In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
Don't act like you can't act
I always think you do it
You better learn to shake hands
Treat me like your mother
Don't act like you can't act
Stand up like a man
You better learn to shake hands
And treat me like your mother
You came up, too late
You came up, too late now
You came up, too late
To do a thing
Come on look me in the eye
You wanna try to tell a lie
I'll bet you can't and you know why?
I'm just like your mother
Look me in the eye now
You wanna try to tell a lie
You can't and you know why?
I'm just like your mother
You came up, too late
You came up, too late now
You came up, too late
Play dumb, play dead, play straight
Who's got it figured out?
(Play dumb, play dead, play straight)
Who's got it figured out? play straight
Time to manipulate
M-a-n-i-p-u-late
M-a-n-i-p-u-late
M-a-n-i-p-u-late
M-a-n-i-p-u-late
Am I too,
Am I late
Am I too
Am I late
Am I, am I, am I, am I,
Am I too
Late
Who's got it figured out
Left right, left right got it figured out
Who's got it figured out play straight
Stand up like a man
You better learn to shake hands
Look me in the eye now
And treat me like your mother
Come on, look me in the eye
You wanna try to tell a lie?
You can't and you know why?
I'm just like your mother
Play dumb, play dead
Tryin' to manipulate
You blink when you breathe and you breathe when you lie
You blink when you lie
You blink when you breathe and you breathe when you lie
You blink when you lie
You blink when you breathe and you breathe when you lie
You blink when you lie
Who's got it figured out
Left right, left right got it figured out
Who's got it figured out, play straight
Tryin' to manipulate
Who's got it figured out
(Left, left right) left right left right
Who's got it figured out, play straight
Tryin' to manipulate
You blink when you breathe and you breathe when you lie
You blink when you lie
Who's got it figured out, play straight
I always think you do it
You better learn to shake hands
Treat me like your mother
Don't act like you can't act
Stand up like a man
You better learn to shake hands
And treat me like your mother
You came up, too late
You came up, too late now
You came up, too late
To do a thing
Come on look me in the eye
You wanna try to tell a lie
I'll bet you can't and you know why?
I'm just like your mother
Look me in the eye now
You wanna try to tell a lie
You can't and you know why?
I'm just like your mother
You came up, too late
You came up, too late now
You came up, too late
Play dumb, play dead, play straight
Who's got it figured out?
(Play dumb, play dead, play straight)
Who's got it figured out? play straight
Time to manipulate
M-a-n-i-p-u-late
M-a-n-i-p-u-late
M-a-n-i-p-u-late
M-a-n-i-p-u-late
Am I too,
Am I late
Am I too
Am I late
Am I, am I, am I, am I,
Am I too
Late
Who's got it figured out
Left right, left right got it figured out
Who's got it figured out play straight
Stand up like a man
You better learn to shake hands
Look me in the eye now
And treat me like your mother
Come on, look me in the eye
You wanna try to tell a lie?
You can't and you know why?
I'm just like your mother
Play dumb, play dead
Tryin' to manipulate
You blink when you breathe and you breathe when you lie
You blink when you lie
You blink when you breathe and you breathe when you lie
You blink when you lie
You blink when you breathe and you breathe when you lie
You blink when you lie
Who's got it figured out
Left right, left right got it figured out
Who's got it figured out, play straight
Tryin' to manipulate
Who's got it figured out
(Left, left right) left right left right
Who's got it figured out, play straight
Tryin' to manipulate
You blink when you breathe and you breathe when you lie
You blink when you lie
Who's got it figured out, play straight
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Ummm.... lol... it's "I'm just like your mother" not "I'm dressed like your mother." Takes the ewwwww factor down a notch, doesn't it?
woops. haha. just changed it. sorry bout that. yea, that makes it a bit less creepy.
It's probably significant that blinking and breathing are your two bodily functions that you can control consciously or unconsciously.
This is just a song about a couple at loggerheads. She wants him to stand up and be a man and treat her with respect, and he wants her to stop being a lying manipulative bitch. I know how he feels!
The blink when you breathe and you breathe when you lie bit is basically saying she lies all the time (we breathe all the time). It's just another way of saying the joke, "I know when you're lying, your lips move!"
Check out my spoof of the video... youtube.com/watch
I like how a this and "hang you from the heavens" both just sound like songs of hate and contempt between Jack White and Alison Mosshart. Both of these songs straight up frighten me.
Specifically it sounds like a girl that learned how to manipulate the guy: dress like, act like, and make reference to his mother. He can't lie or disrespect his mother, so when the girl acts like his mother, she can pretty much get him to do whatever she wants.
However, the guy has the girl figured out too. "you blink when you breath and you breath when you lie. You blink when you lie." So basically its just this standoff of two people who may or not be in a relationship that both know just how to manipulate the other. And neither of them are backing down.
Thats a pretty messed up concept.
lol Awesome. Manipulation.
i'm new to this lol. i LOVE this song!! I agree with LizardKingJM71 100%. The Dead Weather has to be one of my favorite bands, along with the kills, the raconteurs and of COURSE the white stripes :)
Well I say that because it seems like it's about how the girl figured the guy out and how he deserved to be confronted.
this song is fucking awesome the band is jack white - the white stripes and allisson mosshart - the kills , a guy from the rancouters and and a guy from queen of the stone age!
thedeadweather.com/treatmelikeyourmother/ Does this help anything?
i think this song is about Jacks ability to spot a lie. Jack is a cancer, cancers are the mothers of the zodiac, we can spot a lie a mile away and we get to know the people we love inside out, as a mother knows her children. can anyone here genuinely look their own mother in the eye, lie, and get away with it? no way! it's because your mother knows you, and you know she knows you, and when you lie to her you know you're lying and you know she knows you're lying and you know she knows you know etc. lol. i think its about how Jack is a good person and help the person (or people) you love to the death, as a mother would, but he can tell when someone's trying to pull the wool over his eyes. it's a hard concept to explain. Allison singing it takes on the role of the mother like lover, and jacks part takes on the dark side of that, how it might feel to be known so well, or have it assumed that you're known so well.
i <3 jack.
It's probably significant that blinking and breathing are your two bodily functions that you can control consciously or unconsciously.
I love the blink/breath/lie part! It's so catchy! This song is creepy/cool!