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She paints her fingers with a close precision
He starts to notice empty bottles of gin
And takes a moment to assess the sin
She's paid for
A lonely speaker in a conversation
Her words are swimming through his ears again
There's nothing wrong with just a taste of what you've paid for
Say what you mean
Tell me I'm right
And let the sun rain down on me
Give me a sign
I want to believe
Woah, Mona Lisa,
You're guaranteed to run this town
Woah, Mona Lisa,
I'd pay to see you frown
He senses something, call it desperation
Another dollar, another day
And if she had the proper words to say,
She would tell him
But she'd have nothing left to sell him
Say what you mean
Tell me I'm right
And let the sun rain down on me
Give me a sign
I want to believe
Woah, Mona Lisa,
You're guaranteed to run this town
Woah, Mona Lisa,
I'd pay to see you frown
Mona Lisa, wear me out
Pleased to please ya
Mona Lisa, wear me out
Say what you mean
Tell me I'm right
And let the sun rain down on me
Give me a sign
I want to believe
Woah, Mona Lisa,
You're guaranteed to run this town
Woah, Mona Lisa,
I'd pay to see you frown
Say what you mean
Tell me I'm right
And let the sun rain down on me
Give me a sign
I want to believe
There's nothing wrong with just a taste of what you've paid for
He starts to notice empty bottles of gin
And takes a moment to assess the sin
She's paid for
A lonely speaker in a conversation
Her words are swimming through his ears again
There's nothing wrong with just a taste of what you've paid for
Say what you mean
Tell me I'm right
And let the sun rain down on me
Give me a sign
I want to believe
Woah, Mona Lisa,
You're guaranteed to run this town
Woah, Mona Lisa,
I'd pay to see you frown
He senses something, call it desperation
Another dollar, another day
And if she had the proper words to say,
She would tell him
But she'd have nothing left to sell him
Say what you mean
Tell me I'm right
And let the sun rain down on me
Give me a sign
I want to believe
Woah, Mona Lisa,
You're guaranteed to run this town
Woah, Mona Lisa,
I'd pay to see you frown
Mona Lisa, wear me out
Pleased to please ya
Mona Lisa, wear me out
Say what you mean
Tell me I'm right
And let the sun rain down on me
Give me a sign
I want to believe
Woah, Mona Lisa,
You're guaranteed to run this town
Woah, Mona Lisa,
I'd pay to see you frown
Say what you mean
Tell me I'm right
And let the sun rain down on me
Give me a sign
I want to believe
There's nothing wrong with just a taste of what you've paid for
Lyrics submitted by exitxemergency
Track duration: 03:47
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“She paints her fingers with a close precision”
She, the ex bride, is worrying about her appearance, because she’s turned into a prostitute, and she’ll lose business if she isn’t kept shiny and clean. “He starts to notice empty bottles of gin” He, the best man, is realizing how much he’s been drinking because he’s wondering if he did the right thing by telling the groom about the bride sleeping with someone else. “And takes a moment to assess the sin she’s paid for” he then starts noticing how she’s dealing with the sin that “she paid for”.
“A lonely speaker in a conversation” they’re talking to each other, but not really. They’re making small talk, and it doesn’t really matter, he doesn’t need her help. “Her words are swimming through his ears again” basically, he’s thinking about what she said to him when she found out that he ratted her out. “There’s nothing wrong with just a taste of what you paid for” she’s a prostitute now, and she looks really tempting, and he’s the one that got her into this mess, so he’s thinking that he’s gonna get to sleep with her, because he turned her into one.
“Say what you mean, tell me I’m right” He’s contradicting himself, first wanting her to let him know did he do the right thing, sleeping with the ex fiancee of his friend? Then he’s thinking, just tell me its okay. “Let the sun rain down on me” he wants the truth, but he’s not sure what it is. “Give me a sign, I want to believe” He wants her to let him know if what he’s done is right, but then (contradicting again) he’s thinking that he wants to believe for himself.
“Whoa, Mona Lisa, you’re guaranteed to run this town, whoa, mona lisa, i’d pay to see you frown” She has him in her grasp, just like she had the groom in her grasp, and the man she slept with. She’s turned into a prostitute and everybody knows it, and they’d “pay to see her frown” because she’s done bad things by sleeping with someone else while about to get married.
“He senses something call it desperation” He’s noticing that she’s running out of things to say, and how to act. “Another dollar another day” So he keeps coming back, mistaking the desperation for need of money and business. “If she had the proper words to say she would tell him that she’s have nothing left to sell him” When in reality, she doesn’t want him coming back. He’s the one that called her out, so she doesn’t want to please him in any form.
“Mona lisa wear me out, pleased to please ya, mona lisa wear me out” He’s saying keep doing him, he doesn’t want to think about if what he’s doing is right or not. He’s pleased to please her, because thats what his instinct is.
“There’s nothing wrong with just a taste of what you paid for” He’s thinking to himself, because he’s the reason she’s a prostitute, that there’s nothing wrong with getting a taste of it. So the song ends on a slightly eerie note, because he doesn’t think what he’s doing is wrong, that its perfectly okay to do it, so he’s more reassuring himself than anybody else.
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Panic! recently released Vices
spin.com/articles/…
Panic! recently released Vices
He starts to notice empty bottles of gin
And takes a moment to assess the sin
She's paid for
"She paints her fingers with a close precision"
This is him describing the way she causes so much trouble and there's so much to be dealt with but she is focusing on getting her appearance right and that's all she's bothered or focusing about. "He starts to notice empty bottles of gin" he's starting to realise how much he's been drinking away his troubles. He then takes a minute to think about everything wrong and "she's paid for" meaning that it's her fault.
A lonely speaker in a conversation
Her words are swimming through his ears again
There's nothing wrong with just a taste of what you've paid for
The first line is brilliant, this is him saying she's not listening to him, she's not speaking back he's just trying to go through everything by himself without her help. "Her words are swimming through his ears again" this is basically saying he's eating up anything she says, it doesn't matter what it is, it will just swim in his ears and make him smile because she's giving him attention. The last line is him telling us how he's about to give her a taste of her own medicine, she's about to get "what she's paid for".
Say what you mean
Tell me I'm right
And let the sun rain down on me
Give me a sign
I want to believe
This whole bit is him being unsure of what he wants, all the lines contradict, he's saying "say what you mean" meaning tell me what you're really thinking, then "tell me I'm right" this is him wanting to hear that he's the right one and that's all he want to hear. The sun rain down on me line is great, this is him saying that the sun is the truth, he will have the truth, but he knows it isn't going to be what he wants to hear so it's going to "rain" down on him. Then he goes back to contradicting himself with 'give me a sign I want to beleive' which basically means feed me a lie that he wants to eat up.
Woah, Mona Lisa,
You're guaranteed to run this town
Woah, Mona Lisa,
I'd pay to see you frown
This is him describing her to the famous Mona Lisa who is known for her mysterious smile that gives nothing away, he's saying that she will run the town, by showing no emotions she will dominate everyone but he would pay to see her frown show, for her to show she's sad, he's basically saying he wants to hurt her.
He senses something, call it desperation
Another dollar, another day
And if she had the proper words to say,
She would tell him
But she'd have nothing left to sell him
He senses she's running out of excuses and this is where the "desperation" comes in because she's getting anxious and worried that she has no more lies this is reinforced with the last line 'if she had the proper words to say she would tell hi, but she'd have nothing left to see him' this is basically if she had the proper words and knew how to put it, she would say it, but then she'd have no more lie telling and she would give away her emotionless act.
Mona Lisa, wear me out
Pleased to please ya
Mona Lisa, wear me out
This is him asking her to get bored of hurting him, for her to break him to pieces and tell him it's over so he can stop trying and be 'worn out' so that he doesn't have to keep going on like this. The "pleased to please ya" is brilliantly sarcastic.
There's nothing wrong with just a taste of what you've paid for
This finishing line gives me chills, the evil way he says it shows just how far he's willing to go to upset his lover and that he won't stop until he does.
My theory of the meaning is completely based off of the video.
Okay, maybe it's because I am currently reading The Da Vinci Code that I am thinking this, but, yeah. I think it has something to do with that. Because in the video the little girl holds up a sign that says, "Mary did it." Mary, as in Mary Magdelene, the supposed prostitute in the bible, believed by some to actually be Jesus's spouse or companion...a secret that everyone is trying to keep quiet. Which I haven't quite gotten to that part in the book, but I have a feeling that maybe it has something to do with a theory that her and Jesus actually had a child together, but I couldn't be sure...anyway. Then there is the fact the on the microphone or whatever that is in the video, there is a pentacle, or star, which is a huge part of The Da Vinci Code because of it's Pagan symbolism. Coincidence? Probably. But it's a fun theory. Then there is the fact that it is a little girl at the end who finds out the secret through the help of a dead man. This possibly representing the granddaughter in the book, Sophie Neveu and her grandfather, whom, in the beginning, is killed and before he dies, creates a way for her to follow clues that leads to the secret.
It's a long shot and there are a ton of "coincidences," but you never know.
Now I'm totally confused >.<
Mona Lisa, wear me out
Pleased to please ya
Mona Lisa, wear me out
"She paints her fingers with a close precision
He starts to notice empty bottles of gin
And takes a moment to assess the sin
She's paid for"-
okay so she's in the room painting her nails, and he notices her little drinking problem. My guess is that he confronts her about it and that her response is,
"There's nothing wrong with just a taste of what you paid for."-She could be justifying her intake of gin, or this could have a double meaning, with the prostitute thing, cause you know,you pay for prostitutes....
anyways, i dont really kinow exactly what she means by that line, but i think thats the point as the next lines, or the chorus, are ,
"Say what you mean
Tell me I'm right
And let the sun rain down on me
Give me a sign
I want to believe"- He's trying to figure out what she means- she's hard to read, doesnt know what she's saying- kind of like the Mona Lisa, hence the name of this song. Also the tell me im right, and i want to belive could mean hes in love with her too, but isnt sure if she is. He thinks thats what shes trying to say, but cant be sure cause shes so cryptic.
then it goes on to say she could run this town, probalby couse shes so mysterious and every guy wants a piece of her
"I'd pay to see you frown" - pple pay to see the Mona Lisa frown- thats what the painting is famous for, her smile..or frown..or smirk...or whatever you interpret it as...- i think this is just emphazing the point that shes hard to read/ mysterious
"He senses something, call it desperation
Another dollar, another day
And if she had the proper words to say,
She would tell him
but she'd have nothing left to sell him." - okay, so i guess tht thing she's been trying to tell him, was that she loved him, but the thing is she cant just come out and say it, then she'd wouldnt have bizness with him anymore, so instead of just saying it she hints at it cryptically, and he gets frusterated, bringing us back to the "say what you mean...part."
so ya, that's my interpretation of it.
I've just recently gotten into this band. I love them!
It seems to me that it's about a liar: a lying, cheating girl.
If you pay attention to the music video, there is an allusion to "I Write Sins Not Tragedies", which everyone knows is about Ryan's cheating girl.
It seems to me that the girl in question is a very, very good liar, and this song is about him finally catching on to her.
"There's nothing wrong with just a taste of what you've paid for." He knows what he's gotten himself into with her.
"Give me a sign I want to believe." He wants a reason to believe what she tells him, but he just can't do it.
"You're guaranteed to run this town." It's a power trip, and she's taking down every obstacle in her way.
"Woah, Mona Lisa, I'd pay to see you frown." The Mona Lisa is famous for her mysterious smile, and he's almost humored at the thought of that changing. The subject of this song is known for her lying, and he would like to see her tell the truth.
"He senses something, call it desperation." He notices that her lies are starting to catch up with her.
"Another dollar, another day." It's nothing new.
"And if she had the proper words to say, She would tell him But she'd have nothing left to sell him." This is where the prostitute idea comes into play. If she had much of a desire or reason to tell him the truth, she wouldn't get as much of a kick out of telling him as she does when she lies to him.
The music video is about a funeral, at the end of which it is revealed that "Mary did it", as in Mary killed the man. Everyone around looks so surprised when this is brought to light. Throughout the video there are "rules" that Mary follows; this shows that Mary knows what she's doing and is going through the motions, day-to-day, as if nothing is amiss.