In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
I was dreaming of the past
And my heart was beating fast
I began to lose control
I began to lose control
I didn't mean to hurt you
I'm sorry that I made you cry
Oh no, I didn't want to hurt you
I'm just a jealous guy
I was feeling insecure
You might not love me anymore
I was shivering inside
I was shivering inside
Oh, I didn't mean to hurt you
I'm sorry that I made you cry
Oh no, I didn't want to hurt you
I'm just a jealous guy
I didn't mean to hurt you
I'm sorry that I made you cry
Oh no, I didn't want to hurt you
I'm just a jealous guy
I was trying to catch your eyes
Thought that you was trying to hide
I was swallowing my pain
I was swallowing my pain
I didn't mean to hurt you
I'm sorry that I made you cry
Oh no, I didn't want to hurt you
I'm just a jealous guy
Watch out, I'm just a jealous guy
Look out baby, I'm just a jealous guy
And my heart was beating fast
I began to lose control
I began to lose control
I didn't mean to hurt you
I'm sorry that I made you cry
Oh no, I didn't want to hurt you
I'm just a jealous guy
I was feeling insecure
You might not love me anymore
I was shivering inside
I was shivering inside
Oh, I didn't mean to hurt you
I'm sorry that I made you cry
Oh no, I didn't want to hurt you
I'm just a jealous guy
I didn't mean to hurt you
I'm sorry that I made you cry
Oh no, I didn't want to hurt you
I'm just a jealous guy
I was trying to catch your eyes
Thought that you was trying to hide
I was swallowing my pain
I was swallowing my pain
I didn't mean to hurt you
I'm sorry that I made you cry
Oh no, I didn't want to hurt you
I'm just a jealous guy
Watch out, I'm just a jealous guy
Look out baby, I'm just a jealous guy
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It seems obvious that this song is directed towards Yoko but for years I've thought it was also meant for Paul's ears too.
It kind of amazed me how Paul would think the lyrics are about him
-I'm sorry that I made you cry -I was dreaming of the past, and my heart was beating fast, I began to lose control -I was trying to catch your eye, thought that you was trying to hide
If it really was about Paul, it certainly wasn't about how John was jealous of Paul's "bandwagon", it just doesn't fit the lyrics. Perhaps John told Paul he was thinking about him when he wrote the lyrics, and the bandwagon thing is Paul's interpretation.
The way I see it, the lyrics are about a person who wants to apologize his obsessive and jealous behavior that have resulted from that person't insecurity and mistrust to that other person; it also seems he's reminiscing about the "better days", when they were closer and were nicer to each other
I just love the way it portrays the act of jealousy. Usually jealousy seems to be a bad thing, because its labeled as being over-obsessive. But Lennon was able to express it in a lovely way.
At this moment I feel just like John must have, when he wrote this amazing song.
I just realized today, 1 1/2 months after breaking up with my ex girlfriend, that it was all my fault. My own insecurities and jealousy made me feel like she didn't love me as much as I loved her. I felt like I was frighting daily, trying to make the relationship work and she was just bitching about everything I didn't do. Today I finally understand what she mend. I wasn't fighting for the relationship, I was fighting for survival. Fighting for her acceptation. For 6 months she was making sure I wasn't a guy who gave up and left, when I had had my fun and I convinced her that I wasn't that kind of guy, that I would love her forever.
Well... One year after moving in together, I ended the relationship because I felt like I was giving and giving and got nothing but bullshit in return. I gave up and left her... I feel so ashamed. I feel like I lied to her. But that was never my intention. My intention was to stay with her forever. I just didn't account for my own inner demons working against me.
Last week my ex and I chatted on Skype and she told me that she hates me now and that I hurt her very much. It never dawned on me that I was able to hurt her, but now I get it. She was making sure I wasn't gonna leave her, because she was afraid of getting hurt. I left her, because I was afraid of getting hurt, because I thought she didn't love me (anymore).
I know I'll regret leaving her for the rest of my life. I will regret not being stronger and telling her about my fears instead of trying to blame her for not loving me enough and not giving me what I needed. Somehow she did what I always knew she would, she made me a better man. Everything she said was right, I just didn't understand it at the time and now it's too late. I fucked everything up and I can never get her back.
A very beautiful song. It's about how you hurt someone and then try to make it up. Done very beautifully.
elliot smiths version is better, i dont know who he is but thats complete shit. lennon was king!
wow apparently no one here knows anything about John's life. This song is obviously about his 1st wife Cynthia Lennon. He was a very jealous person and use to treat her like crap and beat her sometimes because of his jealousy. This song is his apology to her.
that is what I thought. then i saw people saying it was about yoko or paul. John was such an excellent book by cynthia lennon.. you guys should check it out. there are so many inside details i never knew about john. the end made me cry
This is always the song that plays in my head when I mess up a good thing. It's such a beautiful song of love and devotion, but we cannot help what we are.
ya..... i love it....
I don't know what was going on or what John Lennon was thinking about when he wrote this song. I just remember that it came on the radio shortly after we found out my grandfather had died last year. My mother, who'd been able to keep it together for a few hours, started sobbing hysterically. It's a beautiful song and it breaks my heart.