High And Dry

The speaker describes being abruptly abandoned by a woman. At first, he was close to her and could get whatever he wanted by asking; then, without warning, he was excluded and left alone. The repeated complaint sounds hurt and surprised, but the speaker gradually reveals a less sympathetic side: he admits he was after her money and says he is glad he did not love her.

“High and dry” is an idiom meaning left without help or support, and it captures both his isolation and his sense of being stranded. The contrast between “up there” beside her and “down there” outside the ride suggests a sudden fall from favor. “Couldn’t get a word in” means he had little chance to speak, while being “left out of the ride” implies being excluded from something he once shared.

The lyrics leave the relationship’s exact nature unclear. The speaker may genuinely feel rejected, but his admission about money makes his grievance seem self-interested, and his final remark about choosing a poorer girl sounds like bitter humor or an attempt to save face. So the song can be heard as both a complaint about abandonment and a comic exposure of the speaker’s own motives.