news | March 16, 2026

Nine Times out of Ten

Nine Times out of Ten
Muriel Day Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴Nine times out of ten, baby, your never at home when I call
Nine times out of ten, you never want to see me at all
But the one time that you do
I only have to see you smile
And all of the waiting and anticipating
Is really worth while
Nine times out of ten, you don't take me out to dine
Nine times out of ten, you hardly ever spend the time But the one time that you do
We really go to town in style
And all of the waiting and anticipating
Is really worth while
See the longing in my eyes, feel the aching in my heart
Baby don't you realise we are spending too much time apart
Nine times out of ten, I think your never gonna be mine
Nine times out of ten, I feel like I'm wasting my time
But sometimes in my dreams
I see you walk me down the aisle
And all of the waiting and anticipating
Is really worth while
See the lomging in my eyes
Feel the aching in my heart
Baby don't you realise we are spending too much time apart
Nine times out of ten, I think your never gonna be mine
Nine times out of ten, I feel like I'm wasting my time
But sometimes in my dreams
I see you walk me down the aisle

And all of the waiting and anticipating
Is really worth while


Overall Meaning

The song "Nine Times Out Of Ten" by Muriel Day is a poignant ballad about a person who is in love with someone who doesn't reciprocate their feelings most of the time. The singer is left questioning the state of their relationship, wondering why they put in so much effort and time into a situation where they are constantly let down. Despite the disappointment, the singer is willing to endure the pain and longing in the hope that someday their love will be recognized by the other person.


The first verse speaks of how the singer's partner is never at home when they call or doesn't want to see them. The repeated phrase "nine times out of ten" emphasizes the frequency of this occurrence, highlighting the pain of rejection. However, when they do get to see each other, the partner's smile alone makes all the waiting and anticipation worthwhile, indicating how much the singer values those rare moments of affection.


The second verse talks about how the partner doesn't take the singer out to dine, and rarely spends time with them. Once again, the phrase "nine times out of ten" conveys how little importance the partner places on the relationship. But when they do decide to spend time together, it is done in style, implying that the singer cherishes these memories because of their rarity.


The final verse speaks to the deepest longings of the singer's heart. They dream of walking down the aisle with their partner, but the reality is that they are left feeling like they are wasting their time, even though they cannot stop loving the other person. The repetition of the lines "see the longing in my eyes" and "feel the aching in my heart" underscores the intensity of the singer's emotions.


Overall, "Nine Times Out Of Ten" is a stirring reflection on love, vulnerability, and longing. It captures the ups and downs of a relationship where one person yearns for something more while the other is emotionally distant or unavailable.


Line by Line Meaning

Nine times out of ten, baby, your never at home when I call
Most of the time, you're not around when I try to contact you


Nine times out of ten, you never want to see me at all
Most of the time, you don't want to spend time with me


But the one time that you do I only have to see you smile And all of the waiting and anticipating Is really worth while
When we do get to spend time together and you're happy, it makes up for all the times I had to wait and wonder


Nine times out of ten, you don't take me out to dine
Most of the time, we don't go out to eat together


Nine times out of ten, you hardly ever spend the time
Most of the time, you don't spend much time with me


But the one time that you do We really go to town in style And all of the waiting and anticipating Is really worth while
When we do go out and have a good time, it's worth all the waiting and wondering


See the longing in my eyes, feel the aching in my heart Baby don't you realise we are spending too much time apart
I miss you so much and wish we could spend more time together


Nine times out of ten, I think your never gonna be mine
Most of the time, I worry that we'll never be together


Nine times out of ten, I feel like I'm wasting my time
Most of the time, I feel like I'm waiting for nothing


But sometimes in my dreams I see you walk me down the aisle And all of the waiting and anticipating Is really worth while
In my dreams, we get married and all the waiting and wondering is worth it if it means we end up together


See the lomging in my eyes Feel the aching in my heart Baby don't you realise we are spending too much time apart
I long for you and my heart aches because we don't spend enough time together, please realize this and try to make more time for us


Nine times out of ten, I think your never gonna be mine
Most of the time, I worry that we'll never end up together


Nine times out of ten, I feel like I'm wasting my time
Most of the time, it feels like waiting and hoping is pointless


But sometimes in my dreams I see you walk me down the aisle And all of the waiting and anticipating Is really worth while
In my dreams, we get married and all the waiting and wondering is worth it if it means we end up together


Contributed by Alexis J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it