Does Not Suffice

Without a doubt about a dissatisfying relationship... I just listened to this song for the first time, and thought that I should note the short instrumental at the end of the song--it reminds me of Native American, traditional Chinese, and Venetian music between 5:20 and 5:40. I doubt this was intentional, but just looking into the symbolism of it is interesting. The Native American aspect seems to tell me that the story she speaks of will go down in history for her, almost as a myth. It also tells me that something beautiful and peaceful can easily be 'raped', for lack of a better word, by an experience that deprives one party for the sake of the other, more powerful party flourishing. The Chinese element of the song speaks to me in the sense of tradition, which is commonly associated with feeling emotional or physical pain to feel accepted. (this is, of course, important to look at from the metaphoric perspective of a relationship). The Venetian music also speaks to me on the level of tradition, but moreso on the level of masking part of yourself. People in masks often wear them not only for decoration, but also sometimes because they are self-conscious or cannot accept a certain part of themselves for what it is. She may have been 'masking' part of herself or part of the relationship because it did not fulfill her.

Wow, all that from the impression that 20 seconds of a song gave me at first listen. Once again, I don't think this was intentional at all... it's just another aspect of the song to take into account.

I actually sort of think this song might have been written as a response to Smog's "All Your Women Things." In the song, Bill Callahan (Joanna's ex) is describing all the womanly clothes left strewn around his room. He goes on to sing about missing the person who left. "Why couldn't I have loved you This tenderly When you were here In the flesh So tenderly." The lyrics to this song just seem like an interesting counterpoint that has Joanna picking up all her clothes and leaving him to be with himself.

I'm fascinated by how she quotes herself from songs earlier in the album -- like "Of how easy I was not" referring back to "Easy," the "bales" and "burn" pointing back to "No Provenance," and the La-la's at the end quoting the melody from "In California." This feels like a fitting way to end the album, with her stating why she's closing the door on this relationship, even as she regrets it in many ways.

And I can't help hearing the "In California" La-la's at the end as a reminder, with all the caveats present in that song ("But when you come and see me, in California, you cross the border of my heart."), about where she can be found if he ever changes his mind.

My favorite lyrical moment in this song doesn't even have words - it's the very end of the song. Something about that music perfectly conveys the feeling of everything changing.

So beautiful!

I think it's about a relationship that has ended and the characters possibly lived together, hence the whole packing of the clothes thing...especially with the whole 'everything that could remind you of how easy i was not' sort of as if her clothes were still there, he would constantly be reminded of how bad things had become between them.

'You saw me rise to our occasion And so deny the evidence 'Caused me to burn and twist and grimace against you Like something caught on a barbed wire fence'

I think at this part and onwards it's the narrator going through what happened when they actually broke up, this particular part makes me think she didnt want to, that she fought the decision as much as she could which is then carried on with the whole 'it does not suffice to say..' meaning she wanted a lot more than when she got by the end of it.

The last 2 verses are so well written in theme with the rest of the song, it seems as if the narrator is under the impression that her lover just gets on with things whilst she is obsessing over them and that everything that was once theirs together is now just his, which is exactly what happens when a relationship ends.

this song is amazing, but so painful to listen to. it's clearly a heartbreak, because after i hear it i cringe and feel heartbroken. yet, it feels hopeful in a sense- so the contrast of sadness and being full of promise makes it even harder.

Stunning...

I hold this up with 'Sadie' as one of my all-time faves. It's beyond beautiful and melancholy.

"And everywhere I tried to love you Is yours again and only yours"

I mean..... holy holy holy. How else can you say it better?

youtube.com/watch