What you did to me made me
See myself something different
Though I try to talk sense to myself
But I just won't listen

Won't you go away
Turn yourself in
You're no good at confession
Before the image that you burned me in
Tries to teach you a lesson

What you did to me
Made me see myself somethin' awful
A voice once stentorian
Is now again weak and muffled
It took me such a long time to get back up
The first time you did it
I stand tall, I had to get it back
And all this seems I've now bit it

My peace and quiet was stolen from me
When I was looking with calm affection
You were searching out my imperfections

What wasted unconditional love
On somebody
Who doesn't believe in this stuff

You came up on me like a hipnik jerk
When I was just about settled
And when it counts you recoil
With the cryptic wording you leave a love belittled
Oh what a cold and a common old way to go

I was feeding on the need for you to know me
Devastated on the rage you fell below me

What wasted unconditional love
On somebody
Who doesn't believe in this life

Oh well



Lyrics submitted by maxivolt

Track duration: 03:41


Oh Well song meanings
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28 Comments

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  • +1
    My Interpretation:This song got me through a tough time in my life. I was dating this guy for the third time - we were very serious in our relationship, although he did talk down to me all the time. The relationship ended when I found out that he had cheated on me - illegally at that - so the whole "Won't you go away - Turn yourself in - You're no good at confession" part had extra meaning to me.
    I Love You Fiona! I Can not wait for the next album! Spring 2011!!
    Flag variaon December 13, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I love how she expresses her feelings, I can relate on feeling you have the fault that the other person stopped loving you, you see yourself so worthless and think this is why they left. Your reason says "no, he went away because he is an ashole" but you can't help to feel it was you.

    And she tells him to go away, before her anger for the way he made her look at herself tries to get revenge (Before the image that you burned me in Tries to teach you a lesson).

    And it seems he was someone who she dated twice, and he let her down the first time, and it was really difficult for her to feel better again, and now he hurts her again (It took me such a long time to get back up The first time you did it).

    And the line "When I was looking with calm affection You were searching out my imperfections" for me means, while she was happy and in love, he was secretly trying to figure out if she was the kind of woman he likes, trying to find her imperfections.

    My favorite line is this: "I was feeding on the need for you to know me", because in several songs she has stated her partners don't know her at all, and she thought this one was going to be the one she was gonna be able to open up with, and at the end it didn't work out, she wasted this illusion on him, because he doesn't believe in love.
    Flag jimloboson June 09, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Thankyou for correcting it. Jesus.
    Anyway the song is that she was with a guy who cheated on her. But she had such an unconditional love for him she wouldn't let him go, but he kept doing it again and hurting her over and over again.
    This song is absolutely beautiful and I lve singing to it and when I listen hard enough I cry because I feel her loss.
    Flag MonicaAdrianarton August 30, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I love this song. It's about having unconditional love for someone who can't/won't have it back for you and the pain that comes with that, I think we can all relate to it... "A voice once stentorian is now again weak and muffled". No-one can say it better and more eloquently than Fiona.
    Flag missmeon May 10, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:The lyrics are actually:

    What you did to me made me
    See myself something different
    Though I try to talk sense to myself
    But I just won't listen

    Won't you go away
    Turned yourself in
    You're no good at confession
    Before the image that you burned me in
    Tries to teach you a lesson

    What you did to me made me see myself somethin' awful
    A voice once stentorian is now again meek and muffled
    It took me such a long time to get back up the first time you did it
    I spent all I had to get it back, and now it seems I've been outbidded

    My peace and quiet was stolen from me
    When I was looking with calm affection
    You were searching out my imperfections

    What wasted unconditional love
    On somebody
    Who doesn't believe in the stuff

    You came upon me like a hypnic jerk
    When I was just about settled
    And when it counts you recoil
    With a cryptic word and leave a love belittled

    Oh what a cold and common old way to go
    I was feeding on the need for you to know me
    Devastated at the rate you fell below me

    What wasted unconditional love
    On somebody
    Who doesn't believe in the stuff

    Oh, well
    Flag susiestentoron October 08, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:i love how she just breathes out ...'oh well'..

    who can't relate to that?
    Flag tunebabyon September 25, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:"the stuff" is the unconditional love. Calling it "stuff" trivializes it as the man in the story seems to.

    My favorite line is the same one. ""When i was looking with calm affection / You were searching out my imperfections"
    Flag LoserNo1on August 20, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:"the stuff" is the unconditional love. Calling it "stuff" trivializes it as the man in the story seems to.

    My favorite line is the same one. ""When i was looking with calm affection / You were searching out my imperfections"
    Flag LoserNo1on August 20, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:she doesn't say life, she says stuff both times.
    Flag painted_faces_frownon July 28, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:What a great song.
    Flag omnivoreronon June 18, 2007   Link

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