This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
I feel pretty good, I feel all right
And I've been thinkin' maybe, I could spend the night
I know you've been sad, I know I've been bad
But if you'd let me make you ribbons from a paper bag
Josephine, you're so good to me
And I know it ain't easy
Josephine, you're so sweet
You must taste just like sugar and tangerines
I won't make a sound
Sleep on the ground
When you wake I will
Drive you into town
I missed your smile
Your schoolgirl style
But I never had much fun
Maybe the very first mile
Josephine, you're so good to me
And I know it ain't easy
Josephine, you're so sweet
You must taste just like sugar and tangerines
Don't you know I watched you walkin' home from school
Your friends on the old playgrounds
You never looked so down
Won't you come and help me with these cuts of mine?
I've disconnected my heart and cut myself on the wires
Josephine
I know I was wrong, I knew all along
But I got so far from my home
I never thought I'd be so lonesome
Josephine, you're so good to me
And I know it ain't easy
Josephine, you're so sweet
You must taste just like sugar and tangerines
And I've been thinkin' maybe, I could spend the night
I know you've been sad, I know I've been bad
But if you'd let me make you ribbons from a paper bag
Josephine, you're so good to me
And I know it ain't easy
Josephine, you're so sweet
You must taste just like sugar and tangerines
I won't make a sound
Sleep on the ground
When you wake I will
Drive you into town
I missed your smile
Your schoolgirl style
But I never had much fun
Maybe the very first mile
Josephine, you're so good to me
And I know it ain't easy
Josephine, you're so sweet
You must taste just like sugar and tangerines
Don't you know I watched you walkin' home from school
Your friends on the old playgrounds
You never looked so down
Won't you come and help me with these cuts of mine?
I've disconnected my heart and cut myself on the wires
Josephine
I know I was wrong, I knew all along
But I got so far from my home
I never thought I'd be so lonesome
Josephine, you're so good to me
And I know it ain't easy
Josephine, you're so sweet
You must taste just like sugar and tangerines
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The making ribbons from a paper bag thing is my favorite line in any Wallflowers song. My interpretation of it is that the narrator believes that he is not good enough for "Josephine" and that she is so many levels above him that it's analogous to paper bags and ribbon. He is saying that he would change for her, and become something better. He says that even though she may not believe that he could be a good partner, that he could make himself into something better to fit her, just to make her happy. This is a beautiful way of saying how much he loves her.
This is, in my opinion, the greatest love song ever written. Why Jakob and the gang didn't release this as a single is beyond me. Won't you come and help me with these cuts of mine?/I've disconnected my heart/And cut myself ont he wires... That's the most beautifully graphic way of expressing true love I'd heard before I heard this song, or heard since. Jakob Dylan is the most underrated songwriter on the planet, and this song all but proves it.
i LOVE this song. it's soo good. on my cd... i've played that song so much it started skipping the other day... i was really sad... haha... but yeah... jakob is definetly an excellent song writer. when i went to a wallflowers concert last summer, this guy in the crowd kept yelling "play josephine!!" and i was like yeahhhh!! but jakob was like "we're not ready for that song... next time. it's funny though, guys always request that love song..." so i'd LOVE to hear this song live... but as he said.. next time...
what does "Make you ribbons from a paper bag" mean?
I personally think that the verse "I'll make you ribbons from a paper bag" means that he will do anything in his power to make her happy even when things are bad. So if you think of it literally...if he's got a paper bag...he's going to make the best of it just to do something nice for her...
This is by far, in my opinion, the BEST song ever. Love song, nonetheless. it is really a heartwrenching outpouring of true love, no sugarcoating but pure emotion including pain. in fact one of my favorite lines is "i'll make you ribbons from a paper bag". i think that it means that he is so in love with her that he will find the good in a bad situation and bring it out for her so she'll be happy. like you think of a paper bag as simple and boring, and ribbons as pretty and glamourous. its beautiful
i love the name josephine. but anyways on to the point...i bet alot of the songs Jakob wrote may be about his wife Paige. they've been together since they were kids, so she must have a great impact on Jakobs song writing. but then again..he is Bobs son, and he probably just picked up the amazing song writing gene.
this is a ridiculously good song.. my favorite on the album. its cool because its a love song from a kind of different angle than most. josephine is such an awesome name.. i kinda wish it was my name lol.
MMmmm Josephine and your 4 day old ass cum ! YES YES!
hehe, my names josephine :)