Lyrics for Roxanne as interpreted by Demau Senae

Roxanne Lyrics
Roxanne, you don't have to put on the red light
Those days are over
You don't have to sell your body to the night
Roxanne, you don't have to wear that dress tonight
Walk the streets for money
You don't care if it's wrong or if it's right

Roxanne, you don't have to put on the red light
Roxanne, you don't have to put on the red light
Put on the red light
Put on the red light
Put on the red light
Put on the red light
Put on the red light
Roxanne

Ever since I knew you
I wouldn't talk down to you
I have to tell you just how I feel
I won't share you with another boy
I know my mind is made up
So put away your make up
Told you once I won't tell you again
It's a bad way

Roxanne, you don't have to put on the red light
Roxanne, you don't have to put on the red light
You don't have to put on the red light
Put on the red light
Put on the red light
Put on the red light
Put on the red light
Put on the red light
Put on the red light
Put on the red light
Put on the red light
Put on the red light
You don't have to put on the red light
Put on the red light

{quick fade}

You don't have to put on the red light
Put on the red light
You don't have to

Interaction
Mail to a friend Send Lyrics to a Friend
Share on Facebook

Stumble It
Add to Del.icio.us Add to Del.icio.us




  • 49 Comments
  • Printer Friendly Lyrics
oldest first     Expand All
l!nzy
06-04-2002

Rated +1 
classic.

Log in to reply
vtmatt
06-16-2002

Rated 0 
good song.. but.. what exactly is putting on the "red light"

Log in to reply
2 Replies
lvlusicaltig3r
06-16-2002

Rated 0 
no offense man..not to be rude or nothin..but im only 15 and i kno whut that means lol.. a redlight on a hotel or anythin of the sort is for prostitution and that kinda stuff

Log in to reply
crick23
06-16-2002

Rated 0 
funny


Log in to reply
paedrough
08-28-2002

Rated 0 
the red light means-uh-to like abuse alchohol and drugs, and prostutution. stuff like that basicly

Log in to reply
2 Replies
Last_nite
10-13-2002

Rated 0 
Isnt it "I've loved you since i knew you" not Ever since i knew you...

Log in to reply
weezerific:cutlery
04-13-2003

Rated 0 
good song. it's pretty much about prostitution and how roxanne doesn't have to do it anymore. anyone ever heard of the red light district? yep..

Log in to reply
1 Reply
ckm4ever
04-17-2003

Rated 0 
Yes, it is "I loved you since I knew you." Damn, some people aren't aware of obvious things; I'm only 14 and I knew what "putting on the red light" meant. Great song.

Log in to reply
muzic_lover
04-19-2003

Rated 0 
Well, the red light probably means more today than just prostitution. But that was a common thing to do years ago (and i guess still today) and I think its even more common in Britain. But prostiitutes would put a red light in their window so "johns" would know where to find them without the hookers actually walking the streets. When this song first came out I knew what the song meant but I didnt understand the meaning of the red light either.

Log in to reply
GuitarBoy
05-13-2003

Rated 0 
The red light could mean two things in my opinion: I agree that it definately has something to do with prostitution and a "red light district" but it could also mean the red on traffic lights. In other words, a metaphor telling her to stop: "Put on a red light".

This song is about a man who falls in love with a prostitute and is trying to convince her to stop selling her body.

Log in to reply
1 Reply
herO
06-30-2003

Rated 0 
actualy, the "red light" is a place of prostitution market in Amsterdam, which is legalized there, there is only prostitution in this district and you can see the professional prostitutes through all of the main windows of every "houses"

the red lights are the one that prostitutes turn on when they are on duty or when they're avaylable (i don'T remember anymore)

Log in to reply
1 Reply
herO
06-30-2003

Rated 0 
oh and...GuitarBoy, this is definitly not about traffic lights, sorry.

though this is true: "This song is about a man who falls in love with a prostitute and is trying to convince her to stop selling her body. "

Log in to reply
2M
05-11-2004

Rated 0 
The red light on means, that the girl is doing her job.

To GuitarBoy, the idea of "mental traffic light" is nice. I had never thought of that.

Log in to reply
1 Reply
River Wolf
11-03-2004

Rated 0 
A wicked song in all ways.

Word has it that Roxanne was a real person who Sting knew.

Log in to reply
waitingforsunday
01-16-2005

Rated 0 
the red light refers to prostitution, where they would trun thier light on to mean they're "in business" and would dance in windows and try to lure you in. and it's not just in amsterdam, other parts of europe do that too. and there are other colors of lights, like blue for transsexuals and such.

Log in to reply
ADimeADexter
01-17-2005

Rated 0 
Fall out boy does an amazing cover of this song, chk it out http://myspace.com/policia.

Log in to reply
Em of Argyll
01-30-2005

Rated 0 
red light districts are in america too. but they aren't as common as it sounds in europe. since it's illegal everywhere as far as i know.

Log in to reply
starfire
02-14-2005

Rated 0 
This song is about a man who falls in love with a prostitute and is trying to convince her to stop selling her body.

Yeah, I agree. Also it says to me he truly loves her and he wants her to know and experience to be truly loved by a man, and not just bought for a one night thing. Kind of reminds me of that movie "Milk money" heh. Oh, and I also heard this song is based on someone Sting actually knew as well. Is it true?

Log in to reply
raymus2
04-11-2005

Rated 0 
i really like the song and i agree it's about a guy who falls in love with a prostitute.

even though the cover of it's not that great, i think the song really fits in "moulin rouge" cuz that's basiclly the theme of the movie.

Log in to reply
freakalik33
07-06-2005

Rated 0 
i completly agree with waitingforsunday your so right dude rock on

Log in to reply
Lukasa101
12-16-2005

Rated 0 
GuitarBoy, you are very very wrong. And you should probably be ashamed for having such crappy thoughts and opinions. Yes. Red Light = prostitution. Its about Roxanne being a flippin prostitute.

Log in to reply
Acey_Dearest
01-22-2006

Rated 0 
As has been said, it's about a guy that falls in love with a prostitute that tries to convince her to stop what she's doing... I'm probably wrong but I always thought the lyric went "I won't share you with another man," not "another boy."

Log in to reply
Mr. Master
03-03-2006

Rated 0 
Sting actually talks about the origin of the song in his book, "Broken Music." He was playing in France. He took the side entrance to his hotel past an alley where prostitutes were plying their trade. As he walked up to his room, he found a poster for the play "Cyrano de Bergerac" on one of the hotel's walls. (Roxanne, of course, is the heroine of the play). He combined the two themes.

Log in to reply
Mardi
05-31-2006

Rated 0 
by Lukasa101 on 12-16-2005 @ 10:20:00 PM
GuitarBoy, you are very very wrong. And you should probably be ashamed for having such crappy thoughts and opinions. Yes. Red Light = prostitution. Its about Roxanne being a flippin prostitute.

Haha, you dumbass. I don't know if you know this, but GuitarBoy obviously meant that "put on the red light" COULD BE a METAPHOR (did you get that part dipshit) that means STOP PROSTITUTION. You know, red light means stop, green go. The other suggestions are probably more accurate, but don't be such an ignorant fuck about other people's opinions.

Log in to reply
1 Reply
AprilMoon1991
07-02-2006

Rated 0 
"Urgh! A Music War", you guys up there.

Anyway, the thing with red lights. In the middle ages, prostitutes would put a red rose above the... bed. The rose symbolised a secret kept, like in "your secrets go no further". So what happened in that bed, stayed in that bed. The red rose became a symbol for prostitues, on ocasions (a more underground symbol). It was replaced with a red light hung over the houses where they... worked. So, ya, like you guys put it, they were open'! (nice choice of words, ei? Hi Hi! ^.^)

Log in to reply




  • Add Your Comments
What does this song mean to you?

You must be logged in to post your comments.

Feel free to create an account with us, or log in with your existing account, to start adding your comments to songs.





Popular
Top:   Lyrics, Artists, Albums
Random:   Lyric, Artist, Album

Your Ad Here