You have tamed me
Now you must take me
How am I supposed to be?
I don't have my thorns now

And I feel them sprouting
They'll grow right through if I don't watch it
They'll grow through even if I watch it
And a sunset couldn't save me now

These baobabs, and baobabs
And baobabs some more
But you cant out-wait fate

You have tamed me
Now you must take me
T-ta t-t-ta t-t-t-ta

And I wouldn't raise my child inside the city anyway
They grow up too savvy and they grow up too fast.
And they know about buying shit and they know about sex
And they know about investment banking and also about brokerage firms
And the know about the numbers and they know about the words
And they know about the bottom lines and also about stones
And they know about careers and about the real deals
And they all grow up and be come people's people with people skills.

You have tamed
Now you must take me
How am I supposed to be?
I don't have my thorns now

You have tamed me
Now you must take me
How am I supposed to be?
I don't have my thorns



Lyrics submitted by zoolah

Track duration: 02:02

"Baobabs [*]" as written by Regina Spektor

Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Baobabs song meanings
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31 Comments

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  • +2
    My Opinion:I think this is my favorite Regina song the first time I heard it I remember feeling like my life had changed I have listened to this song over 75 times on my itunes. I've never read The Little Prince but to me this song is about how you meet someone and fallen in love and you lose the the wall that you put up so you become "tamed". now things aren't working out she is saying that now that you have gotten me to let down my walls you have to stay with me. She is thinking that now that she let her guard down what is she suppose to do. Now after a awhile she is saying how she didn't really want to be with him any way but that's a lie
    Flag jojojeton March 04, 2011   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:Well my first thought on it was that the person is talking about how she's gotten into a relationship, let her guard down, has no more thorns.

    A woman who decided she never wanted children but because she has been conditioned into this conventional love/life/family thing from this relationship, her mind is wavering on the thought. She has no thorns left (reasons not to have children, reasons to disagree) - somewhat a fight between a persons feelings and pa past decisions.

    She continues to say "I wouldn't raise my child in the city anyway" ect. all the bad things. But during this period she is unsure of whether or not children are the right choice for her.

    I can see it from many different ways but I guess this is the one I most relate to.
    Flag WriteITon November 19, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think of this as a song in which a grown woman tries to find meaning in the story (LPP) she's known her whole life. The beginning is fairly cynical about it, as mentioned in previous comments: "they'll grow right through even if I watch it/and a sunset couldn't save me now."

    Then the middle bit is where she admits that innocence and childhood is important: "I wouldn't raise my child up in this city anyway/they grow up too savvy and they grow up too fast."

    In the end, I think it's about finding that you're too far gone to be the innocent person you're supposed to be, but wanting to preserve it in others. Very "Catcher in the Rye," really.
    Flag Artemis17on August 20, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Clearly based on the ideas of "The Little Prince," but with a little twist, putting things from the perspective of the rose.

    The Rose has been tamed. She's let down her guard, and let herself be loved. But now her protective thorns are gone, and she's not used to the sense of vulnerability and openness involved in love. She can't put up a front to defend herself anymore. The Prince has to protect her now, because he's now responsible for her. She has to know that she can trust him, otherwise she'll never be able to open up again (and her thorns will return stronger than ever).

    The middle bit about the city shows us the Rose's past. She's learned to be hard because she saw the evil ways of the world. This love is an escape for her. But it's still dangerous. A beautiful sunset (a kiss, declarations of love) can't really save her from the baobaobs (the cold, cruel world).

    In the end, the Rose gives in to the Prince and opens up, in spite of her fears that he will abandon her.
    Flag TheAwkwardSwanon October 24, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Can someone help me with this? before i read the lyrics, i assumed that

    "How am I supposed to be?
    I don't have my thorns now"
    was
    "how am I supposed to be
    adorned in my thorns now"

    it seems to make more gramatical sense, and i still cant hear the song without thinking that those are the right lyrics. anyone else?
    Flag rys2003on September 09, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:i love the book, i love the song. ahh =]
    Flag ur-dream_my-miseryon February 17, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:since i never read The Little Prince, all I could think about was Torey Haydens Book: One Child. the book is refrenced in that book.
    Flag morikahjoon September 27, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:actually this always made me think of the taming of the shrew :/ I've never read that french book but you're assumptions seem pretty accurate. Plus, my conclusion derives solely from the chorus. I'll have to read this other book :]
    Flag mnemonicrhymeon April 17, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I love the reference to the little prince thing.

    But when I hear this song I think of the man who changed me. When we met I was the person who in the song was raised in the city. And he being from a small town changed me drastically, well because he moved on and back to the small town. And even though I said I would never leave this city in a million years, I will.

    To me it’s about how you’re willing to change what you know and grew up around for somebody else, because even though it shaped you to be that “thorny” person, you got rid of them (the thorns). But when they leave you (the lover); you’re like, “No!” you changed who I was, you altered me, and you did this to me… the feeling does become; now you must take me. And you become angry and the thorns start to grow back wether you like it or not.

    Yeah it’s a pretty personal scenario but that’s what comes across to me. The same way the song ends with, “How am I supposed to be? I don't have my thorns.” You’re left feeling lost and unsure of how you’ll go on. And yet at the same time in conjunction with the beat of the song, you feel relieved that that person did change you.
    Flag sophiacloveeon February 13, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think baobabs are a metaphor for anything that could threaten to tear their lives apart (just as the baobabs on the Little Prince's planet would do if they were allowed to grow big enough).

    That is why she says 'they'll grow through even if I watch it' and 'you can't out-wait fate' - because even though she has chosen to love this person, there will always be things that life throws at them that they are powerless against and that could change their love.
    Flag undercoveron January 12, 2008   Link

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