To be lost in the forest
To be cut adrift
You've been trying to reach me
You bought me a book
To be lost in the forest
To be cut adrift
I've been paid
I've been paid

Don't get offended
If I seem absent minded
Just keep telling me facts
And keep making me smile
Don't get offended
If I seem absent minded
I get tongue-tied
Baby, you've got to be more discerning
I've never know what's good for me
Baby, you've got to be more demanding
I will be yours

I'll pay for you anytime

You told me you wanted to eat up my sadness
Well jump on, enjoy, you can gorge away
You told me you wanted to eat up my sadness
Jump right
Baby, you've got to be more discerning
I've never know what's good for me
Baby, you've got to be more demanding
Jump left

What are you holding out for?
What's always in the way?
Why so damn absent minded?
Why so scared of romance?

This modern love breaks me
This modern love wastes me

Do you want to come over and kill some time?
Throw your arms around me



Lyrics submitted by dricambo, edited by daftone

Track duration: 04:26

"This Modern Love" as written by Kele/lissack Okereke

Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


This Modern Love song meanings
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135 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:for me, this songs talks about how modern love is so different from the love our parents, grandparents grew up with. this generation's ( 21st century ) the love we see now, is very different, it's like, to keep someone around, you have to say "i love you" meaning, "love" the world, isn't that special anymore, too over used. like when he says "this modern love, breaks me, this modern love wastes me" the modern love we see, is very sad, how people would do anything for love, and how they react to it, or how they use it or do with it. like love in the 30's - 90's are very much indeed different compared to nows. (my grandparent's love is something i wish to have, that is if its not dead)

    my interpretation, sorry if im wrong
    Flag ruthie9on September 06, 2011   Link
  • +2
    My Interpretation:To me.. this song is about someone, 'person 1' who has been hurt in a previous relationship and is sad and broken still from this relationship but.. they've gotten involved with someone else 'person 2' maybe a little too soon, who they do adore but they need time to recover from a past relationship. With the recovery process person 1 may be unintentionally hurting the person 2 ("Don't get offended, if I seem absent minded") and not as interested in person 2 as they would like to be. Although it's hard for person 1 to come around at the moment, they do have feelings for person 2 and promise they will eventually fall in love with them ("Just keep telling me facts, and keep making me smile", "I will be yours")


    ("To be lost in the forest, To be cut adrift") Person 1 was lost and lonely.
    ("You've been trying to reach me, You bought me a book") Person 2 trying to help them.
    ("To be lost in the forest, To be cut adrift, I've been paid, I've been paid") Person 2 has helped them find their feet again.
    ("I will pay for you") Person 1 feels as if they owe person 2 for making them feel better.


    Although their relationship with person 2 makes them feel better, person 2 feels for person 1 more strongly and perhaps a person 2 is a little more passive ("Baby you've got to be more discerning","Baby you've got to be more demanding", "Jump Right" "Jump Left" telling them what to do). They want person 2 to look after them, they don't feel they can look after theirself anymore ("I've never known what's good for me") Person 2 wants to make person 1 feel better, and person 1 wants person 2 to make them feel better ("And you told me you wanted to eat up my sadness, well jump on and gorge away").

    ("What are you holding out for? What's always in the way? Why so damn absent-minded? Why so scared of romance?") seems as though Person 2 is saying this to person 1 in frustration, or person 1 is saying this to themself and is frustrated at their inability to open up to their parnter.

    Ultimately Person 1 wants the relationship and does have feelings for person 2 ("Do you wanna come over and kill some time? Throw your arms around me.")




    Flag shameintheshadowson July 25, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:this modern love = in love with television
    Flag emptybeerbottleon February 15, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment: This song is so dedicated to my skateboard as if my skateboard was a man. I am not good enough to ever receive a sponsorship but i love it so much, that i will pay for that skateboard anytime for it eats up my sadness.I love skating to this song it's like making love, actually it is me making love every time i step on that board. i will pay for you anytime-my dear skateboard. i suppose i have replaced a man for a skateboard and this dude is singing to me in my earphones so it all works out in the end in some fucked up way. all right!
    Flag Iamme4uon January 18, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think has quite a few meanings :
    I kinda think it is about prostution
    I think it is about couples just fucking and not seeing the picture about love and enjoy the whole no strings attached
    I also think it could be about two people who are crazy about each other but are afraid to admit it and they try to forget their emotions but then get pulled back into each other.
    In no way am i saying im right its just what i think but i loveeeeeee this song so much. Reminds me of someone very close to my heart right now. I text her "throw your arms around me" as that is what she does everytime we see each other. This song reminds me of her so much it is unreal. In a way it gives me hope. I dunno how but i love it. She is great :) xxxxxxxxx
    Flag Cam57on December 06, 2010   Link
  • +2
    My Interpretation:The narrator has fallen in love with a prostitute.

    "I'll pay for you anytime"

    Narrator wants a more conventional relationship, not "this modern" one, but the prostitute is not in the business of real love.

    "Why so scared of romance?"

    But of course, the narrator continues to call on the prostitute.

    "Do you wanna come over and kill some time?"
    Flag sullymygoodnameon November 29, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:its just about two people in a relationship. one of them (the narrator) is a romantic and always has their head in the clouds (absent minded) and loves stories (the book references). The other person is very modern in their views, very cynical and doesnt believe in love. This song is just talking about trying to find love in modern society, whilst holding old fashioned views of love.
    Flagged kurtisebear2010on November 27, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:MCRfanatic, I was just about to say the same thing
    Flag Wipqoznon November 05, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:this is my favourite song of all time
    words can describe its awesomeness or how much i can relate to it <3
    Flag MCRfanaticon August 07, 2010   Link
  • +2
    General Comment:A couple have got pretty close. It is basically about a relationship where the protagonist has depression. I unfortunately suffer from this and all of it rings true.

    'To be lost in a forest, to be caught a drift' - He is disconnected from the world. Typically depression leads people to become withdrawn. It cuts you off from your friends and love ones leaving you living in your mind which would represent the forest from which he cannot escape.

    'You've been trying to reach me, you bought me a book' - His significant other is determined to see him through his illness but doesn't know how. He/she is frustrated with their inability to help. They buy him/her a self help book as a gesture to try and help them deal with their issues.

    'don't get offended if I seem absent minded. I never known what's good for me' - They're asking them not to blame themselves that she can't reach them. My girlfriend accuses me of being absent-minded and not listening to her i.e zoning out but the mental barrage of obsessive thoughts leaves you zombiefied. You want to let them know that behind it all is the person they love. All your attempts end up strangled and confused 'tongue-tied'.

    This Modern Love I think refers to a time where mental illness is extrememly common and everyone seems to have emotional baggage. They're saying his inability to grasp pure and simple love with both hands because of the isolation he feels, leaves him feeling all the more broken i.e 'breaks and wastes me'

    After he has put this into words that he feels he will be forever broken, he simply wants comforting and consoling at the end 'throw your arms around me'.







    Flag EssexBoyon May 24, 2010   Link

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