Go go go
Push him away
No no no
Don't let him stay
He gets inside to stare at her
The seeping mouth
The mouth that knows
The secret you
Always you
A smile to hide the fear away
Oh smear this man across the walls
Like strawberries and cream
Its the only way to be

Exactly the same clean room
Exactly the same clean bed
But I've stayed away too long this time
And I've got too big to fit this time



Lyrics submitted by oofus

Track duration: 04:31

"Push" as written by Robert James Smith

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Push song meanings
Add your thoughts

20 Comments

sort form View by:
  • 0
    General Comment:I think, it´s about lasciviousness, lack of ability to love,
    make an object, imbalance of power. stupid men who think women want it.
    Flag fansnoton August 07, 2012   Link
  • 0
    Song Meaning:NO NO NO!

    The beauty of this song is its lack of clear meaning...

    And how instead its packed with pure passion...

    For me...

    This song is about growing up... or more accurately ... transforming - metamorphosing even.

    Let's examine it closely:

    'Push'

    (as the butterfly 'pushes' from the chrysalis...)

    Go go go, go go go!

    (run / fly away)

    Push him away

    (push 'him' away so as to free yourself if you can't escape)

    No no no, no no no!
    ...
    Don't let him stay

    (get rid of this guy!)

    ... He, this guy is the 'old' you, the 'you' built by those who educated and made you 'you' but who also hid the real 'you' ...

    He gets inside to stare at her

    (this is probably a reference to some form of 'sex' - in how the world is mostly sexually repressed in one way or another
    its a very obvious way in which we mostly all are not our true selves)

    The seeping mouth

    (a mouth from which something trickles / oozes slowly ...)

    The mouth that knows

    (perhaps this mouth is slowly telling you the truth)

    The secret you

    (about yourself - your real self - your true self ... your secret self)

    Always you

    (and the mouth trickles nothing else... it just whispers on about you)

    A smile to hide the fear away

    (this I think plays on mouth - but this time is yours - smiling despite your inner most thoughts of distraction, discomfort, frustration and feelings of being trapped - feelings of fear with regards to the truth about yourself)

    Oh smear this man across the walls

    (kill this man)

    Like strawberries and cream

    (destroy him utterly - smash him to bits)

    Its the only way, its the only way, to be

    (life is yours for the taking and you're going to have so much fun as your true self!)

    (its the only way to be.... yeah)

    owww!

    Exactly the same clean room

    (this refers to your state of living .. the same as ever .. cos you haven't changed - still a child - still 'in your parents house')

    Exactly the same clean bed

    (its time to take a risk- to leave the shelter of your upbringing and become your true self)

    But I've stayed away too long this time

    (now you've come home - like after a big trip - a gap year or something - and ... )

    And I've got too big to fit this time...

    (you've outgrown it - so move on - change your circumstance)


    This song is massive and by that I also mean - very important.

    it advices you to get away from your situation... and specifically from the you that you have been made into by everything...

    your parents, the t.v., the radio, films, books, teachers, friends, family etc. etc.

    And stay away for long enough...

    So that when you get back you will see how you no longer fit...

    BECAUSE you will have destroyed your 'sculpted self' and found the inner / secret you deep inside all the layers.

    Now - live your life from here - with truth by your side and FUN in your heart.
    Flag Rossettion January 30, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:smear this man across the walls. strawberries and cream? sounds like sex to me. the song makes sense in other ways though.
    Flag AcidConspiracyon October 31, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think it is about a couple separated by distance, and now that the man has returned home, the woman is pushing him away. He still knows the "secret her" that has not changed, but she has a fear because she no longer knows him. But she smiles and pretends to be okay.
    Then at the end he acknowledges he changed, as he "got too big" for his old life (while on tour in a rock band maybe....hmmm).
    Flag voodoodollyon November 14, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:It's about a girl whose father is sexually abusing her.
    Flag Wurby Tictocon October 23, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I've loved this song forever, one of my favorite songs. And it seems the song is about a woman, pushing a guy away. But I feel I'm the same with women. When I let people in me, let them know too much about me, I get scared and push them away and end up hurting them and I think that's where this line comes in, "Oh! smear this man across the walls".

    You're in the same clean room/bed when you're hurting them and smearing them on the walls, but your pushing them away has basically thrown them against the wall.

    The whole part of the second verse I think fits with letting people in you and knowing you deeply, and then you kinda start pushing them away and the more you do, the more you hurt them.
    Flag nsjdogon August 15, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Oh, and it's very cathartic to listen to. Especially the first verse.
    Flag pason May 14, 2008   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:I can't say what Robert's intentions were with these lyrics but I always think of it as a psychological abstraction of an abusive relationship, which the victim is still haunted by.
    Flag pason May 14, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:i think this lyrics could be about cheating and betrayal... the way those 2 things take u to depression...
    Flag tefon April 03, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I've never read anything about Robert Smith being transsexual (and the story about him wearing a dress was something he did when he was 11 as a dare), but I dunno. It actually seems like the most logical interpretation from the lyrics.
    Flag david_lpfanon October 03, 2007   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

Back to top
explain