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You do it for the joy it brings
Because you're a joyful girl
Because the world owes me nothing
And we owe each other the world
I do it cause it's the least I can do
I do it cause I learned it from you
I do it just because I want to
Just because I want to
Everything I do is judged
And mostly they get it wrong Oh well
The bathroom mirror has not budged
And the woman who lives there can tell The truth from the stuff that they say
And she looks me in the eye
And says...
'Would you prefer it the easy way?
No?
Well, okay then ...
Don't cry'
I wonder if everything I do
I do instead
Of something I want to do more
The question fills my head
I know there's no grand plan here
This is just the way it goes
When everything else seems unclear
I guess at least I know
You do it for the joy it brings
Because you'e a joyful girl
Because the world owes me nothing
And we owe each other the world
I do it, it's the least I can do
I do it, I learned it from you you I do it just because I want to Just because I want to
Because you're a joyful girl
Because the world owes me nothing
And we owe each other the world
I do it cause it's the least I can do
I do it cause I learned it from you
I do it just because I want to
Just because I want to
Everything I do is judged
And mostly they get it wrong Oh well
The bathroom mirror has not budged
And the woman who lives there can tell The truth from the stuff that they say
And she looks me in the eye
And says...
'Would you prefer it the easy way?
No?
Well, okay then ...
Don't cry'
I wonder if everything I do
I do instead
Of something I want to do more
The question fills my head
I know there's no grand plan here
This is just the way it goes
When everything else seems unclear
I guess at least I know
You do it for the joy it brings
Because you'e a joyful girl
Because the world owes me nothing
And we owe each other the world
I do it, it's the least I can do
I do it, I learned it from you you I do it just because I want to Just because I want to
Lyrics submitted by fallinstars
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my two fav. guitarists...
the image of man is composed of both male and female together. Daves idea of Love in perfection is God himself loving mankind. as dave sees himself as the Lords chaste virgin...the joyful girl.
just being to be loved..
daves giving us an insight here..its his joy he finds within his percfect union.
The religion thing is off (the songwriter is an atheist!) and the idea of the perfect woman being a virgin is way off. On of Ani's other songs is called "Promiscuity" (it defends just that) and part of her song Reprieve is one of the most brilliant things ever written about the demonization of female sexuality.
Joyful Girl, when performed by Ani DiFranco, is about confidence, contentment and denying accusations that she's an angry, hateful person. It's tender and honest and beautiful. Some have said that she wrote it to assure her mother that she is happy and that she learned how to be from her. When Dave Matthews sings it it's a song of admiration for a woman and describing a little about himself.
And besides.... some of Dave's other songs would strongly suggest that his ideal woman is a very sexual person.
Dave's ability to play with words so gracefully is not only genius, but is also so important in todays seemingly dry reserve of good lyricists... yes, they are Ani's lyrics... but Dave sings the song so much more meaningfully. It's just beautiful...