I think I saw you riding in a car,
You looked happy for a woman
Black fingers in your mouth and a white,
And a white pearl choker.

My head plays it over and over,
Don't interrupt me.
I think I saw you reaching for a glass,
With your lanky white arms,
Nothing else moves that way, are you kidding me?
My head plays it over and over,
Don't interrupt me.

All dolled-up in straps, all colored in
Now, love, where have you been?
Dolled-up in straps, all colored in
Now, love, where have you been?
Where have you been?

I think I saw you walking in the city,
Hips like boy's,
The sun fell behind you and never stood up.
My head plays it over and over.
I think I heard you singing,
'Oh poor sky, don't cry on me
Did somebody break your heart again?
Oh poor sky, don't cry on me
Are you gonna fall apart again?'
My head plays it over and over.

All dolled-up in straps, all colored in
Now, love, where have you been?
Dolled-up in straps, all colored in
Now, love, where have you been?
Where have you been?

Oh poor sky, don't cry on me
Did somebody break your heart again?
Oh poor sky, don't cry on me
Did somebody break your heart again?
Oh poor sky, don't cry on me
Are you gonna fall apart again?
Oh poor sky, don't cry on me
Are you gonna fall apart again?


Lyrics submitted by Snowblind, edited by Mellow_Harsher

All Dolled-Up in Straps Lyrics as written by Matthew D. Berninger Bryce Dessner

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management

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All Dolled-Up in Straps song meanings
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19 Comments

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  • +4
    General Comment

    I personally think this song is about seeing someone you used to love all grown up, and falling in love with them all over again, seems alot more innocent then alot of the previous posts but suits the tone of the song

    wasted202on April 29, 2011   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    i agree with starmand, he seems over protective, and its quite straight forward in lyrics terms, he has just seen this girl who hes been obsessed with, and with the bit with the clouds, he still feels she needs someone to look after her. also love the faint electric guitar on chorus, beautiful....

    James?oon March 18, 2008   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I think there is a deeper/darker meaning to this song. The main character is obsessed with the woman, and may have been stalking her. There are several clues to the depth of the obsession..he relates several sightings of her and that his "head plays it over and over". When he throws out "don't interrupt me" several times, it made me think there might be more to the "dolled up in straps / all colored in" phrase. Perhaps he's insanely jelous and obsessed, and has actually kidnapped her. He then tells her of seeing her several times, admonishes her to not interrupt her. He points out that she is all dolled up in straps, all colored in, and asks where she's been. Perhaps she is bound up with straps, beaten or tortured in some way (all colored in?), while he questions where she has been, and tells her not to interrupt her. This may be a very dark song indeed!

    muzik2deepon October 05, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    She walks in with a suspicious article of clothing -- straps; as you'd see in a good bondage porn. She's dolled up, wearing make up. She's just been out fucking and is red in the face from the intensity. she's colored in, she's blushing. She's guilty. He knows it, because he's seen her walking in the city -- she's quite skinny to have hips like a boy's. The sun fell behind her and didn't stand up -- she stayed out all night. To me the girl could be either cheating on him, or she could be on drugs, sneaking around. straps possibly referring to a tourniquet as you'd see with intravenous drug use. he asks her, "love, where have you been," which does not completely give it away, but whatever he means sounds intentionally dirty! gotta love this one.

    peterserpenton September 03, 2008   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I think the straps are referring to garters...she's been cheating on him, he saw her out with the guy, and now she's come home after being with the guy and her cheeks are still flushed from the sex.

    YouKnowStuffon March 30, 2009   Link
  • +1
    My Interpretation

    Breakfast at Tiffany’s. That’s what I come up with for the the white pearls and black fingers, looking happy. Though it’s hard to understand a man’s point of view. I can only ever visualize straps as strapping something in. Such as a tarp or a suitcase. Inside is turmoil and chaos being held in but not completely because the bulging of things inside can be seen around those straps. Coloring one’s self in to try to ignore and hide that chaos which makes the skin feel too thin to contain and the veins feel as though they should burst and let it all out into the universe. To distract one’s self from the disconnect of this world and the man she tries to achieve that connection with but who cannot bridge the gap, sadly, still goes out seeking someone who could help fill that gap but is always left with nothing more, thus being perpetually empty, broken hearted and falling apart again. This and “You’ve Done It Again Virginia” fall very closely in line to this interpretation. Again, a female trying to interpret a man’s lyrics. But that is the beauty of music is that it means what it means to each of us as an individual.

    Sayhirachel on April 09, 2018   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    On first thoughts. Probably about accidentally bumping into somebody who used to be dependent of the main character.

    SuperSistaon January 20, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Sounds like a guy confronting his girlfriend about how he thinks she's cheating on him to me.

    starmandon August 22, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I can't believe it took me this long to hear Cherry Tree. This song, and most of the others on the EP, is fucking amazing.

    Penguincubuson March 15, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    This song... oh lawd... it is amazing

    Dr Aculaon May 25, 2008   Link

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