Opus 17 (Don't You Worry 'Bout Me)

The singer accepts that the woman he loves may choose someone else. He says he will be hurt and lonely, but wants her to do what she believes is best. The emotion shifts between sadness and reassurance: he promises he can carry on, while making clear that letting her go will be difficult.

The phrase “holding up your heart in sympathy” suggests she may be staying with him out of pity rather than love. “Take his hand” is a simple image of choosing another person and beginning a life with him. “Leaves you high and dry” means that the other man might abandon or disappoint her, leaving her without support. These images make the singer’s offer of comfort seem generous, but also reveal that he hopes she may return.

There is a tension between his words and his feelings. He repeatedly tells her not to worry, yet admits he will cry and says he would rather die than let her see him upset. This may be romantic exaggeration, expressing the depth of his heartbreak, rather than a literal threat. His promise to wait can sound devoted, but it may also suggest that he cannot fully accept the separation. The lyrics leave open whether his selflessness is genuine or mixed with hope.