So I'm just a medicine
You take when you're sick
You get well and that's it
I'm put back
On the shelf in your mirror
And it isn't exeptional
The course of our fate
Because people love and they hate
And I guess
It's just all turned to hate
Yeah, you were just some song I wrote
A poem on a page
A sculpture I made
Out of clay
Desire was the flame
But now you're more of a basketball
Boys just pass you around
They bounce you hard on the ground
And dribble
Then we all get high fives
And you think I'm an asshole now
Well, you're probably right
But at least I'm not blind to the facts
I've been wishing were all lies
But still, I hope you get everything
That you care to possess
And unbelievable sex
With him
Or any one of my friends
But just don't ask about my appetite
I didn't lose it tonight
It's been gone half my life
It's just, I
I've been eating for you



Lyrics submitted by x_melancholy_x

Track duration: 02:55


I've Been Eating (For You) song meanings
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85 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:Fuck you that we all can't be slim and beautiful. I hope that makes you very happy for the reminder of your life.
    Flag URalwaysangryon May 20, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I also agree with other meanings for the end.... who knows
    Cocaine and how he's been off it since being with ehr so he's still eating = still staying clean
    or
    what i said above
    or
    That regardless of the cocaine she would have to remind him and ask him to eat something because of depression or whatever else and he is maintaining a healthier eating pattern despite their break up and because he knows that she would want him to or whatever
    Flag m2dai2dak2daeon October 01, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Hey!
    I am loving on Bright Eyes, I think he’s great!

    I agree with a few of you about your comments. I love how this song is written as if he’s just called her after all that’s taken place. I think that this is about a relationship he had, where it was going good, but she wasn’t as in to it as much as he was… and maybe she was going through a hard time so now he realizes that she just used him to get better (more stable) “So I’m just a medicine you take when you’re sick, you get well and that’s it” - He thought it was great while in it and now he feels like it was something he only imagined to be as good as it was, he made it up because he really wanted this to be mutual love “Yeah you were just a song I wrote, a poem on a page, A sculpture I made out of clay; desire was the flame”.

    I think she cheated on him which caused them to break up and she’s been going from guy to guy since. I do think that Hi 5 is referring to HIV (never would have thought that without reading your comments) and I don’t think it’s a coincidence that he’s talking about her being passed around and about dribbling (double meaning) before talking about HIVs.

    So he once loved her and the love has turned to hate “Because people love and they hate and I guess it’s all turned to hate” and he’s sitting there on the phone pretty much calling her a slut, so she thinks he’s an asshole but all he’s saying is the truth (which he wishes wasn’t the case). He still loved her once and wishes things went better between them and probably cares for her through all they’ve been through so he wishes the best for her “And you think I’m an asshole now, well you’re probably right but at least I’m not blind to the facts I’ve been wishing were all lies. But still, I hope you get everything that you care to possess.”

    I also agree with what sXe chicana was saying about how he’s eating for her because he normally would be too depressed or what have you and he wouldn’t eat, but he’s not going to let her be the reason for this behavior to continue or to start again so he’s eating to try to move on and put it in the past (nice one by the way, never would have read it that way originally).
    Flag m2dai2dak2daeon October 01, 2011   Link
  • 0
    My Opinion:This song is gorgeous... Poetry.

    My take on the last two lines is that he'd had eating problems before his relationship with this girl, and that he'd deliberately tried to get better - to eat - for her, because she meant a lot to him. But now she's gone, he's sliding straight back into that self-destructive place. I've been there as a recovering anorexic - you start eating properly to please the person you're in a relationship with, but once it's over you don't see the point, because the person you were doing it for is gone. Sad I know, but it happens.
    Flag icedgreenteaon November 27, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:this song got me through the worst breakup i had ever been through.
    i was the basket ball though, but my ex sent it over aim to me and it made me cry.
    god every song conor has ever written is effing amazing, its so specific BUT EVERYONE can relate!
    love love love ittt.
    Flag iwrotealifeon April 28, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I'd say the eating disorder theory could work, there's another reference in Laura Laurent, sortof. I have no idea about this, it just seems to crop up a lot in his lyrics. Obviously the song isn't all about that though.
    Flag mmxxzzzzon April 17, 2010   Link
  • +1
    Song Meaning:I think some of you have misinterpretted the eating disorder thing. Its not an intentional thing, I think he wishes he could eat but he just never gets hungry. Ive had the same problem as him since I was young. Some one who is depressed or uses a lot of drugs eventually just loses their appetite completely after a while. For a long time I couldnt eat more than half a meal a day, or else i would start feeling really sick. I think that in this song hes dealing with the same thing, but conor wants to start eating so this girl will think he is happy and healthy. I think maybe some of you have been thinking hes not eating because of annorexia, but its really just an appetite thing.
    Flag clifford420on March 15, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:If you read through the Noise Floor cover, he said that this was probably the meanest song he ever wrote.
    Flag watergurl123on February 04, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:The high 5 thing could mean both. Yes, all the guys are like, "Yes, nailed that chick." But at the same time, they could all get HIV, or maybe just an STD in general.

    It's called a double entendre.
    Flag TheDistricton September 23, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:'But now you're more of a basketball
    Boys just pass you around
    They bounce you hard on the ground
    And dribble
    Then we all get high fives'


    ^Simply put, she's a whore and guys take turns using her for sexual activities. The whole 'Then we all get high fives' part could be taken both as hey we scored or hey we all have stds now, it's whatever you prefer it to mean.




    'But just don't ask about my appetite
    I didn't lose it tonight
    It's been gone half my life
    It's just, I
    I've been eating for you '


    ^ I believe this refers to him doing cocaine. He's stating he did it half his life which made him also not eat too much for half his life. And he's maybe been off of the cocaine for her, basically meaning that he's been eating for her.


    I dunno, maybe I'm wrong.
    Flag LindseyGotLipoon August 15, 2009   Link

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