The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
I'm in love with the world
Through the eyes of a girl
Who's still around the morning after
We broke up a month ago
And I grew up, I didn't know
I'd be around the morning after
It's always been wait and see
A happy day and then you pay
And feel like shit the morning after
But now I feel changed around
And instead of falling down
I'm standing up the morning after
Situations get fucked up
And turned around sooner or later
And I could be another fool
Or an exception to the rule
You tell me the morning after
Crooked spin can't come to rest
I'm damaged bad at best
She'll decide what she wants
I'll probably be the last to know
No one says until it shows
See how it is
They want you or they don't
Say yes
I'm in love with the world
Through the eyes of a girl
Who's still around the morning after
Through the eyes of a girl
Who's still around the morning after
We broke up a month ago
And I grew up, I didn't know
I'd be around the morning after
It's always been wait and see
A happy day and then you pay
And feel like shit the morning after
But now I feel changed around
And instead of falling down
I'm standing up the morning after
Situations get fucked up
And turned around sooner or later
And I could be another fool
Or an exception to the rule
You tell me the morning after
Crooked spin can't come to rest
I'm damaged bad at best
She'll decide what she wants
I'll probably be the last to know
No one says until it shows
See how it is
They want you or they don't
Say yes
I'm in love with the world
Through the eyes of a girl
Who's still around the morning after
Lyrics submitted by EnjOy IncUbus
Say Yes Lyrics as written by Steven Paul Smith
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
I only read the first page of comments on this song. Long time Smith fan. This is my first post.
While "The Morning After" is a term associated with sex, I don't believe this song or the feeling behind it came from a one night stand and waking up the next morning wanting to stay with the woman he had been with.
"We broke up a month ago, I grew up. I didn't know I'd be around the morning after." --- Their entire relationship together (however long or short) is symbolized by one huge passion (ie: love not sex). But he was too "young" (scared of being let down, young and doubtful) to keep it going. They broke up a month ago, and while it felt right at the time, he didn't know he'd be around the morning after. You see, the "morning" is not a morning at all. It's an emotion; a time frame of realizing his mistake. To which he goes on to try and repair hoping that she will say yes.
This is my first post ever on this site. I don't usually like to go into detail on what I get out of lyrics, or my take on them, but it's 2:45 in the morning and i'm putting myself on warning. ;)
@RomanticKerouac I want to add one thing. In the song when he says Morning after every time, he makes a pause if you listen closely and it makes it sound like he's singing this while crying. I may be wrong, but I definitely wouldn't put it past Elliott to put some hidden thing in there like this.
Im thinking that it is about this guy who is so in love with this girl, but they have this relationship that is more like "friends with benefits" but he is falling in love with her and he knows that he isn't suppose to. The first part is so happy because he is there and she stuck around the morning after - maybe she is falling in love too. Then, as in all relationships, things get fucked up. she is gone or she is about to leave and he knows it and he can't do anything to stop her. Then the first two lines are repeated and i think that is showing he is starting over with a new girl in a new relationship. That is my spin - that is what is so great about this song though, it has as many interpertations as readers.
this song isn't about dying in your sleep.
it's about making a huge mistake. about letting someone go, because you've become so used to being let down. "a happy day and then you pay."
it's about wanting that person back, and knowing how you've made a mistake. ("she'll decide what she wants")
it's about how being with that one girl makes a shitty world beautiful.
I agree way back with femmesofrussia. Smith is talking about letting someone go because he was afraid of being hurt. ("It's always been wait and see, a happy day and then you pay, and feel like shit the morning after.") So he called things off before they got too serious. Now that she's gone, he realized he made a big mistake, because now that he's out of the situation, he thinks that with this girl, it could've been different. ("But now i feel changed around and instead falling down, i'm standing up the morning after.") Now the ball is in her court. ("I'm damaged bad at best, she'll decide what she wants.") He hopes that she'll say yes.
He's in love with a woman. They've dated on and off for a while. He loves her and wants her to stay, but he understands he's damaged goods and understands why she wouldn't want to be with him.
It's hopeful and hopeless at the same time. As they lay together he envisions a future in which she stays with him, and it fills him with hope and joy. At the same time, he sees the odds aren't great of them staying together. So he's afraid. He's upset about the seemingly random nature of relationships, and he feels frustrated because he can't get what he wants.
But in that moment, as she's spent the night and is still around the next morning, he feels happy. Hopeful. It's a vaguely hopeful song, but ultimately realistic. Which is why it's so fucking great.
That's my interpretation anyhow. Of course it's 100% correct.
bigspencedog, why exactly would one ask or want a drug to "say yes"?
another classic love/hate song from elliot smith, which is how all of his best songs are written. he sees everything that's wrong with love, he knows how it ends, and yet in spite of that the way he writes about it shows that he knows it's the most beautiful thing in the world. he's happy, he's in love, and he knows that this relationship will be no different, he's at this girl's mercy and sooner or later she'll leave him alone. elliot smith's magic is that he can express yearning like nobody else, and his emphasis is on everything that keeps you away from the things you want most in the world.
It is a positive song. BUT despite what some people think positive doesn't mean HAPPY-SAPPY-DUMB. It's all about how something positive could rise from negative, or maybe not...but maybe yes... it makes me smile, it's sad and happy at the same time.
I agree with this interpretation the best, although every song is meant to give each person who hears it something different to take away from it. But this is what I always imagined most when I listen/ed to this song.<br /> <br /> It's truly very beautiful and one of the few positive songs you'll ever hear from Elliott Smith, I think.
I think it's about a relationship that ended but not really, and they ended up together again, even if just for one night and it's about that period of time where it's still good and there aren't questions like what do we do now? It's almost like he's pleading to her to try with him again, to make it work. Just my interpretation, I could be projecting.
The morning after refers to the morning after a one night stand. In the morning after a one night stand, the reality of where she is tends to hit, and the girl leaves.
There's a turning point in relationships when you see the reality of what the other person is like, and you leave or stay.
He's laying in bed, happy, reflecting.
"it's always been wait and see
a happy day and then you pay
and feel like shit the morning after"
For him, it's always been a wait until that point (although he was happy before it hit), but then he paid for having a relationship when they got to that point (and she left).
"now I feel changed ... down I'm standing up the morning after"
Now that she's remained with him in "the morning after", he's happy.
"situations get fucked up and turned around sooner or later"
His relationships always get fucked up at some point (at that turning point)..
"and i could be another fool or an exception to the rule"
in this particular relationship, he was just waiting which one of the two outcomes it would be: him being a fool again for trying, or the exception to his feeling that this would always happen...
"you tell me the morning after"
it all depended on what she would do the morning after.
"crooked spin can't come to rest I'm damaged bad at best she'll decide what she wants"
It's like he's in a constant car crash, he's in bad shape, and now she'll decide what she wants.
"I'll probably be the last to know no one says until it shows see how it is"
He'll be the last to know if she chose to leave him, nobody says anything until it all becomes clear to him, that's how it is.
"they want you or they don't say yes"
this part is particularity good: 'they want you or they dont' 'they want you or they say no' 'say yes' (want me)
and now, back to the beginning:
"I'm in love with the world through the eyes of a girl who's still around the morning after"
She stayed, and he's in love with everything (enjoys life) through the fact that she wants him.
"we(/they) broke up a month ago n' I grew up I didn't know I'd be around the morning after"
In the live kcrw recording, he sings "we". In the soundtrack he sings "they". The Ben Folds cover sings "meh" (likely because he too doesn't know which it is).
if it's "they": She was with someone, they broke up a month ago and that's how long our couple have been together... all the while, and all his life, he didn't know if (he'd?) be around the morning after. ("I'd be" perhaps because if she isn't in the relationship neither is he, or he becomes after a breakup as disillusioned with a girl as she was with him)
if it's "we": they broke up a month ago, he grew up during that time, realizing that he's "still there the morning after". He goes back, and she's still with him the morning after. (After she realizes what kind of person he is, breaking up with her and all). (as juicyclad said, but different ending)