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You have to become what you fancy.
Paperback head, you get carried away.
Stitch up your spine to
Keep the suitors away.
Must draw your own aid.
Must sift your affairs.
Must frame up a material girl.
Wild fires, you must remit.
Can't stand the smoke, pull
The sheets down low,
Rope up your mind, keep
The suitors in line.
Must draw your own aid.
Must sift your affairs.
Must frame up a material girl.
A material girl.
I gasp, like sugar and spice
I gasp, like sugar and spice
Who better than you?
Better than you?
Who better than you?
Better than you?
Who better than you?
Better than you?
Who better than you?
Paperback head, you got carried away.
Stitch up your spine to
Keep the suitors away.
Can't stand the smoke, pull
The sheets down low,
Rope up your mind, keep
The suitors in line
Must draw your own aid.
Must sift your affairs.
Must frame up a material girl.
A material girl.
A material girl.
A material girl.
Paperback head, you get carried away.
Stitch up your spine to
Keep the suitors away.
Must draw your own aid.
Must sift your affairs.
Must frame up a material girl.
Wild fires, you must remit.
Can't stand the smoke, pull
The sheets down low,
Rope up your mind, keep
The suitors in line.
Must draw your own aid.
Must sift your affairs.
Must frame up a material girl.
A material girl.
I gasp, like sugar and spice
I gasp, like sugar and spice
Who better than you?
Better than you?
Who better than you?
Better than you?
Who better than you?
Better than you?
Who better than you?
Paperback head, you got carried away.
Stitch up your spine to
Keep the suitors away.
Can't stand the smoke, pull
The sheets down low,
Rope up your mind, keep
The suitors in line
Must draw your own aid.
Must sift your affairs.
Must frame up a material girl.
A material girl.
A material girl.
A material girl.
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That's the correct first line.
I liked what Divinesilence said about how it fitted with The Odyssey, I know they both have previously written songs relating to other literature, but I've never known them to be interested in Greek mythology. But what would I know. My interpretation didn't exactly connect with anything that I've heard them say or anything, except once when Tegan said “I think it’s good like…most girls look at magazines and just feel bad about themselves. Well Sara looks at magazines and is like, ‘I could get with her.’”, but I don't believe she said that in direct reference to this song. It's just that they never tend to wear make up unless it's for a video or an interview or whatever, so I imagined that's what the song was about. Just putting that out there. :)
The lyric is confirmed by the booklet and by time to be "You have to become what you fancy"
Also it's also got, with 'material girl', well - it's like they're saying it's unrealistic (to be a perfect person/material girl") and also that it's not necessarily the "right" thing to do- it's what the standard or cultural ideal is. Because material is what's also thought of as fake, not meaningful.
But that's if it's about their point of view (I think someone said Sara wrote it, but I've also heard they both wrote it too - so I've said they).
you've got to "stitch up your spine" -- get some backbone, don't let the others take advantage of you
it's about learning/growing independence from others, and becoming yourself. if that means singling yourself out from the rest of society, then so be it -- "pull the sheets down low"
Maybe this is a too literal interpretation but it's what it reminds me of.
Paperback head, you get carried away
Stitch up your spine, keep the suitors away
You must draw your own aid, must sift your affairs
Must frame up...a material girl
Sung as if a boy/girl who had suffered a break up, not a recent one. But they've been single, they've been autonomous, they've been this person who has been suffering this heart ache has started to heal but not so much that they're willing to give relationships another go. They are carried away within this persona of his or herself while holding this dual image people are perceiving. I imagine the material girl part to be an uglier picture one is painting of themselves to ward off attention or affection, in a means to sink further into isolationism.
I gasp like sugar and spice
I gasp like sugar and spice
The singer is still capable of being a girl, of having the reactions of a girl. The singer recognizes his or her own capability of being ideal. She is still this person, beyond the walls and barriers.
Who better than you? Better than you
Who better than you? Better than you
Who better than you? Better than you
Who better than you?
Who better for the singer to have than his or herself? Who would be good enough now? Who would the singer allow in now that the defenses have been built?
Or, at least, that's my interpretation.
"Stitch up your spine to keep the suitors away"
"Must draw your own aid, must sift your affairs."
Although it could be stretching it... I think this song could be about being famous.
They talk about a "paperback head" which could mean they are comparing themselves to books. Like books, they have a cover, a persona that they show to the world, yet they have private lives and private thoughts, which could be thought of as the inside of the book. They try to keep their private lives inside of them rather than letting the world see their true selves.
They say "stitch up your spine to keep the suitors away." They try to keep those fans that yell compliments at them, or throw bras at them, and so on, away because they could be in relationships, and this could definitely take a toll on a relationship, because there would always be jealousy and worry from the other person. Many artists in bands, I imagine, would have to deal with this, because it could be very easy for the person they are in a relationship with to become jealous of the many adoring fans.
The hardest line to grasp in this song is the last one. "I gasp, like sugar and spice, who better than you?" I think this line could possibly be saying, there are good things and bad things that come with being in a band, but what career would they rather have, or what better life could be better than the one they have now?
This is just simply the interpretation I got of it, I really love this song and it's been really difficult to put a meaning to it!