I'm holdin' on your rope,
Got me ten feet off the ground.
And I'm hearin' what you say,
But I just can't make a sound.
You tell me that you need me,
Then you go and cut me down.
But wait.
You tell me that you're sorry,
Didn't think I'd turn around.
And say.

That it's too late to apologize.
It's too late.
I said it's too late to apologize.
It's too late.
Too late, oh uh

I'd take another chance,
Take a fall, take a shot for you.
I need you like a heart needs a beat,
But it's nothin' new, yeah!
I loved you with a fire red,
Now it's turnin' blue.
And you say.
Sorry, like an angel
Heaven let me think was you.
But I'm afraid.

It's too late to apologize.
It's too late.
I said it's too late to apologize.
It's too late.
Whoa!

It's too late to apologize.
It's too late.
I said it's too late to apologize.
It's too late.

I said it's too late to apologize, yeah!
I said it's too late to apologize, yeah!
I'm holdin' on your rope,
Got me ten feet off the ground.



Lyrics submitted by Kimber-Leigh, edited by 1Republic

Track duration: 03:28

"Apologize" as written by Ryan Tedder

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Apologize song meanings
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182 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:Does anyone else hear him very quietly say "somehow" prior to "I'd take another chance, take a fall, take a shot for you."?

    "I'm holding 'your' a rope
    Got me ten feet off the ground
    I'm hearin' what you say but I just can't make a sound
    You tell me that you need me then you go and cut me down
    But wait
    You tell me that you're sorry didn't think I'd turn around and say: "

    To me, this means that something has gone very wrong for him. The part about the rope means that she is telling him that its ok, she is giving him a way to hold on. She tells him that she needs him, but, even though he is hearing all of what she is saying, he is too stunned and out of it that he can't respond. Holding on the rope he is "ten feet of the ground", if he lets go or she cuts the rope, he will get hurt, and depending on how he lands, he could never recover.

    Because he is unable to respond in time, he just can't manage to find the words, she leaves him, cutting the rope (severing all ties). It devastates him that she left him. She sees him later, and he has turned around. She tells him she is sorry, she didn't think he would turn around. She didn't realize that it was "to late to apologize". The damage had been done and might never be repaired, he could never forgive her.
    Flag 1Republicon October 26, 2012   Link
  • +1
    Song Meaning:To me this song is beyond just a broken relationship, it is a broken marriage.

    It is about two people who have loved each other through thick and thin and who's marriage has survived a lot, but something happens be it infidelity, addiction, or even her own suicide. Whatever her actions were, it was enough to break him irreparably. It is too late to apologize. What is done is done and the damage is too much to overcome.
    Flag BuGaLoUon August 09, 2012   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:its about a guy who is deeply on a girls "hook" and realizes that he is on her hook and leaves but then she apologizes cause she wants him now...but he wont be hooked on her again no matter how much she apologizes cause its too late
    Flag adj2010on April 12, 2012   Link
  • +1
    Song Meaning:when i first looked at the lyrics of this beautiful song i found that they were sad. i originaly thought, like many of you, that it was about a girl that had broken his heart and was supposed to be his signifigant other. then, i watched the music video. the symbolism in the items that are in the video spinning on the tabe and sertain key words in the song led me to believe that it is not his signifigant other he is speaking to, but a child of his instead... believed to be a daughter from the music video. i realized, being a musican myself, that the pain that he portrays in the song is more akin to something someone would NEVER get over. after some research into the song and listening to it non stop it all clicked and made sense.
    Flag nightangel147on January 28, 2012   Link
  • +2
    My Interpretation:I think it's about a guy who played too many games with a girl,and he finally realized that she was the one and now she's giving him the same shit back and he actually thinks he has a right to feel victimized!
    Ain't nobody apoligizing here.
    Flagged redshiftdazzleron December 16, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I'm sorry for losing it and being a mean *itch, but I still wish you'd get a really nasty STD that doesn't kill you (but won't allow you to sit comfortably on your skinny arse for at least a week). That's the best I'm gonna do. Goodnight. Happy sex.
    Flag TurnMeOnon November 09, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I don't have much to say about the meaning of this song. So many people come up with so many different interpretations and they are all good. I'd like to share how this song has inspired me on my writing : )

    gimcrackandgewgaw.blogspot.com/2011/06/…
    Flag MLH0415on June 07, 2011   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:I used to like this song, until my ex girlfriend dedicated it to me. Now I hate it.
    Flag chicagocubsfan3on April 21, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think this song is about a guy who keeps asking to date this girl, and she accepts, but then she breaks it off, and she keeps playing these cat and mouse games. The guy then gets to the the point of proposing to her, and she either turns it down, or she doesn't show at the alter... then when he can't get a hold of her he commits suicide... Leaving the letter about his love for her and it's too late to apologize...
    Flag mojayon January 16, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:"I'm holding on a rope
    Got me 10 feet off the ground"

    He's clutching onto her because it's too dangerous not to. He has nowhere to go but down, where he will only crash and be hurt.

    "You tell me that you're sorry didn't think I'd turn around and say:
    That it's too late to apologize"

    He doesn't forgive her. That surprises and upsets her.

    "I'd take another chance, take a fall, take a shot for you
    I need you like a heart needs a beat, it's nothing new
    I loved you with a fire red now it's turning blue
    And you say
    Sorry like the angel heaven let me think was you
    But I'm afraid"

    He'll still go back to her despite his lack of forgiving because he has no choice. No choice not because he still loves her; in fact, he's not sure if he still does. What she did to him has affected him so severely that he can't love her with his whole heart ever again, but he can't be without her. His former love for her had distorted his perception of her character, causing him to believe she was a good person. He's afraid to go back to her because he knows that it's likely he will be hurt again, but as said before, he has no choice.

    Flag adamguy17on November 18, 2010   Link

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