The Meaning Behind My Favorite Song, Don't Leave Me Alone, by Extreme

Well, I see it is time to tackle a subject that brings the sap out in all of us. Some may read this and promptly reach for their Ipecac bottles, but what the hell. It's my opinion anyway.

Back in the early '90s, a band named Extreme, from Boston, Massachusetts, had a string of minor success with its second album, Pornograffitti. Extreme promptly released its third opus, III Sides To Every Story. Unfortunately, its commercial success began to dwindle. However, before slipping into anonymity, this band had managed to gather the attention of a restless young lad from Pennsylvania. This self-effacing little douche pored over that album repeatedly, before finally announcing to his friends that he had found a musical utopia. Here at last, were the words that pulled at his heart, clutched at his mind, and described his every emotion. In particular, a song called "Don't Leave Me Alone" captured our little idiot's attention. As the little douche listened to Gary Cherone lamenting, "Now's not the time to say goodbye, and I'm not the kind to question why. Well, I don't feel very well, and it's getting cold as hell. It won't be the same, can't you tell," he began to think, "This is my life song."

God, to think that I actually felt that way once upon a time. What a dork. All I needed was a vanilla-scented candle and a cock to rub on my face, I'd have been set. Or maybe I was more deserving to have had that album inserted into an orifice with a croquet mallet. Either way, I got douche chills when I read that last paragraph.

At least now I have grown up and can look upon this song in a way that the whiny little dork of my youth could not have imagined. The song still holds a valuable meaning for me. Especially, later on when Cherone pleads "doin' the things I should have known. Only to reap what I have sown, Jesus please...don't leave me alone." Many times in life I felt so empty and helpless and wondered even if God had deserted me. I sympathize with the singer in this song. Heartbroken, at my wit's end, and feeling as if I'd been emotionally gutted after some sort of bad time in my life, I can understand why someone would say these things. "I'm on my knees, forgive me please, just don't leave me alone." And now we're at the point of wanting to make amends, or even attrition. But just don't leave me alone. I'll change, I'll be a better person, I'll even admit to things I didn't do, but just don't leave me alone.