submissions

Sloan – Dreaming Of You Lyrics	15 years ago
Could be way off, but I get the feeling this song is about him being attracted to a younger woman (maybe a 19-year-old, hence "1 followed by the 9") and feeling conflicted about it. He's been waiting until she's older to try anything with her, but he's considering "cast[ing] the rules aside" and going for it.

submissions

Charlotte Sometimes – in, your apartment. Lyrics	16 years ago
One of the vaguer songs on the album, but I think it's just about looking back on a relationship that's falling apart, trying to remember the way it used to be. I think "it was like this but it wasn't" means they're still together in his apartment doing the same things, but now it feels completely different.

submissions

Charlotte Sometimes – Toy Soldier Lyrics	16 years ago
Pretty self-explanatory, but amazing. She knows he doesn't really care, but even though she tries to move on and find someone who will honestly love her, in the end she'd rather be with him even if it means living a lie.

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Charlotte Sometimes – AEIOU Lyrics	16 years ago
She's involved with a guy who's playing mind games-- flirting with other girls to make her jealous, sending mixed signals, generally being immature and pathetic. She hasn't given up on him quite yet, but she's frustrated and annoyed and she's telling him to put up or shut up. Great song. I don't really get the AEIOU part, though.

submissions

Jimmy Eat World – Work Lyrics

16 years ago

I think this song is about an undefined, complicated relationship. The idea of "mixing work and play" in the song is sort of a metaphor for the way their relationship is balanced on the thin line between a serious commitment and a casual hookup. They're both confused about what they want, but he seems to be falling in love with her, and he suspects she may also have deeper feelings for him ("the things we think might be the same"). He's warning her not to fool herself into thinking that what they have is completely meaningless, because romantic relationships are never that simple ("don't think we're not serious/when's it ever not?"); however, he's not going to push her into a commitment because that's not his style ("it's just not me to wear it on my sleeve"). He just wants her to think about it and start taking the idea of them being together more seriously ("...it's me and you/come on, would it really be so bad?"). I love the chorus, because throughout the verses he's trying to sort out and deal with this complex emotional dynamic, but with the chorus comes the bittersweet realization that if he actually puts any of this into words it might ruin what's between them ("all I can say I shouldn't say"). So for now he's just going to live in the moment, get away from it all with her and enjoy their time together. Lovely, and very relatable.

submissions

Rachael Yamagata – Ode To... Lyrics

16 years ago

She's in love with him. He's in love with her... and another woman. He wants to be with both of them, but it hurts the singer too much when he goes off with "her," and she feels betrayed by his inability to commit. She knows that if she forces him to choose, he won't choose her... so she's walking away. I don't think this is a typical "you cheated on me and I'm leaving you" song-- the situation seems far more complicated, either an open relationship or an affair (he's married and the singer is "the other woman"). It seems as if he really does love her deeply and will be heartbroken when she leaves, but he's unable or unwilling to give up the other woman he's with, and the situation just hurts her too much for her to stay. Painfully beautiful.

submissions

Something For Kate – Coldwater Canyon Lyrics

16 years ago

I'm not entirely certain what the imagery is specifically about, but I've found this song really comforting during particularly difficult times. I get a feeling of exhausted hope from it-- I think the overall message is "yeah, this hurts, but eventually it'll be over and at least you'll have survived it." It may not be the most optimistic message, but sometimes realistic honesty is more comforting than blind cheerfulness.

submissions

Something For Kate – Say Something Lyrics

16 years ago

It's probably about a more generalized lack of communication among people, like other comments here have said, but personally I associate it with the frustration of trying to communicate with someone you care about when they're shutting you out. There's such a sense of restrained passion in the lyrics, the idea that the connection between these people is incredibly volatile ("if we met we would exhaust this place"), but it's being stifled by the other person's refusal to communicate. Having been there, I entirely understand the desperation to hear them just... say something, anything, to end the "days and weeks" of cold silence, to make that "breakthrough" and feel something again. Incredible song.

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Mike Doughty – Madeleine and Nine Lyrics	16 years ago
It's kind of an unconventional love song. He's really in love with her, she's unstable and has commitment issues (I kind of love that he refers to her affairs as "your oscillations"), but he doesn't care, he just wants to make her happy.

submissions

Crowded House – I Feel Possessed Lyrics	16 years ago
This is a seriously underrated song. I think it's about being in love with someone who throws you off-balance and confuses you, but you don't really want to make sense of things, you just want the thrill of being with them.

submissions

Crowded House – Not The Girl You Think You Are Lyrics

16 years ago

It's about watching someone lie to herself and convince herself things are perfect when they obviously aren't. The speaker doesn't seem to approve of the relationship-- I always thought the line was "he won't deceive you OR tell you the truth" (a quick Google comparison search was inconclusive), which seems to perfectly sum up the way someone can manipulate and mislead another person without entirely lying to them. The speaker seems a little spiteful, sarcastically telling the girl to "believe [she has] one in a million" when he clearly thinks otherwise. It could almost be read as if the speaker is the girl's ex and is jealously criticizing her new relationship.

submissions

Something For Kate – Kaplan/Thornhill Lyrics

16 years ago

It's about someone who can't be trusted, someone who hurt the speaker in the past and is now coming back and insisting she has changed. The speaker knows better, realizing that she is lying to herself as well as him, putting on another personality to avoid dealing with the things she's done. The chorus suggests that the speaker may be "taking his chances" on a friendship/relationship with this person again, but he thinks that since now he knows she is inconsistent and two-faced, he'll be able to question her ("second guess it") and will avoid getting hurt.

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