I was looking at the leaves climbing to the tops of the trees but you were nowhere to be found.
Just beneath all the green you were buried like a little seed among the roots and underground.
I was licking at the leaves, but I was in short sleeves and you, you were like some sickness that I caught.
My sweetheart moved away, swept off like garbage in the ally way - I need more grace than I though.

Brother, I'm far away from everything good!
She's like a hot cloth on my fevered head and like a needle she leads me away from everything good (Well, I follow like a thread)
Tie me up! Untie me! All this wishing I was dead is getting old... it goes on but it's old.

I was swimming through the waves for must have been days but I could find no relief.
When I started sinking down I thought for certain I would drown until I saw you in the ocean underneath all the bright colored fish
Tell of a treasure in a dull shell.
"Such subtlety, so easily missed!"
You, my hidden pearl of pure and perfect love and I'm living example of 100% the opposite of this.
If I ask the same questions well maybe I repeat myself from time to time.
But it's because everyone who answers me is a liar.
She's like a hot cloth on a fevered head and like a needle she leads me
(Well, I follow like a thread)
But you untie me - didn't you untie me, lord?
And now I haven't even thought about killing myself in almost five months.



Lyrics submitted by bullets2binary

Track duration: 03:41


Tie Me Up! Untie Me! song meanings
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  • 0
    General Comment:Straight from Wikipedia: "Tie Me Up! Untie Me!" shows themes of suicide and the mysterious salvation of the Lord.[citation needed] Weiss begins with a search for someone, probably God, on the "tops of the trees", where a glorious God should be found, but with no success. He rather finds that Jesus is "buried" and mostly left unnoticed. Despite Weiss's inability to find God, God grabbed him, like a sickness. Then his "sweetheart moved away," possibly referring to his previous relationship with sin or the world (with further references to this girl in the chorus). However this provided more tension as Weiss goes on to speak of his distance from God, and his fickleness is obeying God or obey his flesh ("Tie me up! Untie me!). Suicide seems to be a major distraction. Again he describes the search for God, and his surprise in finding God in a "dull shell." The song ends with witness of victory over seemingly unsurmountable tendencies towards suicide. He takes from Rumi using the line: "Love moves away. The light changes. I need more grace than I thought.[3]"
    Flag mroldan1993on April 13, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:to me its not literally a girl more so he equates temptation and sin to the girl. ok lil confusingly worded so girl=temptation of sin, there we go.
    Flag Millyardoon March 28, 2011   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:The "Tie me up! Untie me!" part reminds me of Odysseus and the Sirens: he told his crew to tie him up, so he may listen to their song, but not give into their beauty and drown himself. So does the song talks about being tempted and, though you have yourself tied up, you wish they would untie you.
    Flag Edboyon December 05, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:I agree with the religious side to people's views
    However, I also think this is a reference to the film "Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!", check it out
    Flag neonghostson September 29, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think this song is about going through a very difficult time in your life and finding God where you least expect Him.

    "I was looking at the leaves climbing to the tops of the trees but you were nowhere to be found.
    Just beneath all the green you were buried like a little seed among the roots and underground."
    He was looking for God, in places he thought were obvious- probably through what he thought were good deeds and a 'righteous' life.

    His "sweetheart moved away"...
    This is a dark period in aaron's life.

    "...and like a needle she leads me away from everything good. Tie me up! Untie me! All this wishing I was dead is getting old... it goes on but it's old."
    Even though this person is not a good influence (he refers to himself as a submissive thread, and she takes advantage of this and uses him), he is obsessed with her and a depression consumes him.

    "When I started sinking down I thought for certain I would drown until I saw you in the ocean underneath all the bright colored fish
    Tell of a treasure in a dull shell."
    Just when he thinks he can't take it anymore, he finds God. He is the treasure in a dull shell - precious to God.

    "You, my hidden pearl of pure and perfect love and I'm living example of 100% the opposite of this."
    God is perfect, pure Love. He lets God take over - and he is transformed, totally.

    He ends by saying that God "untied" him from this unhealthy relationship and mindset and he no longer needs her or feels suicidal.
    Flag PlaysPrettyforMeon March 31, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:My absolute favorite mewithoutYou song. It is so deep and descriptive. This band is so powerful, they are able to get atheists such as myself deeply involved into their songs. I also want to get high every time I hear them.
    Flag GoodforRJon May 13, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I realize this is late, but I always took this song to be about a heroin addiction. The title "Tie me up, untie me" somewhat explains itself. As for the line "She's like a hot cloth on my fevered head and like a needle she leads me away from everything good (Well, I follow like a thread)" I always thought it was "While I follow like bread" which again refers to heroin. Maybe it's just me, but when I listen to the song that's just what I hear.
    Flag alouiciouson May 09, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:i like how he starts to repeat himself
    Flag HomerunHenryon April 28, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:i think its licking at the leaving
    could be wrong though.
    Flag Sethulaon March 30, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:when he says

    "all this wishing i was dead is getting old,it goes on but it's old"

    to me it means that he is tired of being tempted and wishing he could do sinful things
    Flag sss777on June 26, 2008   Link

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