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In a little while from now
If I'm not feeling any less dire
I promise myself to treat myself
And visit a nearby spire
And climbing to the top will throw myself off
In an effort to make it clear to who
Don't know what it's like when you're shattered
Left standing in the lurch at a church
Where people saying, "My god, that's tough
She's stood him up,
No point in us remaining.
We may as well go home."
As I did on my own
Alone again, naturally
To think that only yesterday
I was cheerful, bright and gay
Looking forward to, well who wouldn't do,
The role i was about to play
But as if to knock me down
Reality came around
And without so much, as a mere touch
Broke me into little pieces
Leaving me to doubt
All about God in His mercy
For if He really does exist
Why did He desert me?
In my hour of need
I truly am indeed, alone again, naturally
It seems to me that there are more hearts
Wounded in the world that can't be mended
Left unattended
What do we do? What do we do?
(instrumental break)
...Alone again, naturally
Now looking back over the years
And whatever else that appears
I remember I cried when my father died
Never wishing to hide the tears
And at sixty-five years old
My mother, God rest her soul,
Couldn't understand why the only man
She had ever loved had been taken
Leaving her to start with a heart so badly broken
Despite encouragement from me
No words were ever spoken
And when she passed away
I cried and cried all day
Alone again, naturally
Alone again, naturally
If I'm not feeling any less dire
I promise myself to treat myself
And visit a nearby spire
And climbing to the top will throw myself off
In an effort to make it clear to who
Don't know what it's like when you're shattered
Left standing in the lurch at a church
Where people saying, "My god, that's tough
She's stood him up,
No point in us remaining.
We may as well go home."
As I did on my own
Alone again, naturally
To think that only yesterday
I was cheerful, bright and gay
Looking forward to, well who wouldn't do,
The role i was about to play
But as if to knock me down
Reality came around
And without so much, as a mere touch
Broke me into little pieces
Leaving me to doubt
All about God in His mercy
For if He really does exist
Why did He desert me?
In my hour of need
I truly am indeed, alone again, naturally
It seems to me that there are more hearts
Wounded in the world that can't be mended
Left unattended
What do we do? What do we do?
(instrumental break)
...Alone again, naturally
Now looking back over the years
And whatever else that appears
I remember I cried when my father died
Never wishing to hide the tears
And at sixty-five years old
My mother, God rest her soul,
Couldn't understand why the only man
She had ever loved had been taken
Leaving her to start with a heart so badly broken
Despite encouragement from me
No words were ever spoken
And when she passed away
I cried and cried all day
Alone again, naturally
Alone again, naturally
Lyrics submitted by runningboy, edited by SWLinPHX, Lyrepear
Track duration: 03:38
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Either way it makes no sense to me. Anyone familiar with this expression?
I never understood why this guy was so popular at the time. Horrible depressing songs with the kind of ghastly tunes that remind me of a treadmill or an exercise bike. They go on and on and round and round without ever getting anywhere. And they have that terrible earworm thing going on, where once you're reminded of them you can't get them out of your head. And not in a good way.
This one in particular is the most depressing song I've ever heard, and that's quite an achievement over 40 years. Give me Leonard Cohen or Morrissey any day, I can enjoy them but this bloke is shite.
But lyrically I'd like to add a different perspective. Yes, it is lyrically beautiful and powerful, its hard not to get immediately sucked into the song if you've ever had some similar power life experience. But its almost too dark; maybe the author is mocking dark moody introspective piece? Lines like "find a nearby tower....throw myself off" and title/refrain "alone again, naturally" seem too flip for what the song is trying to get across.
If the song is from the heart without a wink in it, then its just beautiful and crushing all at once.
Such a beautifull song!!
I would like to hear this song performed by Old Macca.hahaha!
Realize that...
Paul singing "I'm marryng again naturally..."
OK meaning,
Verse 1 Been stood up at the alter, committing suicide would be a treat after the way he's feeling it would show everyone you have nothing left to live for, but nobody cares because they just say ooh that's bad oh well lets go home, although feeling sorry don't attempt to help and in fact stay away.
Verse 2 Reminiscing about how he was looking forward to the future and how bright everything looked, then for no reason it was all torn apart and the dream was shattered without much warning or indication and it's didn't take much to do so. He thought a belief in God would have sustained or prevented this happening but it didn't and he felt deserted even by God himself, causing him to question his own belief.
Verse 3 Why does this loneliness and heartbreak happen, it's not just him it's all around him and all over the world, there is no answer to it.
Verse 4 His Dad died suddenly at 65 and his mother never came to terms with it. She questioned why she had ended up on her own when she was so happy and she never understood until the day she died. Eventually his mother died also leaving him alone once again.
In conclusion weather you are happy or not eventually you are going to end up alone and broken hearted and there is nothing you can do about it and there is nothing like the feeling of loneliness and we all feel it in one way or another.
Personal:
This song means so much to me because we grew up listening to Gilbert, when I got married I used to sing Matrimony to my wife as a joke and was married for 6 years. 6 Months ago my wife left me and I couldn't understand why it happened as I lover her so much. I have lived on my own since then and struggled to come to terms with it, it even caused me to question why God had left me when I needed him the most. Around the same time my Dad had a major heart attack at 65 and by a miracle that day survived, but I thought a lot about what would have happened if he hadn't and how devastated our family would have been.
My Dad loved the concert as did we all and it was a pleasure to see his face finally see Gilbert in the flesh and I truly appreciate the genius of Gilbert's Lyrics.
My favorite verse:
It seems to me that there are more hearts
Broken in the world that can't be mended
Left unattended
What do we do? What do we do?
Indeed. What DO we do? How about recognize we're all in this together, have compassion for ourselves and be kind and loving to everyone? How about loving All and Everyone from the 4th Chakra of universal compassion, rather than staying in the lower chakras where "love" is attachment and full of egoic agendas that inevitably lead to suffering?
And then he talks about how his mother mourned his father's passing, the only man she ever loved. I see that this song is about trying to justify God's ways, trying to grok the inexplicability of our su ffering. Of course there is no bumper sticker answer. But the saints and sages of every religion have provided the answer, for those who want to know.