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind