You were the mother of three girls so sweet
Who stormed through your turnstile and climbed to the street
But after conception your body lay cold
And withered through autumn and you found yourself old

Can you tell me why have been so sad?
He took a lover on a far away beach
While you arranged flowers and chose color schemes

Can you tell me why you have been so sad?
Can you tell me why you have been so sad?

The girls were all there, they traded their vows
The youngest one glared with furrowed brows
They tenderly kissed then cut the cake
The bride then tripped and broke the vase
The one you thought would spend the years
So perfectly placed below the mirror
Arriving late, you clean the debris
And walked into the angry sea

It felt just like falling in love again
And it felt just like falling in love again

Can you tell me why you have been so sad?
Can you tell me why you have been so


Lyrics submitted by heartattack

Death of an Interior Decorator Lyrics as written by Benjamin Gibbard

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management

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Death of an Interior Decorator song meanings
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  • +6
    General Comment

    Transatlanticism (album) is a story in itself, 1.The New Year- He went to a New Years party to just follow a crowd, and he explains why he doesn't like it. 2.Lightness- He finds a strange attraction to a girl at the New Years party and he persuades her into a relationship. 3.Title And Registration- The break up scene for Ben and the girl. She thought he was holding her back, so she left him. 4.Expo '86- He keeps getting back into a relationship with her, and they keep breaking up. They keep thinking it would do good to get together, but they then figure it only did them harm. But they still do the same thing over, and over again. 5.The Sound Of Settling- Kind of self explanatory, he settles down, finally, and he feels it might be the wrong thing to do... 6.Tiny Vessels- ...So he goes out to find himself another relationship, and the "moving together in the dark" part is one of his greatest mistakes. He thought this would do him good to get back out there but he just made a mistake to scar himself by laying with a beautiful girl when deep down he had no particular interest in her. He also somewhat wanted to make his REAL love jealous. (Bad move) 7.Transatlanticism- He was just about to be done healing from his emotional scar (from Tiny Vessels) and go apologize to his REAL love, and she left. And pretty far at that, all the way across the Atlantic! And just when he needs her the most she is gone, just like that. 8.Passenger Seat- The "So come ON!" line of Transatlanticism was him getting her to come back, and she did. So she met him, (I imagine an airport is where they met) and she is driving him home. He is just in a state of ecstasy because of the relief that this gave him, that she came back, and the love they share, complimented by a nice drive on a peaceful night down a country road. It doesn't get any better. 9.Death Of an Interior Decorator- You may not notice it at first, but this is tremendously depressing. She thought she would be happy, (the one Ben loves) but she has doubt built up in her, and the wedding gone bad she helped decorate for pushed her over the edge. She committed suicide. And imagine the pain this would give you. 10.We Looked Like Giants- This is a flashback of Ben's college years, he was with a girl he loved, and he thinks of getting with her again to help him get over his deceased love. But he figures it would be the wrong thing to do. 11.A Lack Of Color- He now is angry with of all his past mistakes. So he is trying to talk to his love, and he says its "fact not fiction, for the first time in years" that he says he means he want NOTHING else but her. And he picks up his phone to call her, but he only finds more sadness.

    I hope this helped you :)

    IKnowGoodMusicon March 08, 2009   Link
  • +2
    Song Meaning

    I have heard the song is about Woody Allen's movie Interiors. Just to fill in some of the blanks (and oversimplify for sake of the song meaning): The movie is about three sisters ("You were the mother of three girls so sweet"), and their sad/crazy mother ("Can you tell me why have been so sad") who is an interior decorator ("While you arranged flowers and chose color schemes"). THe mother keeps waiting for their father to take her back after a separation. Eventually the father moves on and remarrys a new woman who he (kinda) met on a beach ("He took a lover on a far away beach, "). So the father gets married, and the night of the wedding, which the youngest sister did not approve of ("The girls were all there; they traded their vows. The youngest one glared with furrowed brow"), the new woman trips and breaks a vase that was a symbol of their mother and her interior decorating career ("The bride then tripped and broke the vase, The one you thought would span the years, So perfectly placed below the mirror "). Then the mother crashes the party after everyone has gone to bed ("Arriving late, you clean the debris") and after a heated discussion with one of the daughters, decides to commit suicide by walking into the ocean ("And walked into the angry sea")

    lose311on April 06, 2014   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Even though I can't really relate to this song I think it is absolutely beautiful.

    taylor8285on April 17, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    It's obvious - the story this song is trying to tell. The interesting thing I've heard is that its all based on the plot of some movie---which movie? I don't know...still trying to find it.

    GeeMoon April 20, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    It reminds me a lot of the book The Awakening by Kate Chopin. At the end of the book the main character walks into the sea and commits suicide for freedom from her husband and children. It's a lot like this because it doesn't seem like a cowerdly surrender but more like she is liberated by this action. Just like how the song says "and it felt just like falling in love again."

    taylor8285on April 22, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    that sounds about right, who exactly is he talking to? ... and tell me that movie if you find what it is.

    sambo28on May 04, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    in an acoustic session he says this song is about his favorite movie... whatever that may be.

    the green eyeson May 11, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    i think this song is probably the best on the album-its flows and floats. and i love lyrics that tell a little story especially one as simply said but as emotionally affecting as this one. wow!

    redcedarfeveron October 13, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    The movie this song is about is called "Interiors," and it's directed by the godly Woody Allen.

    gun left behindon November 04, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    The movie Interiors is absolutely beautiful. Once youve seen the movie the song makes a lot more sense.

    fridgebuzzon November 18, 2004   Link

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