The meaning of the lyrics of the song "If You Close the Door" by the artist "Velvet Underground"

In Velvet Underground's "If You Close the Door", the lyrical protagonist is caught between two worlds: isolation and connection, light and darkness.

"If you close the door / The night will never end…" This recurring line establishes the central conflict. The closed door symbolizes a choice for solitude, a rejection of the outside world and all its possibilities. Night, a metaphor for hopelessness and stagnation, becomes perpetual.

The protagonist yearns for light ("Let the sunshine in") and human connection ("Hello… You belong to me"), but fear and self-doubt ("say hello to never been / never was", "have a drink on never will") hold them back. They observe others' happiness ("Everybody's dancin' and havin' fun / Oh, I wish that could happen to me…"), but can't bring themselves to join.

The imagery of "smoky bars", "shiny Cadillacs", and people in public transportation paints a picture of the outside world as both alluring and intimidating. Darkness offers a deceptive allure ("Everybody looks alright in the dark").

The repeated refrain "I'll never see the sunshine anymore" at the end sounds like both a sentence and a warning. By closing the door, the protagonist condemns themselves to eternal darkness, rejecting any chance for love and happiness. The song leaves the listener pondering: which door will they choose?