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(1)
Oh, woman, tell me what you want
And I'll calm down without bleeding out
With a broken heart that you stabbed for an hour
Woman, I was freaking out because I want you to know
My beloved, you are the lover of my impossible soul
Woman, too, promise me you'll stay and put off all your woes
I was wigging out, too much worry
I could not get you at all
And you said what you want, you would laugh it off
But I know you won't go, not for it at last
Must you write it off for the impossible soul?
And I was in a dream, I was gone away without you, but not too slow
Lest I put it off, for I put it right for the impossible soul
And all I couldn't sing, I would say it all, my life, to you
If I could get you at all
Don't be a wreck, trying to be something that I wasn't at all
Seems I got it wrong, I was chasing after something that was gone
To the black of night, now I know it's not what I wanted at all
And you said something like, "All you want is all the world for yourself"
But all I want is the perfect love
Though I know it's small, I want love for us all
And all I couldn't sing, I would say it all, my life, to you
If I could get you at all
Trying to be something that I wasn't at all
(2)
[Shara Worden]
Do you want to be afraid?
Do you want to be afraid?
For life in the cage where courage's mate runs deep in the wake
For the scariest things are not half as enslaved
Don't be distracted, don't be distracted
Do you want to be alone?
Do you want to be alone?
For life isn't stained of righteousness pain
The seed and the hail, all impossible flights for an interesting light
Don't be distracted, don't be distracted
Do you want to love me more?
Do you want to love me more?
For love is the breath
If water and wave is cursed by the same thing that nurtured its shame
Is it worth all the work?
Don't be distracted, don't be distracted
Have you failed to feel delight? (No, I don't want to feel pain)
Have you failed to feel delight? (No, I don't want to feel pain)
Instead of the life, lived tired and lost, have you left it at last
Where it floundered its death with the language of ghosts
Don't be distracted, don't be distracted
Do you want to be afraid? (No, I don't want to feel pain)
Do you want to be afraid? (No, I don't want to feel pain)
For life in the cage where where courage's mate runs deep in the wake
For the scariest things are not half as enslaved
Don't be distracted, don't be distracted
No . . . don't be distracted
(3)
Stupid man in the window, I couldn't be at rest
All my delight, all that mattered, I couldn't be at rest
From what I liked, from what I gathered, I couldn't be at rest
Stupid man in the window, I couldn't be at rest
And don't be shy in the window
Come down and give your best
Oh, delight in the window I couldn't be at rest
Stupid man in the window, I couldn't be at rest
From what I liked, from what I gathered, I couldn't give my best
Oh, I know it wasn't safe, it wasn't safe to breathe at all
Oh, I know it wasn't safe, it wasn't safe to breathe at all
Oh, I know it wasn't safe, it wasn't safe to breathe at all
Oh, I know it wasn't safe, it wasn't safe to speak at all
(4)
Hold on, Suf
Hold on, Suf
Hold on, Sufjan
1, 2 3, 4!
It's a long life, better pinch yourself,
Put your face together, better get it right
It's a long life, better hit yourself
Put your face together, better stand up straight
It's a long life, only one last chance
Couldn't get much better, do you wanna dance?
It's a long life, better pinch yourself
Get your face together, better stand up straight
Boy, we can do much more together
(Better get it right, get it right, get it right, get it right)
Boy, we can do much more together
(Better give love, give love, give love, give love)
Boy, we can do much more together,
(better get it right, get it right get it right, get it right)
Boy, we can do much more together it's not so impossible
It's not so impossible
It's a long life, better pinch yourself
Get your face together, better roll along
It's a long life, better pinch yourself
Put your face together, better stand up straight
It's a long life only one last chance
Couldn't get much better, do you wanna dance?
It's a good life, better pinch yourself
Is it impossible? Is it impossible?
Boy, we can do much more together
(Better get it right, get it right, get it right, get it right)
Boy, we can do much more together
(Better get a life, get a life, get a life, get a life)
Boy, we can do much more together
(Better get it right, get it right, get it right, get it right)
Boy we can do much more together, it's not so impossible
It's not so impossible
It's a long life, better pinch yourself
Put your face together, better get it right
It's a long life, better hit yourself
Put your face together, better stand up straight
In the wrong life, everything is chance
Does it register? Do you wanna dance?
In the right life, it's a miracle
Possibility, do you wanna dance?
Boy, we can do much more together
(Better get it right, get it right, get it right, get it right)
Boy, we can do much more together
(Better get a life, get a life, get a life, get a life)
Boy, we can do much more together
(Better get it right, get it right, get it right, get it right)
Boy, we can do much more together
It's not so impossible
Do you want to dance?
Boy, we can do much more together
It's not so impossible
(5)
I never meant to cause you pain
My burden is the weight of a feather
I never meant to lead you on
I only meant to please me, however
And then you tell me, boy, we can do much more
Boy, we can do much more
Boy, we can do much more together
Boy, we can do much more together
I'm nothing but a selfish man
I'm nothing but a privileged peddler
And did you think I'd stay the night?
And did you think I'd love you forever?
And then you tell me, boy, we can do much more
I got to tell you, girl, I want nothing less
Girl, I want nothing less
Girl, I want nothing less than pleasure
Girl, I want nothing less than pleasure
I got to tell you, boy, we made such a mess
Boy, we made such a mess
Boy, we made such a mess together
Boy, we made such a mess together
Oh, woman, tell me what you want
And I'll calm down without bleeding out
With a broken heart that you stabbed for an hour
Woman, I was freaking out because I want you to know
My beloved, you are the lover of my impossible soul
Woman, too, promise me you'll stay and put off all your woes
I was wigging out, too much worry
I could not get you at all
And you said what you want, you would laugh it off
But I know you won't go, not for it at last
Must you write it off for the impossible soul?
And I was in a dream, I was gone away without you, but not too slow
Lest I put it off, for I put it right for the impossible soul
And all I couldn't sing, I would say it all, my life, to you
If I could get you at all
Don't be a wreck, trying to be something that I wasn't at all
Seems I got it wrong, I was chasing after something that was gone
To the black of night, now I know it's not what I wanted at all
And you said something like, "All you want is all the world for yourself"
But all I want is the perfect love
Though I know it's small, I want love for us all
And all I couldn't sing, I would say it all, my life, to you
If I could get you at all
Trying to be something that I wasn't at all
(2)
[Shara Worden]
Do you want to be afraid?
Do you want to be afraid?
For life in the cage where courage's mate runs deep in the wake
For the scariest things are not half as enslaved
Don't be distracted, don't be distracted
Do you want to be alone?
Do you want to be alone?
For life isn't stained of righteousness pain
The seed and the hail, all impossible flights for an interesting light
Don't be distracted, don't be distracted
Do you want to love me more?
Do you want to love me more?
For love is the breath
If water and wave is cursed by the same thing that nurtured its shame
Is it worth all the work?
Don't be distracted, don't be distracted
Have you failed to feel delight? (No, I don't want to feel pain)
Have you failed to feel delight? (No, I don't want to feel pain)
Instead of the life, lived tired and lost, have you left it at last
Where it floundered its death with the language of ghosts
Don't be distracted, don't be distracted
Do you want to be afraid? (No, I don't want to feel pain)
Do you want to be afraid? (No, I don't want to feel pain)
For life in the cage where where courage's mate runs deep in the wake
For the scariest things are not half as enslaved
Don't be distracted, don't be distracted
No . . . don't be distracted
(3)
Stupid man in the window, I couldn't be at rest
All my delight, all that mattered, I couldn't be at rest
From what I liked, from what I gathered, I couldn't be at rest
Stupid man in the window, I couldn't be at rest
And don't be shy in the window
Come down and give your best
Oh, delight in the window I couldn't be at rest
Stupid man in the window, I couldn't be at rest
From what I liked, from what I gathered, I couldn't give my best
Oh, I know it wasn't safe, it wasn't safe to breathe at all
Oh, I know it wasn't safe, it wasn't safe to breathe at all
Oh, I know it wasn't safe, it wasn't safe to breathe at all
Oh, I know it wasn't safe, it wasn't safe to speak at all
(4)
Hold on, Suf
Hold on, Suf
Hold on, Sufjan
1, 2 3, 4!
It's a long life, better pinch yourself,
Put your face together, better get it right
It's a long life, better hit yourself
Put your face together, better stand up straight
It's a long life, only one last chance
Couldn't get much better, do you wanna dance?
It's a long life, better pinch yourself
Get your face together, better stand up straight
Boy, we can do much more together
(Better get it right, get it right, get it right, get it right)
Boy, we can do much more together
(Better give love, give love, give love, give love)
Boy, we can do much more together,
(better get it right, get it right get it right, get it right)
Boy, we can do much more together it's not so impossible
It's not so impossible
It's a long life, better pinch yourself
Get your face together, better roll along
It's a long life, better pinch yourself
Put your face together, better stand up straight
It's a long life only one last chance
Couldn't get much better, do you wanna dance?
It's a good life, better pinch yourself
Is it impossible? Is it impossible?
Boy, we can do much more together
(Better get it right, get it right, get it right, get it right)
Boy, we can do much more together
(Better get a life, get a life, get a life, get a life)
Boy, we can do much more together
(Better get it right, get it right, get it right, get it right)
Boy we can do much more together, it's not so impossible
It's not so impossible
It's a long life, better pinch yourself
Put your face together, better get it right
It's a long life, better hit yourself
Put your face together, better stand up straight
In the wrong life, everything is chance
Does it register? Do you wanna dance?
In the right life, it's a miracle
Possibility, do you wanna dance?
Boy, we can do much more together
(Better get it right, get it right, get it right, get it right)
Boy, we can do much more together
(Better get a life, get a life, get a life, get a life)
Boy, we can do much more together
(Better get it right, get it right, get it right, get it right)
Boy, we can do much more together
It's not so impossible
Do you want to dance?
Boy, we can do much more together
It's not so impossible
(5)
I never meant to cause you pain
My burden is the weight of a feather
I never meant to lead you on
I only meant to please me, however
And then you tell me, boy, we can do much more
Boy, we can do much more
Boy, we can do much more together
Boy, we can do much more together
I'm nothing but a selfish man
I'm nothing but a privileged peddler
And did you think I'd stay the night?
And did you think I'd love you forever?
And then you tell me, boy, we can do much more
I got to tell you, girl, I want nothing less
Girl, I want nothing less
Girl, I want nothing less than pleasure
Girl, I want nothing less than pleasure
I got to tell you, boy, we made such a mess
Boy, we made such a mess
Boy, we made such a mess together
Boy, we made such a mess together
Lyrics submitted by strykerchick
Track duration: 25:35
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It's too easy to look at a song and say, "It's about love," or "it's about a breakup" or anything like that--especially a song like this.
I think this song is about a lot of things, and I'll break it down into these parts:
He sings about a woman who he views as 'perfect'. She's just right for him, but she doesn't want him. Then he chases long enough and they're together, but their tastes are different. All she wants is "all the world to herself" whereas he wants "Perfect love" and love for everyone.
These are two vastly different views. One is selfish, the other is more like a goal for the world, but it is laced with his own selfish want.
Then the song gets dark; because in the moments where we doubt ourselves, things aren't really bright. He introspects on the topics of fear, loneliness, his flaws. The lyrics and the melody at this part give the impression of a dark, lonely place, and I assume that this part means that he desperately does not want to be in the relationship, but it's not as easy as that.
Then he starts to hate himself a bit. "Stupid man," "couldn't be at rest," etc.
The song goes on to a more upbeat sort of approach, and he's thinking that it's possible that it's a good thing.
But inevitably, his desire has turned from wanting "love for us all" to "nothing less than pleasure". It's not much more than a sexual journey for him, but at the same time, it's a little uplifting. The part about "we made such a mess together" seems kind of humorous. Like "Yeah, we fucked things up together."
His final admission seems contradictory. That he just wants pleasure. But prior in the song his reason seems to be that they are too different, and he's too afraid, but he wants to stay with her because he's scared of being alone.
It shows a dark place relationships go to; and then he pulls it back to saying a hurtful lie as the easy way out. I don't think that the part of wanting nothing less than pleasure is true; if it is it contradicts the rest of the song.
Just my interpretation of it.
'just asked by a 3 yr old if I was Sufjan's space princess. I started singing "do you want to be afraid?" And her eyes popped out. #success'
twitter.com/
The second part of the lyrics is from the girls p.o.v and she's saying that she forgives him and is willing to give him a second go at the relationship. This time around, I think she wants him to be aware that his desire to find this perfection is only stemming from a fear within himself and that in focusing on their relationship and loving her back, it would allow him to come out of his own self and find freedom from his ideal. Otherwise, this issue is only going to leave him solo for the rest of his life.
The third part is how he's staring into a reflection of himself and is going through self-pity. He's just wishing he wasn't alive.
The fourth part is the girl snap him out of it and trying to pull him out of the self-pity by reassuring him that together, they can achieve the impossible.
Finally, the last part is the reason for the title of the song - i don't think he agrees with what the girl is telling him. He's just coming to terms with the fact that all that he's been through with the girl, his regret and wanting her back, it was all only for selfish gain. He's an impossible soul that longs to have his emotional needs fulfilled by this ideal that he's been searching for (probably will continue on his emotional pursuit) and in the end, he's actually losing and missing out in finding real love.
Personally, I think Suf was just getting at how our souls do long for this ideal love and he's just questioning and wondering about it. Even when the potential to love someone and be loved comes knocking at our door, we still feel insecure and our mind begins to wonder - is there something better? Our souls are impossible to be satisfied by this world but we still keep searching...
I could be completely mad, to be honest. If that actually was the intention, I have no idea what it might bean as far as the song goes. I don't pretend to know much about the bible. But I just thought I'd share one of my few original thoughts in this world.