She smiled in a big way, the way a girl like that smiles
When the world is hers and she held your eyes
Out in the breezeway down by the shore in the lazy summer
And she pulled you in, and she bit your lip, and she made you hers
She looked deep into you as you lay together quiet in the grasp of dusk and summer

[Chorus:]
But you've already lost
But you've already lost
But you've already lost
When you only had barely enough to hang on

And she combed your hair, and she kissed your teeth
And she made you better than you'd been before
She told you bad things you wished you could change in the lazy summer
And she told you, laughing down to her core, so she would not cry as she lay in your lap
She said "Nobody here can live forever, quiet in the grasp of dusk and summer"

[Chorus]

She said, "No one is alone the way you are alone"
And you held her looser than you would have if you ever could have known
Some things tie your life together, slender threads and things to treasure
Days like that should last and last and last

[Chorus]

Hang on
Hang on
Hang on



Lyrics submitted by joshchang.com

Track duration: 03:19

"Dusk and Summer" as written by Christopher Andrew Carrabba

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Dusk and Summer song meanings
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92 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:This is one of my all time favorite songs,
    I take it as the realization that a relationship is ending, "you've already lost, when you only have barley enough to hang on"
    They aren't over but they might as well be
    Flag fabryon May 22, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Now that i read EVERYONE'S interpretation on it i have my own. it could be a long distance relationship (like the one i'm in) and they know that the connections will never last forever and that someone's heart is going to break. but deep inside they both know that it's going to work too. eventually if they keep on smiling and helping each other... even if it's things they don't want to hear. but at the same time they know in time that it could be lost and could never find it's way back. not nessisarily a "summer romance".
    the words "dusk" and "summer" have symbolic meanings. also i could take it as the feeling of falling in love and not knowing where it's going to go, and all you have is bad thoughts about it.

    i can relate because i met this guy online and we've been talking for the past 2-3 years. we have no idea if we will ever see each other... due to us being young. it may be 4-5 years until we meet face-to-face but somehow we still hope it will work though doubts are present.

    it makes me want to cry myself to sleep but for some odd reason it never comes out. Chris Carrabba's best song ever in my opinon.
    Flag HMichelleon March 27, 2011   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:It's beautifully tragic
    Flag ALWAYSYOURS4EVERon March 22, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:It's beautifully tragic
    Flag ALWAYSYOURS4EVERon March 22, 2011   Link
  • +2
    My Opinion:I feel the girl is definitely beautiful and a huge rebel who loves to be free. It seems like he loves her so much because she pushes away all the pain and behind her strong personality shes so much more fragile. I think he views her as a mystery and a cure to him. Never in the song does he reveal how she feels accept for when he says And she told you bad things you wished you could change in the lazy summer. And she told you laughing down to her core so she would not cry as she lay in your lap" It all sounds so cute and perfect. He starts out by saying "she pulled you in she bit your lip she made you hers", making her seem so sure and dominant, but then she becomes so vulnerable....its what makes the song so good. So realistic....such a beautiful song
    Flag kegelevenon January 03, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Just listening to the song...feels like my heart been pierce by a thousand knives. Truly truly truly sad!=<
    Flag SquareXIIIon November 03, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:i thought he said "she kissed your tear"? not teeth...
    Flag unstoppablelyricson March 04, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:i thought the "kiss your teeth" part was weird too, until i did it. i pulled my boy in and kissed him, and he wasn't expecting it so he smiled. i ended up kissing his teeth and it was beautiful. completely unforgettable and i love that this song mentions it.

    also, i didn't even think that she could be dying but it makes complete sense. kudos guys, this song is brilliant.
    Flag anntimmoon January 05, 2010   Link
  • 0
    My Opinion:it's wild how dashboard has a song for just about every human emotion out there...

    i been though a few differnet situations with girls, and dashboard has had something for me each time.

    This summer, i found a girl, and this song shows how i feel.

    This song, its beautiful, about an amazing connection, even love (not for me). But the song, and guitar, the mood, its so filled with a deep pain. I wasnt gonna post on this song, just look at the lyrics as im depressed about my current situation, but then i read the lines "Some things tie a life together, you slendered threads and things to treasure." I love when you can find one line that just sticks out and makes a song so much better, so much more powerful and relatable, and ultimately more memorable to you. Its like, the slendered threads, these fragile relationships, even tho they are essenntially doomed, these small, brief things (to be
    "treasured"), can mean SO MUCH to someone, despite the pain that will follow...

    and the line "days like this should last and last", it just scares me so much to think that i might one day look back when im older and wonder how much happier i could be if days like this actually DID last
    Flag quesabeson July 28, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:This song captures my current feelings perfectly:

    "And you held her looser than you would have if you ever could have known."
    If I could have known I would have held her that much tighter, told her that much more often what I thought of her.

    "but you've already lost when you only have barely enough of her to hang on."
    We had barely started, and then it was over. I'm left hanging on to the smallest bits of her, the few things I got to know about her. Oh, how bittersweet.
    Flag scottiedawgon July 27, 2009   Link

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