The Tragically Hip – Twist My Arm

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Thar she blows, Jacques Cousteau
Hear her sing so sweet and low
Lull me overboard, out-cold
Gathered in and swallowed whole

Do I want to? With all that charm?
Do I want to? Twist my arm.

You just hit me where I live
I guess it looked quite primitive
What was that supposed to prove?
Throw the calf or he'll throw you

Sucked in by the victim world
Thirsty as a cultured pearl
Culled and wooed, bitten, chewed
It won't hurt if you don't move

Do I want to? With all that charm?
Do I want you? Twist my arm.

Musical chairs, double dares, memorized stairs,
Shootin off flares, springtime hares and broken-down mares

Coward phones, big soup stones, prideless loans,
Grill sick crows, motel groans and big fat Jones

Martyrs don't do much for me
Though I enjoy them vicariously
After you. No! After me.
No, I insist! Please, after me.

Do I want to? With all that charm?
Do I want you? Twist my arm.

Send "Twist My Arm" Ringtone to Cell


Lyrics submitted by black_cow_of_death

Track duration: 03:57


Twist My Arm song meanings
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7 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:That's just it - he's random, and this song just might be too.
    I LOVE the accoustics on this.
    Flag kerrigwenon February 20, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:on the live version i just listend to on thehip.com, gord says "this is a barenaked ladies song called twist my arm". i thought that a little odd, but gord is quite random .
    Flag denimdemonon December 17, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think anyone will tell you this song isn't really about the lull of Detroit, it's just one of the ways Gord personalizes shows to match the cities he's playing in.
    I really like the last stanza:
    Martyrs don't do much for me
    Though I enjoy them vicariously
    After you. No! After me.
    No, I insist! Please, after me.
    You can picture two martyrs fighting over who gets to take one for the team. I kind of see this song as a satire of religion in that sense. Doesn't want to twist his arm into conforming with religious traditions? But there also seems to be more the aspect of a woman with "all that charm." I don't know...
    Flag ProudesterMonkeyon April 23, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:on the live between us album, gord downie introduces this song as being "about the lull of Detroit"... but who knows? it can mean whatever has most meaning to you, as with most songs.
    Flag ...and i melton July 20, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Gord Sinclair rips this song to shreds as well...it seems to me that this song uses just one guitar and one bass. There are a couple of spots where the bass line jumps from the background to take you by surprise. It's not a line that steals the overall show, but it tells you that he is there keeping the underbelly of the song safe. Gord Sinclair is a silent master of his craft.
    Flag OpinionHeadon February 08, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:=P

    I love this song.... do I want to? Baby, twist my arm.
    Flag Surfpicoon November 17, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Could this be a smattering of Bible stories thrown into one song? Jonah and the whale, the calf stanza representing the Prodigal Son...I guess the line big fat Jones can mean only one thing...Still, a great song and I listen to it intently.
    Flag OpinionHeadon April 19, 2004   Link

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