Wednesday morning at five o'clock
As the day begins
Silently closing her bedroom door
Leaving the note that she hoped would say more

She goes downstairs to the kitchen
Clutching her handkerchief
Quietly turning the backdoor key
Stepping outside, she is free

She(we gave her most of our lives)
Is leaving (sacrificed most of our lives)
Home (we gave her everything money could buy)
She's leaving home, after living alone, for so many years (bye bye)

Father snores as his wife gets into her dressing gown
Picks up the letter that's lying there
Standing alone at the top of the stairs
She breaks down and cries to her husband
"Daddy, our baby's gone.
"Why would she treat us so thoughtlessly?
How could she do this to me?"

She (we never thought of ourselves)
Is leaving (never a thought for ourselves)
Home (we struggled hard all our lives to get by)
She's leaving home, after living alone, for so many years

Friday morning, at nine o'clock
She is far away
Waiting to keep the appointment she made
Meeting a man from the Motortrade

She (what did we do that was wrong)
Is Having (we didn't know it was wrong)
Fun (fun is the one thing that money can't buy)

Something inside, that was always denied, for so many years
She's leaving home, bye, bye


Lyrics submitted by Ice

She's Leaving Home Lyrics as written by Paul Mccartney John Lennon

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

She's Leaving Home song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

44 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +5
    My Interpretation

    She's leaving home because her parents are over-protective, smothering her individuality, preventing her from living her life without their shadow hanging over her. She is an adult but living at home with the pressures of living under her parents' roof. Even when she leaves, we can see this because her mother doesn't ask why her daughter felt the need to leave - she only sees it as a punishment and from a purely selfish, introspective point. She needed to escape and when she does her mother's reaction shows again why she needed to escape. Very sad but so well written. Clever, clever song.

    Piffstilchardon March 23, 2017   Link
  • +5
    General Comment

    The Beatles, have been such a inspiration the everyone. They started as a young group, and have touched countless souls since they've been together. 'She's Leaving Home' is a song about, a girl who has everything she wants/needs except Love, and Affection... She feels neglected and that no one loves her, so she decides the best option is to leave, and try to make it on her own. This is a very touching song, this makes you understand what you happens to the people who love you when you make rash decisions. What a inspirational, deep, and beautiful Masterpiece, Paul and John really touch countless people, and inspire everyone. They have helped the world understand Love for each other. The Beatles are the best artist to ever step on this earth. <3

    Sartre024on September 13, 2011   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    Paul wrote this song after reading about a young girl who ran away in a newspaper.

    jslatzon May 12, 2002   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    You see... the problem is that her parents worked so hard to give her everything...but she never felt that they loved her(something inside that was always denied) because they never gave her their time...because they were always working to get her "everything money could buy"... so she was living alone emotionally...she didn't feel loved

    Sick_of_Aloneon February 21, 2005   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    i think the living alone is feeling empty. you can be completely alone in a crowded room, it just depends on your perspective. i think that it could be about suiside, im just not suer though. it is a posibility.

    windchilon April 29, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    the last chorus should be: She (What did we do that was wrong) Is having (We didn’t know it was wrong) Fun (Fun is the one thing that money can’t buy)

    wrionon October 02, 2004   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Song is about a story Paul read in the Daily Mirror about a 17yo girl called Melanie Coe who actually ran off with a croupier but who said later the song captured her feelings well. Was only a week before the little drama ended.

    OlderDudesRuleon November 19, 2004   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    The most common tale is that on Wednesday, 9 November 1966 at 5 am, McCartney, while working on the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album, stormed out of a recording session after an argument with the other Beatles and rode off in his Austin-Healey, which he subsequently crashed.[5]

    The story was largely pieced together by fans from the lyrics of several Beatles songs. The most common narrative includes the following pieces of evidence: "He didn't notice that the lights had changed" ("A Day in the Life") because he was busy watching the pretty girl on the pavement (the eponymous meter maid of "Lovely Rita") after narrowly missing her dressed in blue (she's said to be the blur on the back of Abbey Road) jaywalking ("Blue Jay Way"). He then crashed into a lamp-post (a car crash sound is heard in "Revolution 9" and "A Day in the Life"). He was pronounced dead on a "Wednesday morning at 5 o'clock as the day begins" ("She's Leaving Home"), and nobody found out this because the news was withheld: "Wednesday morning papers didn't come" ("Lady Madonna"). A funeral procession was held days later (as supposedly implied in the Abbey Road album cover). Adding fuel to the legend is the ending of "Strawberry Fields Forever." Some believed John said "I buried Paul" in a slow deep voice over the final refrain. He later refuted that, stating that he said "cranberry sauce."

    According to believers, McCartney was replaced with the winner of a McCartney look-alike contest. The name of this look-alike has been recorded as William Shears Campbell, Billy Shears (the name of the fictitious leader of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band), William Sheppard (based on the inspiration for the song "The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill"), or some combination of the names.

    There is no evidence of any sort of car crash in which McCartney was involved, although during the first week of January 1967, McCartney's custom-made Mini Cooper was wrecked by a friend on the M1 Motorway outside London. McCartney was involved in a moped crash on December 26, 1965, which resulted in a chipped tooth and the scar on his lip that can be seen on promotional videos for the "Paperback Writer"/"Rain" single, made shortly after the crash, in May 1966. According to McCartney, his desire to hide the scar on his lip was the impetus to grow a moustache; at about the same time the other three Beatles grew moustaches as well—in time for Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

    so here is what i found on that hoax for the ppl that have lloked into this paul is dead thing so i hope u take the time to read this so u can relize THAT IT WAS A HOAX AND IT WAS A LONG TIME AGO...ty

    Demonason February 22, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    One of the Beatles most beautiful songs. My dad's favorite.

    3ssenceon September 16, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Yes indeed. And one of the sadest, too.

    Artmanon March 09, 2003   Link

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

Album art
Son Şansın - Şarkı Sözleri
Hayalperest
This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere. In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
Album art
Holiday
Bee Gees
@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday". I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
Album art
Gentle Hour
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,
Album art
Magical
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
Album art
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it. “I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.