I have such a envy for this stranger lying next to me
Who awakes in the night and slips out into the pre-dawn light
With no words, a clean escape, no promises or messes made
And chalks it all up to mistake, mistake, mistake

And there are no tears
Just pity and fear
No vast ravine
Right in between

A storm at sea the bow cracked and I was capsizing
And I sunk below where I swore I would never go
If you can't stand in place you can't tell there's walking away
From who remains, who stays, who stays, who stays

And there are no tears
Just pity and fear
No vast ravine
Right in between

Spare no tears
Just pity and fear
And I recall
The push more than the fall
The push more than the fall



Lyrics submitted by TDDx8

Track duration: 04:21

"Pity and Fear" as written by Benjamin Gibbard

Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Pity and Fear song meanings
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34 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:The tape recording machine broke while they were recording it.

    They liked how it sounded so much they kept it in.
    Flag renegade0on May 19, 2011   Link
  • 0
    Song Meaning:Here's the top of the climax in the concept of Narrow Stairs.

    Our character finally accepts it. He finally sees what he didn't so long ago. He realizes his mistake, and goes where he said he wouldn't go. He isn't sad about it. He just feels sorry for himself and is afraid of returning to the life he once lived. And finally, their relationship cracks and everything falls apart.

    See the last song for the closing of our character's story.
    Flag cgreene32on May 09, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:while sonically lovely, really depressing song lyrically... so glad to be past that crap... when I was younger I would have related much better, but now being happily married for 12 years, just about to turn 48 and first baby about to be born... circumstances could not be more different. Whew!
    Flag slyborgon March 12, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Hahahahahahahahahahah. This has got to be a joke.
    Flag Enitsujon March 23, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:Pretty obvious IMO. This song is about having an inebriated one night stand with a woman and then wetting the bed with her still in it. A ravine is a narrow steep-sided valley commonly eroded by running water (urine), so the woman must have been rather heavy to contort the bed into such an extreme fashion. He is envious of her because she can easily cleanse herself with a shower or bath, whereas he must live (at least in the short term) with the embarrassment and shame resulting from his lack of bladder control. The clean escape implies she took off before he woke up and realized what he had done, thus avoiding an awkward situation. There are no tears when he wakes up because he is so dehydrated from the previous night's debauchery, but there is pity for himself and fear that if this whale of a woman opens her mouth about this, then homeboy is finished.

    I'm glad to see that DCFC is starting to branch out musically and test new waters.
    Flag Midnight_Cowboyon January 04, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I love this track... I can't help but think he's speaking literally here.

    Picked up someone when he shouldn't.

    A storm at sea, bow cracked and I was capsizing
    I sunk below where I swore I would never go

    This tells me he is in a rocky relationship and cheated, but wished he hadn't.
    Flag shockdelicaon December 29, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:The abrupt ending is neither here nor there for me. It's the right next-to-last track despite how it ends. I can relate, wanting not to feel for certain people we choose to spend the night with, for whatever reason that seemed right at the time.

    Pity and fear are probably the two most disparaging emotions we can possibly feel, especially for someone we could have loved (made love with).

    "The vast ravine" line is my favorite.

    "When you look into an abyss, the abyss also looks into you..."
    Flag davidecoyoteon October 11, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Yes, the fact that we're talking about the abrupt ending and how it doesn't sit right with the next song makes it "brilliant."

    That doesn't negate how terrible it sounds to the ears. It's so overpowering that sometimes, the ending is the only part I can remember. And, they're not the first band to employ this. I've heard better. I still like the song though.

    In fact, I used to be a Death Cab doubter and Postal Service lover, but this song and Cath have changed my mind.
    Flag depimpon September 17, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:i agree, fucking brilliance.

    this guy was left. someone snuck out on him before dawn. he's finished, it isn't a nice ending to what they had, so the song CAN'T have a nice ending, or the lyrics and music would be contradictory.
    Flag jbeeon August 09, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:i found it interesting comparing the abrupt ending of this song to the one in "Silence", the first song on Portishead's new album, "Third", which was released 2 weeks ahead of Narrow Stairs. No offence to DCFC fans (for I am one myself) but I would say that Portishead used the sudden ending with much more artistic connotation. IMHO Pity and Fear would sound better fading out.
    Flag kornyponyon August 03, 2008   Link

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