You're not bloody swab paradise
You're golden stars licked to stick
A world with frogs and magic tricks
Floating logs and scissor kicks
And lemonade and sweaty sex
Hug me like I gave you checks
You kiss me like the upper crust
Tell me things to make me blush
Champagne bottle
Bon voyage
A souvenir garage
A melody to make me smile
Not that you've been gone a while
A purple medal eighth place
Backlit in a trophy case
Sign that says "For little Ace"
Supportive like an ankle brace
Not bloody cotton swabs and lies
Stolen checks and empty eyes
You're a county fair in July
Canadian field of wild rye
You kiss me like potted plants
Bite me like fire ants
Touch me like an old stamp
Olive oil and seven lamps
Not stolen cash I'll pay you back
Bloody paradise attack
Your Sunday at the puppy track
Time to take the long way back
Sweet as the apple of Peru
The inklings of the Eastern Sioux
Not bloody cotton swabs and lies
Stolen checks and empty eyes
But rather

You are the blood
Flowing through my fingers
[That's what I meant to say
Blood in my fingertips
I couldn't tell you that it's the other way]
All through the soil and up in those trees
[You are the blood that I may see you
That I see you
You're the blood in me
You're on earth though]

Girl you wake me to the smell of butter
Sunlight shone through wooden shutters
Naked sex and cuffed breast
Early morning back to test
Pouring rain and rubber suit
Cotton socks and rubber boots
I sprint across the parking lot
Cause that day we were unprepared
Dried our socks and on the stairs
Sound of rain is rain in gutters
Lightning seven seconds thunder
A mild snack late evening hunger
DVDs and VCRs
Fish tanks and jelly jars
The storm passes the room ours
The summer times and you move
Safety belt in summer cars
Lightning bugs to die in jars
The air conditioner saving grace
Grass stains and flushed face
Refreshing like a glass of milk
Your shaven legs were like silk
You kiss me like a bon voyage
A secret souvenir collage
Overalls and water parks
T-tops and baby sharks
Dragon rolls and frozen juice
Making out in photo booths
A lovely Saturday night alone
Full of films and baking pies
Not cotton swabs and bloody lies
I'll pay you back in plastic eyes

You are the blood
Flowing through my fingers
All through the soil
Through those trees



Lyrics submitted by mctaggey


Blood Pt 2 song meanings
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13 Comments

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  • +1
    My Interpretation:The first verse is about disproving the stereotype of people who are HIV positive. Someone he loves, probably a girlfriend, is *not* a drug addict or a prostitute: "Not bloody cotton swabs and lies
    Stolen checks and empty eyes". Instead she's all of the beautiful things that he loves about life, eg. "You're a county fair in July, Canadian field of wild rye".
    The second verse is a continuation of that, possibly remembering her after she passed.
    Flag iconicplatonicon January 01, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I'm not sure that I totally agree with any of the interpretations posted so far. I think its been written in retrospect looking back over the now defunct relationship with a whole new appreciation of what was there and not acknowledged. It talks about what the woman meant (she appears to be just a very average normal woman but deeply loved) and what the treatment she received and didn't deserve, "Olive oil and seven lamps, not stolen cash, I'll pay you back, bloody paradise attack. You're Sunday at the puppy track"...."You are the blood
    Flowing through my fingers [That's what I meant to say, blood in my fingertips. I couldn't tell you that it's the other way]"

    Maybe the author suffered from an addiction an that's where the cotton swabs and bloody paradise comes in. "Not cotton swabs and bloody lies. I'll pay you back in plastic eyes" is inspired stuff.
    Flag Optimashon September 16, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:just all the things that make you love someone. it doesn't have to make sense to us
    Flag elec_trickon May 23, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:I agree with chelita83 however i dont see this as a sad song about the girl leaving or dying. I think he's just trying to say that she is his escape from his past life of drug abuse. She is loving and supportive and fun and perfect, and nothing like the "bloody cotton swabs and lies, Stolen checks and empty eyes" that haunt him.
    Flag foofarooon March 14, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:What did buck 65 do in this song? Mix it?

    Isn't Serengeti rapping and isn't the other vocal part sufjan?

    I don't know what the song means, but every time I listen to it I wish it would go on longer.
    It's kind of, I guess, to me, this dark train of thought love song. Just this stream of consciousness about this girl.

    I didn't think about the AIDS thing.
    Flag theseaoceanon November 23, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:i love the way the lines "you kiss me like potted plants, bite me like fire ants" sound. anyone have any idea what they could mean?
    Flag elec_trickon July 27, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:'checks' should be 'cheques'
    Flag ASatisfiedMindon June 04, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This seems to me to be more about addiction (probably heroin, since there's a lot of references to injections, blood, cotton swabs, etc). I say addiction and not AIDS because he's also talking about stolen checks, lies, and empty eyes, all phenomenon that accompany an addict. But there are also good memories together, since addicts are often two people: the person you love(d), and the empty-eyed addict who lies and steals your things to get another fix.
    Flag chelita83on June 02, 2009   Link
  • -2
    General Comment:Dark Was the Night was an HIV benefit album. Sufjan doesn't have a solo version of this song either.
    Flag celiabedeliaon May 14, 2009   Link
  • -1
    General Comment:i dont think this song was written for an hiv album, the song on the Dark was the Night album is a cover of this song by Surfjan Stevens
    Flag Mondarison May 13, 2009   Link

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