No Show Tonight
Drowning in Heartbreak: Phoebe Snow's No Show Tonight Tale
Lyrics
There'll be no show tonight
There won't be a performance tonight.
No the music won't sound right
The music won't sound appropriate or complete.
The audience is being impolite
The audience is behaving rudely.
And I can't act tonight
The singer is unable to act convincingly tonight.
Don't make me
An appeal not to force the singer into a difficult situation.
And I can't act tonight
Reiteration of the inability to act tonight.
I guess I missed my cue, yeah
The singer acknowledges missing a crucial cue in a relationship.
When he said we were through
Reference to the end of a relationship and heartbreak.
He walked off stage
The ex-partner left, possibly with a new romantic interest.
With some ingenue
Reference to the new person as an "ingenue," suggesting innocence or naivety.
And all I can act is blue
The singer can only express sadness or melancholy in their performance.
I really mean it
Emphasis on the sincerity of the emotions expressed.
And no stand-in will do
A stand-in or substitute is not acceptable in this situation.
Take back your Oscar
A symbolic rejection of an award, possibly representing love or recognition.
Your horseshoe made of flowers
Rejecting a symbol of luck or good fortune.
You'll find me down
The singer is found in a less glamorous or typical place.
At the local pool hall
Engaging in less refined activities like spending time in a pool hall.
Tying up the phone for hours
The singer is preoccupied with personal matters, neglecting communication.
Who could have guessed how
Reflecting on how the ex-partner changed the course of the singer's life.
He'd rewrite the script
The ex-partner altered the singer's life story unexpectedly.
For me, yeah
The singer may be facing public scrutiny or criticism.
I might be Sarah Heartburn
Reference to a character named Sarah Heartburn, hinting at emotional distress.
But I can't cover up this jealousy
The singer cannot hide their envy or resentment.
And I can't cover up this jealousy
Reiteration of the inability to conceal jealousy.
Let me fly again soon
An appeal to regain freedom and happiness.
And give me back my toy balloon
Requesting the return of a simple, joyful element in life.
He's got me grounded
Feeling restricted or confined by circumstances.
In my dressing room
Being emotionally grounded in the dressing room, unable to perform.
And he's got me grounded
Reiteration of feeling emotionally restricted in the dressing room.
In my dressing room
Continued emotional confinement in the dressing room.
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