I'm gonna pull you in close gonna wrap you up tight
gonna play with the braids that you came here with tonight
I'm gonna hold your face and toast the snow that fell
because friends don't waste wine when there's words to sell

i feel like love is in the kitchen with a culinary eye
I think he's making something special and I'm smart enough to try
if you don't trust yourself for at least one minute each day
well you should trust in this girl cause loving is coming our way

if you can fix me up girl we'll go a long way
if you can fix me up girl we'll go a long way

I'll stand by all this drinking if it helps me through these days
(take my love in these small doses)
It takes a long time just to get this all straight
(take my love in these small doses)
I'll showcase on route 7 when i find the right place
(take my love in these small doses)
It takes a long time just to get this all straight
(take my love in these small doses)
in my mind
this is my free time

because friends don't waste wine when there's words to sell
if you can fix me up girl we'll go a long way
if you can fix me up girl we'll go a long way

I'll stand by all this drinking if it helps me through these days
(take my love in these small doses)
I've spent a long time corresponding in my own way
(take my love in these small doses)
I'll showcase on route 7 when I find the right place
(take my love in these small doses)
It takes a long time just to get this all straight
(take my love in these small doses)
in my mind
this is my free time
to break it all away
spend it all today
spend it all today
it took time then I found you
it took time then I found you



Lyrics submitted by saturnine, edited by westernize

Track duration: 03:47


Obstacle 2 song meanings
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42 Comments

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  • 0
    My Interpretation:It sounds to me like he's struggling with his own feelings in this song.

    "I'm gonna pull you in close gonna wrap you up tight
    gonna play with the braids that you came here with tonight
    I'm gonna hold your face and toast the snow that fell
    because friends don't waste wine when there's words to sell"

    It sounds like he's looking for intimacy here, plain and simple. He also begins hinting at what could be his own personal struggle with alcoholism.

    "I feel like love is in the kitchen with a culinary eye
    I think he's making something special and I'm smart enough to try
    if you don't trust yourself for at least one minute each day
    well you should trust in this girl cause loving is coming our way"

    Now he's making his intentions clearer. He can tell this girl isn't sure him or the whole thing but he thinks they should give it a go and is trying to convince her of the same. He sees now that he's really falling for her and knows that she will soon find that she feels the same way.

    "if you can fix me up girl we'll go a long way
    if you can fix me up girl we'll go a long way"

    This line is interesting. I think it conveys the basic idea that he sees himself as essentially broken. Given that this is a love song, it seems likely that it is past loves have left him feeling this way. But he does see hope in her and thinks that it could work out between them if she 'fixes' him up.

    "I'll stand by all this drinking if it helps me through these days
    (take my love in these small doses)
    It takes a long time just to get this all straight
    (take my love in these small doses)
    I'll showcase on route 7 when i find the right place
    (take my love in these small doses)
    It takes a long time just to get this all straight
    (take my love in these small doses)"

    The references to alcohol insinuate that he is indeed a recovering alcoholic. He probably drinks to help cope with his broken heart. The next line suggests that he's struggling to come to terms with something. This is likely his feelings for the girl that he's courting now. He's been hurt before and has probably tried shut himself off from other people. He suppresses his feelings so that he can't get hurt but now that this new girl has entered his life, feelings have arisen once again. He's not sure how to deal with these feelings because the past couple times have only ended in misery. The 'showcase on route 7' line is about him really revealing his feelings and showing his love, but only when he finds the right person, 'place'.

    "in my mind
    this is my free time"

    He spends a lot of time thinking about the situation.

    "because friends don't waste wine when there's words to sell
    if you can fix me up girl we'll go a long way
    if you can fix me up girl we'll go a long way"

    "I'll stand by all this drinking if it helps me through these days
    (take my love in these small doses)
    I've spent a long time corresponding in my own way
    (take my love in these small doses)
    I'll showcase on route 7 when I find the right place
    (take my love in these small doses)
    It takes a long time just to get this all straight
    (take my love in these small doses)"

    So the chorus is repeated because it seems to contain the two main elements of this song. His own personal conflict and his feelings for this girl. The small doses line probably refers to the fact that despite his best efforts, his feelings have been showing, if only in small portions. She probably doesn't feel that he's properly reciprocating her affection but in his mind he has been "corresponding in [his] own way".

    "in my mind
    this is my free time
    to break it all away
    spend it all today
    spend it all today
    it took time then I found you
    it took time then I found you"

    He is asking her to be patient with him. It's not easy for him to return to this romantic lifestyle. He has spent a lot of time reflecting but at the end of the song he seems to have come to the conclusion that was alluded to in the beginning of the song. He really likes this girl and he wants to take another shot at love. His past relationships haven't been great but this one seems like it could really be different. He seems tired from all his past dealings but hopeful for this next one, one that could be truly special. And hence the final line "it took time, then I found you."
    Flag westernizeon January 05, 2013   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:It sounds to me like he's struggling with his own feelings in this song.

    "I'm gonna pull you in close gonna wrap you up tight
    gonna play with the braids that you came here with tonight
    I'm gonna hold your face and toast the snow that fell
    because friends don't waste wine when there's words to sell"

    It sounds like he's looking for intimacy here, plain and simple. He also begins hinting at what could be his own personal struggle with alcoholism.

    "I feel like love is in the kitchen with a culinary eye
    I think he's making something special and I'm smart enough to try
    if you don't trust yourself for at least one minute each day
    well you should trust in this girl cause loving is coming our way"

    Now he's making his intentions clearer. He can tell this girl isn't sure him or the whole thing but he thinks they should give it a go and is trying to convince her of the same. He sees now that he's really falling for her and knows that she will soon find that she feels the same way.

    "if you can fix me up girl we'll go a long way
    if you can fix me up girl we'll go a long way"

    This line is interesting. I think it conveys the basic idea that he sees himself as essentially broken. Given that this is a love song, it seems likely that it is past loves have left him feeling this way. But he does see hope in her and thinks that it could work out between them if she 'fixes' him up.

    "I'll stand by all this drinking if it helps me through these days
    (take my love in these small doses)
    It takes a long time just to get this all straight
    (take my love in these small doses)
    I'll showcase on route 7 when i find the right place
    (take my love in these small doses)
    It takes a long time just to get this all straight
    (take my love in these small doses)"

    The references to alcohol insinuate that he is indeed a recovering alcoholic. He probably drinks to help cope with his broken heart. The next line suggests that he's struggling to come to terms with something. This is likely his feelings for the girl that he's courting now. He's been hurt before and has probably tried shut himself off from other people. He suppresses his feelings so that he can't get hurt but now that this new girl has entered his life, feelings have arisen once again. He's not sure how to deal with these feelings because the past couple times have only ended in misery.

    "in my mind
    this is my free time"

    He spends a lot of time thinking about the situation.

    "because friends don't waste wine when there's words to sell
    if you can fix me up girl we'll go a long way
    if you can fix me up girl we'll go a long way"

    "I'll stand by all this drinking if it helps me through these days
    (take my love in these small doses)
    I've spent a long time corresponding in my own way
    (take my love in these small doses)
    I'll showcase on route 7 when I find the right place
    (take my love in these small doses)
    It takes a long time just to get this all straight
    (take my love in these small doses)"

    So the chorus is repeated because it seems to contain the two main elements of this song. His own personal conflict and his feelings for this girl. The small doses line probably refers to the fact that despite his best efforts, his feelings have been showing, if only in small portions. She probably doesn't feel that he's properly reciprocating her affection but in his mind he has been "corresponding in [his] own way".

    "in my mind
    this is my free time
    to break it all away
    spend it all today
    spend it all today
    it took time then I found you
    it took time then I found you"

    He is asking her to be patient with him. It's not easy for him to return to this romantic lifestyle. He has spent a lot of time reflecting but at the end of the song he seems to have come to the conclusion that was alluded to in the beginning of the song. He really likes this girl and he wants to take another shot at love. His past relationships haven't been great but this one seems like it could really be different. He seems tired from all his past dealings but hopeful for this next one, one that could be truly special. And hence the final line "it took time, then I found you."
    Flagged westernizeon January 05, 2013   Link
  • 0
    Song Meaning:Fuck, i love this song...some great lyrics, epecially in the chorus, and the "story" behind it is something i can relate to. Right here's my interpretation:


    The song is based around Banks out at a party, and getting with a women (potential girlfriend).

    There are a lot of drug references; "snow" (cocaine), "fix me up" and "love in small doses". The latter could be a euphemism for Banks only being with her when theres drugs involved.

    "I think he's making something special and I'm smart enough to try" - "He" is the drug dealer and Banks sarcastically says its a smart idea and decides to try the drugs to escape his mondane boring life, to live a little and see what happens; "If you dont trust yourself....Loving is coming our way" I.e. let loose. The consequences here actually pay off because he meets a girl.

    "I'll stand by all this drinking if it helps me through these days" - Again Banks is turning to drink to get through his days and hopes to find a woman.

    "I've spent a long time corresponding in my own way" - He normally does his own thing and never leaves his comfort zone...which is why he tries the drugs. This could also be a euphemism for masturbation as pointed out before!!

    "I'll showcase on route 7 when I find the right place" - He gets the girl at the party, and is going to "showcase" his love for her...i.e. have sex!

    "It takes a long time just to get this all straight" - It took him a while to find this girl, or any girl of late.

    "in my mind this is my free time" - The drugs and hooking up with this new woman is now his guilty pleasure almost...it is Banks' way of getting free.

    "spend it all today" Again another drug/woman double meaning....spending his money on drugs, and/or spending his time with her.

    "it took time then I found you" - This seems like he genuinly likes her, and sings it with great passion and conviction, which leads me to think this woman becomes his girlfriend. The whole drinking, partying and the search for a woman/girlfriend took time, but paid off eventually.
    Flag sheromanon February 28, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:In this song, Paul's emotions are in conflict. He wishes to better himself in the eyes of a woman, but he is unwilling to change who he is or turn away from his old vices. This, I believe is the "obstacle" in Obstacle 2.
    Flag ShortroundMcflyon February 05, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:"I wanna hole your face and toast the snow that fell" is a cocaine reference
    Flag awesomeotronon December 05, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I have just fallen in love with this song. Also, nobody should be looking too much into the lyrics. It's pretty straight forward.

    Romance is the second meaning of this song. The first stanza is obviously a setting up of a situation. Banks is in love with a girl and says to take a chance with him. This much is obvious.

    But I believe underneath the surface of this romantic setting is a fragile alcoholic who wants fixing. There's lots of lines that mention his alcoholism, most notably
    I'll stand by all this drinking if it helps me through these days

    and

    because friends don't waste wine when there's words to sell

    The second line makes it seem like the narrator is a social drinker, drinking more due to peer pressure.

    "If you can fix me up girl" pretty much says it all - the narrator is desperately looking for someone to help him with his alcoholism. it's difficult to interpret the final part where Paul hits the falsetto notes. He may be saying it in a positive light that he DID find the person that fixed him. Or the process of finding a new lover after new lover is happening again and he's continuing his desperate search for "the one".
    Flag granolabaron October 04, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I'm pretty sure toast was supposed to be in terms of drinking, not in terms of heat.
    That way it comes out saying he'll hold her face and raise a drink to the snow that fell.
    Friends don't waste wine when there's something important to discuss, such as romance.
    A large portion of the album is about romance.
    Flag Lovetheblackon August 22, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I've had two guys use this song as a means to sleep with me? Guy number one used to send me text messages with the lyrics to this song all time. I remember the first one was the "I'm gonna pull you in close, wrap you up tight" part. Guy number two would always say "if you can fix me up girl, we'll go a long way" Needless to say I didn't even try. Too much worrrrrrrk lol
    Flag Taberculosison August 18, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:i think its about relationship. he meet a girl but doesn't want to hurry, so he lives his usual life, with drinking, free time, etc, but he still think about her. "if you can fix me" - he does't want to change himself, but she can try.
    Flag Zapon April 16, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This song has nothing to do with romance. It's clearly talking about a drunk and his love for alcohol. Not a woman! And the person that thought "i feel like love is in the kitchen with a culinary eye I think he's making something special and I'm smart enough to try" as a poetic metaphor for romance...what the heck?! How is comparing love to food romantic?! And he's talking about booze clearly! What do you hold close and wrap up tight? A bottle! But what do you hold the face of? A GLASS! Of course! It all makes sense now! Anyway, to conclude everything I say and do is right.
    Flag Champion57575on August 29, 2008   Link

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