Metric – Torture Me

• 0
  My Interpretation:It feels like the singer is telling the listener to not let her seek out outside sources of happiness and satisfaction.
  
  "Torture me with all I wanted"
  "Hit me with the weight I flaunted"
  
  Material possessions sound like the wanted, the weight.
  
  "Bring me need, bring me fire
  One backless, strapless copper-red gown
  Kitty kitty cut twine"
  
  She wants all these perceived keys to happiness brought to her.
  
  "Bring turpentine
  I can't stand fire"
  
  She can't stand fire, thus the burning of her physical dependencies will be the torture she asks for.
  
  "High street flat of land
  I've got to bite the hand"
  
  I have to push away all the things that support this malformed ideal of how to be happy.
  
  "Torture me with all I wanted
  When I am surrounded"
  
  She's asking to not be allowed to find solace in ultimately meaningless/worthless possessions.
  

  Flag Isthianon September 25, 2010   Link

  • No Replies Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.
• 0
  My Opinion:I love this song. It's so beautiful. I thinks it evokes a slight sex appeal as well. I second the S&M comment.

  Flag LennyBruceon July 26, 2010   Link

  • No Replies Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.
• +1
  General Comment:I first thought it was about an abusive relationship and I think thats still a really good explanation.
  but now for some reason I think the song is about not feeling like you deserve to be happy.
  
  feeling like you're not a good enough person and you shouldn't be allowed to be happy.
  like the line "torture me with all I wanted" I think is talking about how she desires something that most people wouldn't consider normal or moral so she souldn't be allowed to have good things.

  Flag loxymoxyon March 13, 2008   Link

  • No Replies Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.
• 0
  General Comment:I believe Trinora got it at least partially right. I believe this song is about a girl who has everything - materialistically - but she still feels completely unfulfilled. Her mind, spirit and body needs to be driven out of the safe and content niche she feels trapped by.
  
  "If I seem too serene, torture me."
  
  She does not want to be happy, she does not want to have peace of mind, she wants to feel on her toes, she wants to feel alive. Shes uncomfortable in the state of perfection.
  
  
  Of course, perhaps, she is saying this while meaning the opposite. I.E. all she wants is serenity and peace but every time she gets into that state of mind outside forces disrupt it and send her into chaos.
  
  I love metric.

  Flag Torotauron October 15, 2007   Link

  • No Replies Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.
• 0
  General Comment:This song is about BDSM. It's about how physical pain becomes a release for emotional pain.

  Flag AliceFallingDownon April 14, 2007   Link

  • 1 Reply Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.
    0

    God, thank you so much for saying this. I was just looking at "Too Little Too Late" and no one mentioned BDSM there either. I felt like everyone was trying to avoid the issue. Like yeah, it's a song and a lot might be metaphor, but come on, state the obvious. However, I don't really agree with the stuff about physical pain becoming a release for emotional pain. I think this song might be about that, but I think it's separate from the BDSM theme. Like they both exist within the song but on different levels.

    Flag redheadedgypsyon November 30, 2008  
• 0
  General Comment:Def. agree with Trinora. Its a guy she had an amazingly close relationship with that came to an end. She needed time alone to get over it, but it seems like once she got to a place where she could feel optimistic about life again, the guy comes back in the picture and tortures her by reminding her of all she lost and all she wants.
  
  I think the:
  Get the rope
  Tie me to the bed post
  Cause I can't find within myself
  The happy host
  
  part is her saying she cant be happy alone (shes not a happy host for herself) and shes asking someone, maybe herself, maybe the guy, to tie her up so she cant keep running back to him and let him torture her....Its like being tied to a bed is easy compared to the hell she goes through with him.
  
  The second verse:
  Bring me need, bring me fire
  One backless strapless copper-red gown
  Kitty kitty cut twine
  Bring turpentine
  I can't stand by
  High street flat of land
  I've got to bite the hand
  
  Shes still "tied to the bed" in a sense - shes been doing her best to keep away from him til she cant stand it anymore. So shes asking him to bring her need (relationship) and fire (passion), an shes coaxing him to untie her (kitty kitty, cut twine). Bring turpentine is her asking him to bring something to doctor her wounds with, where the rope cut in to her because she was trying to get untied. "Ive got to bite the hand" is her admitting thats shes only hurting herself, but she feels compelled to do it. She cant stop asking him to torture her.

  Flag episodeivon January 26, 2007   Link

  • No Replies Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.
• 0
  General Comment:A girl who has everything, who can't be happy because the person she likes, the everything she's wanted, is on her mind, and she'll onyl feel complete if thy are still in her life, f*cking with her, messing with her and telling them about all she could have had, or all the things she wants to hear and knows she can never have.

  Flag Trinoraon November 30, 2006   Link

  • No Replies Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.
• 0
  General Comment:I've sort of moved away from this type of music lately. Mostly because it has lost its meaning to me. But I can always make an acception for Metric, I'm not really sure why... Probably cos they were the first band I actually liked. Heh. Ciao.

  Flag *Soulesseyes*on September 09, 2006   Link

  • No Replies Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.
• 0
  General Comment:To me, this song is about being with someone who uses you for nothing more than your body:
  
  'Get the rope
  Tie me to the bed post
  Cause I can't find within myself'
  
  That to me means the person isn't happy with themselves, so they seek validation in all the wrong places and from all the wrong people.
  
  I also think it's about finding that sense of self confidence and happiness for a second, then as soon as you walk away from that room you realise that it was all fake:
  
  'Torture me with all I wanted'
  
  That line to me is about being teased with the feeling of self pride and peace just to have it taken away. I love this song, and this is just my interpretation and what it means to me personally.

  Flag tortured_tiarason August 03, 2006   Link

  • No Replies Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.
• 0
  General Comment:hasgfksdgfqwgh this song is SO good. Anyone have any ideas about what this song may mean?

  Flag PosterOfAGirlon March 24, 2006   Link

  • No Replies Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!