You said it in a simple way
4AM, the second day
How strange that I don't know you at all
Stumbled through the long goodbye
One last kiss, then catch your flight
Right when I was just about to fall

I told myself, don't get attached
But in my mind I play it back
Spinning faster than the plane that took you

And this is when the feeling sinks in
I don't wanna miss you like this
Come back, be here
Come back, be here
I guess you're in New York today
I don't wanna need you this way
Come back, be here
Come back, be here

The delicate beginning rush
The feeling you can know so much
Without knowing anything at all
And now that I can put this down
If I had known what I know now
I never would have played so nonchalant

Taxi cabs and busy streets
That never bring you back to me
I can't help but wish you took me with you

And this is when the feeling sinks in
I don't wanna miss you like this
Come back, be here
Come back, be here
I guess you're in London today
And I don't wanna need you this way
Come back, be here
Come back, be here

(Aah) ah-ah, oh-oh
Ah-ah, oh-oh
(Aah) ah-ah, oh-oh

This is falling in love in the cruelest way
This is falling for you and you are worlds away

New York, be here
But you're in London and I break down
'Cause it's not fair that you're not around

This is when the feeling sinks in
I don't wanna miss you like this
Come back, be here
Come back, be here
I guess you're in New York today
And I don't wanna need you this way
Come back, be here
Come back, be here

(Aah) ah-ah, oh-oh
I don't wanna miss you like this
(Aah) ah-ah, oh-oh

(Aah) come back, be here
(Aah) come back, be here


Lyrics submitted by PinkInk

Come Back...Be Here Lyrics as written by Daniel Dodd Wilson Taylor Alison Swift

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group

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Come Back... Be Here song meanings
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  • +2
    General Comment

    i honestly dont care who did taylor wrote this song for. i love this song bcos it relates to me so well! my boyfriend is a cabin crew and we've been together for abt a year. people think the job is fabulous and glamorous bcos you get to travel all over the country, but let me tell you.... it's really not what you think it is. long haul flights, spending sometimes more than 24 hours on the plane and in airports anywhere around the world and of course not being able to catch up with your family, friends and your own girlfriend bcos you're halfway across the continent....... it's a tough job and this song relates to me so well cos i know how it feels like to be in love with someone who is constantly travelling or always busy. so i hope couples who gets to see their other half on a constant basis, i hope you cherish these moments together. people like me and others who are in long-distance relationships as well, would like to know how it feels like to be in your position - to be with the one we truly love for one whole day with no flyings and no busy schedules.

    thank you taylor for this amazing songs and pure lyrics x

    snappysunon June 03, 2013   Link
  • +1
    Song Meaning

    This song has been out for a while, so it's 2016 as I write this, after listening to the song again and actually reading the lyrics carefully, I understood the lyrics perfectly. I like to mention, this one of Taylor's most saddest songs out of the majority of her album, because as she sings it, you can hear the cry in her voice. It's also one of her most underrated songs that got no recognition out of her whole album, Taylor has only performed this song once... And has only talked about it twice..

    The meaning:

    This song is about Taylor Swift falling for a guy she never knew that well, but always played nonchalant (never cared), about him, and the aspect of dating him never came to her mind, she than realizes she actually does like this guy... This is why she states; "Right when I was just about to fall" -- Meaning, Taylor never dated this guy, because he was a crush Taylor never knew she had. Taylor had always played nonchalant around him (never cared about him), and or thought that way about him, she states this here; "I never would have played so nonchalant." -- Until she comes to the realization that she actually has feelings for this guy, which is painful for her because, it's too late, he's gone now, Taylor doesn't know how the relationship could possibly work either.. Because they both were are busy and traveling, Taylor wants him with her, and admits that it truly is the cruelest way to fall in love.

    Why the song isn't about Jake Gyllenhaal and Harry Styles: This song is not about Harry Styles, as this song was written in March, 2012 -- Said by Dan Wilson who Taylor wrote the song with this song, and Treacherous were last minute additions to the Red album, Taylor met Harry Styles on April 2nd, 2012, she already had finished writing the song before she met him, also, the lyrics tell us, that the guy was with Taylor, but then left the New York City, and then London right after, Harry never once went to London during this time, he was touring in Australia, this cancels him out of the song.

    This song is also NOT about Jake Gyllenhaal, Taylor states this herself during an interview; "It's a song I wrote about this guy I had met, you know.. You meet someone, and then they just kinda happen to go away.. And it's like.. Long distance all of the sudden, and you're like.. But.. But come BACK be here!" -- Taylor Swift during an interview.

    Highlight the words: Met, go away. This means they never dated.

    Here is another quote from another interview: "I wrote about falling for someone and then they have to go away for work. They're traveling, you're traveling, and you're thinking about them, but you're wondering how it's gonna work when there's so much distance between you."

    Highlight: Go away, highlight 'falling' -- This means they never dated.

    These two quotes state that Taylor had never dated this guy, therefore it cannot be about Jake, as Jake and her dated. During their entire relationship, Jake and Taylor were always in New York City, ironically, Jake left New York City, and left Taylor there all by herself. While, the lyrics, oppositely state, "I guess you're in New York today." -- This means, Taylor was not in NYC, she was somewhere else.. Example. LA, with this guy. Also, Jake LEFT for London the song states the guy LEFT for New York, and THEN went to London while Taylor started falling for him and realizing she actually does have feeling for this guy, when originally she was playing nonchalant. This song is NOT about Jake, because the lyrics literally tell you.

    Who is the song is really about:

    Zac Efron, I believe this song is a followup to Treacherous who is also about Zac.

    Why is it about Zac Efron?: Because, Ellen stated that both him and Taylor spent time together (late nights), so, at one of their own houses or at the Ellen show late at night, Taylor was teaching him how to play guitar because it was one of Zac's NYE wishes. Zac was driving Taylor around in his Audi as well, and took her to multiple restaurants, Justin Bieber would join them as well.

    Taylor was constantly playing nonchalant about Zac in an interview, where she straight up doesn't have any reaction to their dating rumors, and says she doesn't care and it's another Wednesday. That is what nonchalant means. Don't care, no reaction. Etc.

    During the Ellen interview, Taylor, the whole interview, blushed and giggled over Zac, and kept eyeing his body when Ellen showed the pictures constantly blushing, and hiding her face. She almost called Zac cute during the duet. This is where I believe Taylor developed and realized she had feelings for Zac.

    The day before that Ellen interview, Taylor and Zac spent more time together at their movie premiere in multiple orange carpet interviews, you can see Taylor stare at Zac from the corner of her eyes with a smile on her face.

    February 17th - 19 was the Lorax premiere, Zac kissed Taylor at the back of her neck / cheek, something he never does to his co-stars unless they're special to him in some way, the next day was the Ellen interview, the Ellen interview was one of the last days Taylor and Zac saw each other, a week and 3 days later, February ended, one of the last days of February, Zac left for NYC to promote the Lorax with Danny Devito, he arrived on March 1st, and stayed there till March 7th, he was seen on the 1st or second day in NYC, at 4 AM on his phone leaving his hotel... He than on March 7th left straight for London for more work, movie related.

    Zac is the only guy to fit this timeline, the only guy Taylor hasn't truly known well, in one of the interviews, Taylor states she has "met" highlight that word MET, Zac many, many times, she never actually KNEW Zac that well though despite them meeting, Lorax is the first time they actually got to know each other well enough.

    Also, Jake was in London way before ... His timeline doesn't fit at all, it doesn't make sense, Jake and Taylor never left each other, because they dated in NYC, he left Taylor in NYC, but a week later she got to see him in London for two whole weeks. They were never gone from each other for so long, while Zac and Taylor were gone from each other for a solid while, and they both had work and were traveling so their relationship would never work out. They also got criticized for dating (Treacherous.) How could Jake possibly 'fly' to New York, when he lives in New York?

    Zac also was interested in Taylor, he said in an interview he wish he was dating her, but since he isn't 'at least he got to' in the movie.

    Zac cheered and screamed for Taylor during her award shows, and whistled at her during the People's Choice Awards (2012). He's very fond of her.

    If you watch the interviews you will see exactly how nonchalant Taylor is when it comes to Zac.. This starts in the start of February interviews, but closer near the end of February (Premiere / Ellen interview), she was blushing and giggling all over him, covering her face, etc. I've never seen Taylor so blushy, and almost slipped that he was cute.

    The song is about Zac, and it's about Taylor going through a painful crush, and wishing she was was with him but it's too late, she begs for him to come to her.

    4Characteron July 13, 2016   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    How sad....

    FancyHarryon October 30, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I think this might be about Jake Gyllenhaal because of the line "in my mind I play it back, spinning faster than the plane that took you" because of the line in Red (which I'm 99% certain is about him) "that's why he's spinning round in my head." I just think that the image of spinning round in her head must link to one time or person, but maybe I'm reading way too much into it...

    I adore this song so much though; it's so poignant.

    littlemisschocoholicon December 11, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    This isnt about Harry Styles because she wrote this before they dated.Taylor SWift would never make it so obvious with London and stuff. THis is about Jake Gyllenhaal because when they were dating he had to go film a movie and he went to london while she was in NY then he went to NY while she was in london.

    melanie23xon January 25, 2013   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    This isnt about Harry Styles because she wrote this before they dated.Taylor SWift would never make it so obvious with London and stuff. THis is about Jake Gyllenhaal because when they were dating he had to go film a movie and he went to london while she was in NY then he went to NY while she was in london.

    melanie23xon January 25, 2013   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    This describes exactly how I felt when I fell in love with a guy at the beach and had a long distance relationship. We saw eachother three times during that period and every goodbye was excruciatingly hard.

    kelseyp07on March 31, 2015   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    This song is so beautiful and so raw. One thing I associate it with is someone leaving for college and leaving behind someone who loves them. I think the biggest line that supports this is "how strange that I don't know you at all" and "if I had known what I know now I never would've played so nonchalant" just because when you're in high school you think you know everything but then when you actually go out and live life on your own, you realize you never knew someone the way you thought you did.

    xoxofitzgeraldon July 21, 2015   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation

    I think this is about a friends-with-benefits situation that turned into actual feelings on her end.

    The lines "I don't wanna miss you like this," "I don't wanna need you this way," and "I told myself don't get attached" hint at it, and the line "if I had known what I know now, I never would have played so nonchalant" really drives the point home. She thought she could be in a FWB situation and not get attached, telling herself she wouldn't develop feelings. Yet suddenly she's missing him like she would a boyfriend, not a FWB, and she realizes that she never should have acted like it was no big deal when she's beginning to fall.

    Just my take on it. I'm kind of in that position, so maybe I'm just twisting the words to fit my situation. Regardless, it's a lovely song.

    fadedmemories14on March 28, 2014   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Taylor also let the audience "WOOO!" Zac, because he's hot on Jay Leno, she agreed with the whooing and that's she's not complaining about that.

    Because Taylor thinks he's hot.

    4Characteron July 13, 2016   Link

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