Lyrics for Playing With Fire as interpreted by staywhatyouare2

Playing With Fire Lyrics
Pardon me for saying so
But you look more pitiful
Than I had ever imagined
Despite perfect fashion
And your photographs depict you so differently
I always thought you would be
Some sort of match for me

So let’s decide who can survive
Jumping feet and racing beats
Of hearts that don’t ever slow
Then I’ll write letters on white paper
Expressing my deep disappointment

Dripping where I stand
From my watery hands
Hoping to get past the open bedroom door
Where her clothes on the floor
Remind me of our conversation
The feeling of slight hesitation
To turn out the light

Fourteen days now (I'm not)
Since we started (I'm not hiding)
To complicate the situation (From this situation)
I’m not hiding (I'm not)
I’m just buying some time (I'm not hiding)
For us to find the back door (From this situation)

We will come out
When it’s safe for us
When it’s safe for us
When it’s safe for us
Us
For us
All

There’s nothing left to say (Don't believe me)
To excuse the way that I behaved (When I say it's over)
I still feel him
Gripping like a stain (By the time you're gone)
To this fabric (It's almost over)
Torn at every seam
Thrown away

I’m without regret
I will not forget
I’m without regret
I will not forget

Why should I take all the blame for all my mistakes? (I’m without regret)
You were there with every promise made to break (I will not forget)
When did you become the one without regret? (I’m without regret)
Kill me, burn me down, I swear I won’t forget (I will not forget)
When did you become the one without regret (Kill me, kill me)
Kill me, burn me down, I swear I won’t forget (Kill me, kill me)

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GrOoDmAn
07-22-2005

Rated 0 
this song is AMAZING! I can't wait to get "The Question" on August 2, it cant come soon enough!

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dnask8
07-25-2005

Rated 0 
I think it is about a person who is forced to decide between two people. He feels she is not choosing him so he is angry but left with questions "why not me? Why him?" She says tells him that he was a mistake and that she regrets being with him, however he doesn't have any regrets. He might have forgave her for all he mistakes but she can't ever forgive him for anything.

I don't really know. This is what I am getting so far from the song. There might be a religious side too but people on here freak out if the G or J words are ever mentioned in songs that they enjoy.

Jesuphobes.

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xmyheartxo5
08-15-2005

Rated 0 
this is my favorite song just because i love to listen to the whole thing to get to the ending of it. i love the ending. haha and it kind of reminds me of myspace because he's like "your photographs depict you so differently" like he's never seen this girl before just her pictures.

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socalmx17
09-17-2005

Rated 0 
My first impression was about a person whos girlfriend had cheated on him or while they were on a break or somthing.
"The feeling of slight hesitation
To turn out the light" hes hesitating to turn out the light perhaps maybe because she will pretend it is the other person?

"I still feel him
Gripping like a stain (By the time you're gone)
To this fabric"
The other guy has been here before and he knows that and cant get it out of his head like a stain.


"When did you become the one without regret?" maybe she doesnt feel guilty anymore about it and he cant let it go...

I dont know.. just some first impressions

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pnew
10-12-2005

Rated 0 
The song starts off after the relationship is over. He's either composing another one of his letters, a journal maybe, speaking to her in an awkward meeting, or merely thinking about it. The relationship headed south when they realized what they were doing didn't reflect the lack of love they had for each other. After all its easy to get physical with someone and push the fact that the two of you aren't the right person for each other under the rug. Slowly the guilt seeps into both people and the relationship is destroyed. This song is indeed awesome because it expresses emotions in a couple most don't ever feel

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westie720
01-26-2006

Rated 0 
The guitarist from emery said it's about sexual temptation, and being tempted by satan

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everglow16
02-22-2006

Rated 0 
it sound like it talks about the pain of being sexually impure

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ncastro
03-23-2006

Rated 0 
the thing with the picture, from exp. after my x left for some guy...i saw recent pictures of her and she looked pitiful (a "slut") despite she was dressed nicely (pefect fashion)...some sort of match for me? well yeah, love makes us think she's the one. letters on white paper? poems, lyrics, stories, or just a journal....are things we do after a break up

i agree about the sexual temptation, "hoping to get past the bed room door, with her clothes on the floor...feeling slight hesitation to turn out the light..."

I love the ending, its like she's moved on, but he's left with all the shame and regret and now he's mad about it and will never forget...."I swear i wont forget"

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St3wi3Griffin
06-13-2006

Rated 0 
i agree with this being about sexual temptation, this song to me also relates to fractions...my personal favorite song from emery

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purpleducky
08-25-2006

Rated 0 
...sexual temptation seems to be just a small part if this song :S...the rest of it has to do with the acutal relationship between two people...

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isaiah4031
12-08-2006

Rated +1 
Here's my take on the song. I think it is about a relationship that has gone too far sexually, and the boy has asked the two to take a break to think about things for awhile. It begins with him reflecting on the relationship (looking at pictures, writing about disappointment).

"Dripping where I stand
From my watery hands
Hoping to get past the open bedroom door
Where her clothes on the floor
Remind me of our conversation
The feeling of slight hesitation
To turn out the light"

This part makes me think they have had sex with one another. Afterwards, he took a shower, which could be symbolic of trying to wash off the guilt he feels.

"Fourteen days now (I'm not)
Since we started (I'm not hiding)
To complicate the situation (From this situation)
I’m not hiding (I'm not)
I’m just buying some time (I'm not hiding)
For us to find the back door (From this situation)"

It has been 14 days in the relationship since they began to have sex with one another, and he wants to take a break to find the metaphorical "back door" out of this situation. He doesn't seem to want the relationship to be over, but he knows the sexual impurity is wrong. At the same time, he seems to be defending this decision, when he states that he is not hiding. He wants to face the issue and overcome, but doesn't know if he can.

"There’s nothing left to say (Don't believe me)
To excuse the way that I behaved (When I say it's over)
I still feel him
Gripping like a stain (By the time you're gone)
To this fabric (It's almost over)
Torn at every seam
Thrown away"

He can't rationalize the behavior he has engaged in, and he doesn't want to even try. I think the "Him" in this section is Satan.

"Why should I take all the blame for all my mistakes? (I’m without regret)
You were there with every promise made to break (I will not forget)
When did you become the one without regret? (I’m without regret)
Kill me, burn me down, I swear I won’t forget (I will not forget)
When did you become the one without regret (Kill me, kill me)
Kill me, burn me down, I swear I won’t forget (Kill me, kill me)"

At the end of the song, he seems to be expressing anger towards the girl for not feeling guilty. He doesn't understand how she cannot feel regretful for the choice they both made to engage in premarital sex. In the end, he seems to realize that they cannot be together anymore because they wouldn't be able to overcome this sin, especially if she doesn't feel convicted about it.

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1 Reply
zambesi
12-13-2006

Rated 0 
Isaiah4031, you took the words right out of my mouth. Perfect interpretation :) good work.

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loveisfiction
01-31-2007

Rated 0 
"Pardon me for saying so, but you look more pitiful
Than I had ever imagined, despite perfect fashion
And your photographs depict you so differently
I always thought you would be, Some sort of match for me."

I think this happens to a lot of us, who look at someone without really knowing themmuch beforehand and imagine that they may be perfect for us, but usually the image can be a facade, and they are totally different than what you imagined.

"So let’s decide who can survive
Stomping feet and racing beats
Of hearts that don’t ever slower."

Being caught up in the moment.

"Then I’ll write letters on white paper
Expressing my deep disappointment."

I think the note of 'white paper' signifies purity and he is writing his disappointment,his mistakes on it. A way of expressing his regret as well as symbolizing that a mark has been left on said purity.

"Dripping where I stand
From my watery hands."

He takes a shower hoping to wash away the guilt of what he's just done.

"Hoping to get past the open bedroom door
Where her clothes on the floor
Remind me of our conversation
The feeling of slight hesitation
To turn out the light."

Urges to turn off the light/ignore what has just happened.

"Fourteen days now aince we started
To complicate the situation."

It's been fourteen days and the complication only grows.

"I’m not hiding, I’m just buying some time.
For us to find the back door (From this situation)."

Perhaps he hasn't spoken to her much since, caught in the disappointment of his situation, trying to find a way out.

"There’s nothing left to say
To excuse the way that I behaved.
I still feel him gripping like a stain
To this fabric
Torn at every seam
Thrown away"

Satan.

"Why should I take all the blame for all my mistakes? (I’m without regret)
You were there with every promise made to break (I will not forget)
When did you become the one without regret? (I’m without regret)
Kill me, burn me down, I swear I won’t forget (I will not forget)
When did you become the one without regret (Kill me, kill me)
Kill me, burn me down, I swear I won’t forget (Kill me, kill me)."

I think he is having such a hard time with what has happened and she is not finding it to be such a deal. He finds it hard to deal with her carelessness, and ultimately I think only time will heal.

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hurricanemadi
05-14-2007

Rated 0 
this song reminds me of a girls point of view from a sexual experience she regrets.

"Why should I take all the blame for all my mistakes?
You were there with every promise made to break
When did you become the one without regret?
Kill me, burn me down, I swear I won't forget"

like this person participates in this sinful act and it hurt the singer that they dont even care when its tearing them apart...


SUCH AN AMAZING SONG

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the all knowing
07-15-2007

Rated 0 
i think you guys are way wrong about the meaning of this song no offense but its obviously about jesus and the lyrics are "you are the one without regret" but anyhoo as for the meaning and breaking it down when its says "I still feel him Gripping like a stain To this fabric Torn at every seam Thrown away"its talking about jesus like his blood (him) forever stuck on the cloak thing he wore b4 he was crucified and the "torn at every seam" part is refering to when the roman soldiers gambled for his clothes and the divided them at the seams. and as far as the "Kill me, burn me down, I swear I won’t forget (I will not forget)" part that is like the picture of persecution and that cristians should be willing to die for their faith and take note to the part"burn me down" that is refering to when cristians were burned at the stake in like the time of Nero and as far as some of the other parts im not 100% sure but i do know who ever posted the lyrics for this song didnt read the booklet of lyrics that came with the cd because whats up here is so far from what the song acctually says its not even funny

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nikolioli
07-19-2007

Rated 0 
Ok guys, just cuz they are a Christian band doesn't mean every song they do is about God...in fact, many of them may not be. I'm a Youth Pastor so it's not like I don't want them to be about God, it's just sometimes they aren't.....anyway, yea, I totally agree with isaiah, GREAT interp...although I would like to add that maybe they had a sexually impure relationship and then because of guilt, regret, other problems etc etc they broke up and now he is mad at her because she has moved on and does not feel any remorse for their impurity in that relationship. Just a thought.

Great song tho, the acoustic version makes me cry :)

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MissBehavin
07-23-2007

Rated 0 
I had a discussion with my brother about this... I believe that it's starting out with a guy and a girl who are arguing. Then they end up sleeping together. The guy wakes up and realizes what happened, and remembers how he was hesitant to turn out the light. the chorus is remembering back to when it happened, "fourteen days now, since we started to complicate the situation..". then.. I don't know, she gets pregnant? she blames him for everything and takes no responsibility for her actions, so the ending is him talking to her, saying: "why should I take all the blame for my mistakes? you were there with every promise made to break. when did you become the one without regret?"

that's my take.

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xnancyxdrewx
04-13-2008

Rated 0 
i def. agree w/ the sexual temptation theme. however, my first impression of the song was that the relationship it was depicing was that of an illicit affair.

"I'm not hiding, I'm just buying some time for us to find the back door. We will come out when it's safe for us."

They're hiding their relationship from this lady's husband (or other lover, w/e), and the rest of the song is just that empty, frustrated, guilty feeling that results from something birthed in lust.

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jakewillis92
06-26-2008

Rated 0 
i agree with isiah... i think its about how Satan can use premarital sex to ruin a relationship.

thats what i love about emery: they're not afraid of issues like this even tho they are a "christian band". that doesnt mean they cant talk about this kind of stuff, i love the way they use their songs to show how sin can ruin you... its an intresting and unique ministry :)

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trizzo7
05-11-2009

Rated 0 
This song rocks so much live its not funny!!! =DDD
I really love the intro bit and first bit of the verse the most. Its a really touching song coz i;ve felt that way wondering about a girl im friends with and working through how i feel about her and whether its right... its just an amazing song where you can feel the situation Matt (guitars/ often times song writer) or whoever wrote it was in at the time.
=D top shizz

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jasonmichael0509
06-15-2009

Rated 0 
I honestly won't read all the posts. i listened to this today again and it hit me so hard.

this is about a guy who's girlfriend has a sexual past...he tried to make it work but cannot get over it. i think he gave into sexual temptation but not complete sexual intercourse. they talked about boundaries but he's tempted to ignore them, knowing she will also. he knows it's wrong to be in this destructive relationship but doesn't want to tell her it's because of her sexual temptation and past. he struggles with his feelings of guilt and regret...and her apparent lack of regret and guilt.

this is my interpretation....mostly from personal experience, but it all seems to fit. imo

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Brandnewftw
10-01-2009

Rated 0 
I just recently found an interview with the guitarist. And I think this is an interesting find:

I especially like "Playing With Fire". Is there any story behind that?

Devin wrote the lyrics, and he would be much better to ask than me, but I do know that that song is about meeting the devil.

I don't understand how this ties in with the song, but this is very interesting.
Link to interview: http://www.absolutepunk.net./showthread.php?t=82520

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malbrough
10-30-2009

Rated 0 
From inside of CD cover reads "Where were you when I was ____"
Hence, the album's name "The Question"

Where were you when I was playing with fire?

I think he saying she was right there with him making the mistake, she should stop acting so rightous and denying responsibility for any damage caused by their actions.

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