Like the eyes to the soul
From across the room
And the crowd fades away
And we stand alone
Just like nothing's changed
After all these years
Well, it's all the same
And you're not to blame
No, you're not to blame
Well, my heart still stops
When I stand before you
And my heart still breaks
When you take my hand
And my eyes still close
When someone speaks your name
And you understand
It's all the same
And the first sign of light
Well, it lifted my heart
As if some kind of wings
 Came and lifted me up
And so became
Your face, your name
After all these years
It's all the same
And you're not to blame

Well, my heart still stops
When I stand before you
And my heart still breaks
When you take my hand
And my eyes still close
When someone speaks your name
And you understand....
Ooh yea
Ooh yea
Ooh yea
Ooh yea
Ooh yea
Well, my heart still stops
When I stand before you
And my heart still breaks
When you take my hand
And my eyes still close
When someone speaks your name
And you understand
Aaah well, my heart still stops
When I stand before you
And my heart still breaks
When you take my hand
And my heart still cries
When someone speaks your name
And you understand...
Aaah well, my heart still stops
When I stand before you
Yes, and my heart still breaks
When you take my hand
And my eyes still close
When someone speaks your name
It's all the same

---

WEBMISTRESS speculates:

It seems rather easy to conclude that this song is about Lindsey, and the way that onstage they relive their romantic relationship. Stevie has said herself that when she looks at Lindsey as they sing onstage, it takes her back to 1973, and that's the theme of this song. Some representative lines: Lindsey always takes Stevie's hand as they go onstage together, and he did this for the Dance tour too, I believe. "Her heart still breaks" when he does this because she's reminded of their past and what could have been. So far, the lyrics are not necessarily Lindsey-specific, but when one gets to the second verse, it becomes apparent who she's talking about. When she gazes into his eyes, "the crowd fades away" (reminds me of when I saw them do Say Goodbye on the Say You Will tour). As she looks at him, it's "like nothing's changed," even though so much has in their lives. What remains the same is the depth of their feelings: "after all these years, it's still the same."

 

Note: The following speculation is about the demo version.

JOHN speculates:

This song is about being pregnant and losing the baby. My wife [Lisa] and I lost a baby in the 6th month and hearing this song is EXACTLY how we both felt at the time. "Shadows and the first signs of life" refers to signs of expecting."And so became your face your name" seeing what is to become."My heart still stops..still breaks...eyes still close" when Stevie is thinking about holding her child's hand, hearing what would have been the baby's name."stand before you" could be the place where Stevie goes to think about the baby, perhaps the place where she said "goodbye."

The "windows are the eyes to the soul" refer to seeing herself in a widow(mirror) when everyone/everything is gone from the room and she is forced to look at herself and tells herself that "after all these years it's still the name...no one is to blame" It's part of life. But her heart still stops when she stands before, still breaks when she takes his/her hand and her heart still cries when someone speaks his/her name.One of THE MOST important songs (and under rated) that Stevie has ever written. I have printed the lyrics and have it hung in a frame in my office. It's for my son Nicholas Christopher who we lost in 1997 from a very late and traumatic miscarriage. Stevie, THANK YOU FOR THESE WORDS OF HEALING

In Your Dreams | SN Albums