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.
It's been seven hours and fifteen days
Since you took your love away
I go out every night and sleep all day
Since you took your love away
Since you been gone I can do whatever I want
I can see whomever I choose
I can eat my dinner in a fancy restaurant
But nothing
I said nothing can take away these blues
'Cause nothing compares
Nothing compares to you
It's been so lonely without you here
Like a bird without a song
Nothing can stop these lonely tears from falling
Tell me, baby, where did I go wrong?
I could put my arms around every boy I see
They'd only remind me of you
I went to the doctor and guess what he told me?
Guess what he told me?
He said, "Girl, you better try to have fun
No matter what you do, but he's a fool"
'Cause nothing compares
Nothing compares to you
All the flowers that you planted, mama
In the back yard
All died when you went away
I know that living with you, baby, was sometimes hard
But I'm willing to give it another try
Nothing compares
Nothing compares to you
Nothing compares
Nothing compares to you
Nothing compares
Nothing compares to you
Since you took your love away
I go out every night and sleep all day
Since you took your love away
Since you been gone I can do whatever I want
I can see whomever I choose
I can eat my dinner in a fancy restaurant
But nothing
I said nothing can take away these blues
'Cause nothing compares
Nothing compares to you
It's been so lonely without you here
Like a bird without a song
Nothing can stop these lonely tears from falling
Tell me, baby, where did I go wrong?
I could put my arms around every boy I see
They'd only remind me of you
I went to the doctor and guess what he told me?
Guess what he told me?
He said, "Girl, you better try to have fun
No matter what you do, but he's a fool"
'Cause nothing compares
Nothing compares to you
All the flowers that you planted, mama
In the back yard
All died when you went away
I know that living with you, baby, was sometimes hard
But I'm willing to give it another try
Nothing compares
Nothing compares to you
Nothing compares
Nothing compares to you
Nothing compares
Nothing compares to you
Lyrics submitted by munkeyarse
Nothing Compares 2 U Lyrics as written by Prince Rogers Nelson
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Great version of a great song,
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this song is about being broken up with. it sucks so much when everyone just tells you to move on, because no matter what people say, you know that you're just completely broken. it's about realizing what you had too late to do anything about it.
I think the break up fits more than the death explanation for the single line "but I'm willing to give it another try".
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You're both right - Prince broke up with his girlfriend, and lost his mother to cancer at around the same time, and the song is generally about him being in a state of depression - seeing therapists etc etc.
Some of the lyrics are about losing his girlfriend, and some are about the death of his mother.
I think
"Since you been gone I can do whatever I want I can see whomever I choose I can eat my dinner in a fancy restaurant But nothing I said nothing can take away these blues `Cause nothing compares Nothing compares to you"
Is about his mother dying.
As is
"All the flowers that you planted, mother (Sinead O'Conner changed this lyric from mother to "mama") In the back yard All died when you went away"
The rest is about losing his love
I was shocked at how deep Prince actually is.So his act on stage,is just that.
@ceej1979 nooo... the "since you've been gone" part is clearly about losing his romantic partner how in the heck could that be about his mother??? That's absurddd
@ceej1979 <br /> Please read my take on a daughter mourning the loss of her mother.<br /> It's been seven hours and fifteen days<br /> Since you took your love away<br /> I go out every night and sleep all day<br /> Since you took your love away<br /> ( when she was around, she would probably tell her not to go out so much and would force Her to wake up early to “seize the day” be productive. Stop waisting her life)<br /> Since you been gone I can do whatever I want<br /> I can see whomever I choose<br /> I can eat my dinner in a fancy restaurant<br /> But nothing<br /> I said nothing can take away these blues<br /> 'Cause nothing compares<br /> Nothing compares to you<br /> ( since mother is no longer around to judge her choice of men, she is now going wild and doing expensive things to try and fill the void of her mother)<br /> It's been so lonely without you here<br /> Like a bird without a song<br /> Nothing can stop these lonely tears from falling<br /> Tell me, baby, where did I go wrong<br /> (Her house is quiet, she probably misses her mom calling out to wake up “breakfast is ready” maybe when they shared good times at home… missing he bickering when she would do something wrong)<br /> I could put my arms around every boy I see<br /> But they'd only remind me of you<br /> I went to the doctor and guess what he told me?<br /> Guess what he told me?<br /> He said, "Girl you better try to have fun<br /> No matter what you do, but he's a fool"<br /> 'Cause nothing compares<br /> Nothing compares to you<br /> (She realizes that she is not having fun or finds any happiness Trying and doing all the opposite things her mother wanted her to do, realizes her mother was a true friend looking out for her best interest)<br /> All the flowers that you planted, mama<br /> In the back yard<br /> All died when you went away<br /> I know that living with you, baby, was sometimes hard<br /> But I'm willing to give it another try<br /> Nothing compares<br /> Nothing compares to you<br /> (How her home has gone by the way side since her mothers been gone. Livining with her mother was sometimes hard because she would tell her what to do and she would always fight it but in the end her mother helped her keep “her home in order” and she would do anything to have her back and not fight her anymore)<br /> Nothing compares<br /> Nothing compares to you<br /> Nothing compares<br /> Nothing compares to you
i love this song. i think it's about someone leaving you and how hard it is to get over them and how nothing compares to that person.
it comes accross to me as an ended relationship, - reopening deep abandoment wounds from her mother
this song was adapted by sinead after her mum died, i read it in an interview
@luv_burns_me so where does the romantic aspect come from?
I cry whenever I hear this song......
if any of you has seen the video for that song...when shes walking through paris...the tears are real...he mother died...or sum1 told me...
I think everybody who has ever experienced the end of a relationship can relate to this. There is the time immediately after when you are counting the minutes and days since you last ssaw them and soon after that there's the anger and hurt and the realisation that everything you couldn't do before, you can. But no-one understands why your moods are swinging from one extreme emotion to another. And the most powerful video ever. i love this song
Each time I heard this song or sang to this song, I would gradually burst into tears. Now, after I have had my first experience with love, I truly, truly feel the pain of these words. This song is pretty much self-explanatory, but to me, the first two verses describe how everything means nothing because that special person is missing. I can go out all I want, meet tons of new people, party all night long . . . but at the end of the day, I would still feel empty because I am missing somebody from my life. I can`t even begin to describe how this song truly captures the pain one feels when a relationship has ended. Sinead did a wonderful job with the song and video.
this was one of the songs i cried my eyes out to when iw as upset when i realised it was over between me and my boy. everythign about it is just so emotional. i think the song explains itself, and you only really need the title to work it out. its about someone leaving you, and you being torn to pieces because it feels like nothing will ever compare to them. i prefer this to princes original
I had always thought it was a Prince song and he let Sinead Oconnor use it after the death of her mother, and she sang it in reference to her mother passing away....maybe it was just me....