In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
I love you from the bottom, of my pencil case
I love you in the songs, I write and sing
Love you because, you put me in my rightful place
And I love the PRS cheques, that you bring
Cheap, never cheap
I'll sing you songs till you're asleep
When you've gone upstairs I'll creep
And write it all down, down, down, down
Oh Shirley, oh Deborah, oh Julie, oh Jane
I wrote so many songs about you
I forget your name, I forget your name
Jennifer, Alison, Phillipa, Sue, Deborah, Annabel, too
I forget your name
Jennifer, Alison, Phillipa, Sue, Deborah, Annabel, too
I forget your name
I love your from the bottom of my pencil case
I love the way you never ask me why
I love to write about each wrinkle on your face
And I love you 'till my fountain pen runs dry
Deep so deep, the number one I hope to reap
Depends upon the tears you weep, so cry, lovey cry, cry, cry, cry
Oh Cathy, oh Alison, oh Phillipa, oh Sue
You made me so much money, I wrote this song for you
I wrote this song for you
Jennifer, Alison, Phillipa, Sue, Deborah, Annabel, too
I wrote this song for you
Jennifer, Alison, Phillipa, Sue, Deborah, Annabel, too
Oh Cathy, oh Alison, oh Phillipa, oh Sue
You made me so much money, I wrote this song for you
I wrote this song for you
Jennifer, Alison, Phillipa, Sue, Deborah, Annabel, too
I wrote this song for you
Jennifer, Alison, Phillipa, Sue, Deborah, Annabel, too
For you, for you
I wrote this song for you
I wrote this song for you
I love you in the songs, I write and sing
Love you because, you put me in my rightful place
And I love the PRS cheques, that you bring
Cheap, never cheap
I'll sing you songs till you're asleep
When you've gone upstairs I'll creep
And write it all down, down, down, down
Oh Shirley, oh Deborah, oh Julie, oh Jane
I wrote so many songs about you
I forget your name, I forget your name
Jennifer, Alison, Phillipa, Sue, Deborah, Annabel, too
I forget your name
Jennifer, Alison, Phillipa, Sue, Deborah, Annabel, too
I forget your name
I love your from the bottom of my pencil case
I love the way you never ask me why
I love to write about each wrinkle on your face
And I love you 'till my fountain pen runs dry
Deep so deep, the number one I hope to reap
Depends upon the tears you weep, so cry, lovey cry, cry, cry, cry
Oh Cathy, oh Alison, oh Phillipa, oh Sue
You made me so much money, I wrote this song for you
I wrote this song for you
Jennifer, Alison, Phillipa, Sue, Deborah, Annabel, too
I wrote this song for you
Jennifer, Alison, Phillipa, Sue, Deborah, Annabel, too
Oh Cathy, oh Alison, oh Phillipa, oh Sue
You made me so much money, I wrote this song for you
I wrote this song for you
Jennifer, Alison, Phillipa, Sue, Deborah, Annabel, too
I wrote this song for you
Jennifer, Alison, Phillipa, Sue, Deborah, Annabel, too
For you, for you
I wrote this song for you
I wrote this song for you
Lyrics submitted by mysteriousdragon, edited by butterfingersbeck
Song For Whoever Lyrics as written by Paul Heaton Dave Rotheray
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Standing On The Edge Of Summer
Thursday
Thursday
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him.
There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
great song, I love the way the verses go into the chorus with the dual vocals, creates a great "layered" feeling when the piano line locks in. Overall, a very cool, very early 90's piece of work, witha good video too.
I think this song is taking a dig at those commercial pop love songs where artists sing shallow love songs proclaiming love etc etc to whoever whatever and then make lots of money out of it
@oosh <br /> Yep, it's in the same line as Robbie Williams' Come Undone bit in the bridge:<br /> So write another ballad<br /> Mix it on a Wednesday<br /> Sell it on a Thursday<br /> Buy a yacht by Sunday<br /> It's a love song<br /> A love song<br /> <br /> Do another interview<br /> Sing a bunch of lies<br /> Tell about celebrities that I despise<br /> And sing love songs<br /> We sing love songs<br /> So sincere<br /> <br /> It's poking fun at the industry, but you have to understand English humour to get it completely, it's very cynical if you look at it closely.
I think this is about all the girls he fancied at school.
And maybe some other stuff as well.
I think think this song is about the one woman he loved. There were others who were flings and didn't mean anything to him ("I love you from the bottom of my pencil case.") They provided material for songs but nothing else because he couldn't remember their names. But he loved Mary and she killed herself ("Turned her grief into glory") and that ended his inspiration to write songs. ("She ripped his ribbon to shreds.")
@Milkman82 <br /> I think you got the wrong song. No grief into glory, no shredding ribbons in this song.
beautiful. paul just has a wonderful voice.
this is about all the girls he's had relationships with, whom he writes songs about and then sings them to them(they think it's romantic, so they never question it - "I love the way you never ask me why I love to write about each wrinkle on your face") and then he earns money from these songs. when he says "the number one I hope to reap Depends upon the tears you weep" i think this is having a deep emotional relationship with someone that he can then write about the relationship in a song and get a number 1 hit with the song. it's quite comical really...
He emotionally abuses the women he dates (or dates one's previously abused) to find the inspiration for his songwriting - to make lots of $$. very sarcastic (along the lines of "36D")
It's about how love songs are often written to thicken the wallet and not spill out the soul...
I think that this song is a criticism of Pop stars who start shallow, futureless relationships simply for inspiration for songwriting, with no consideration of the girls' feelings, hence the "I forget your name" line.
The pencil case line makes me think he's addressing a school crush. Perhaps it's the names of all the girls he's had crushes on throughout schooling?