This has been my favorite Tori song for a long time, given its great depth of personal expression interwoven with the political tragedy of a country and the woman who led the country through its grief with her emotional strength.
I love JBBonBon's analysis of "the real thing", but I have a slightly different interpretation of one line in particular. I don't think Tori is saying "He made her laugh and reveal herself in ways she wouldn't have because he was disarming." I think she is well past that point when she sings this song, and is saying, bitterly, "Go ahead: you wanna make me laugh? Tell me again how 'you know what you want.' It would make me laugh, you know, because you never knew what you wanted. Its funny, but still, knowing that now has left me so stunned and hurt. I actually listened to you when you said we 'were the real thing.' I believed you, and I poured myself open for you to learn who I am. And what did I get? Well, I learned too. I learned what black magic can do." Whether it is his black magic for carelessly misleading her -- or the black magic she develops when she becomes aware of his betrayal -- is left delightfully ambiguous.
For the second half of the chorus, she basically repeats the same sentiment: "Yeah, that's right, you wanna make me laugh again? Tell me one more time how you are gonna turn me into the "real thing." I actually wanted to be that "real thing" you know (sick!), and so I may have opened up to you, but that mistake has cost me dearly, and now, how I have learned."
Hope someone else finds something in that analysis that resonates, or even wants to debate it. I never find people eager to discuss the meaning of Tori's poetry. It's good to be here with y'all.
i may be terribly wrong on this but im pretty sure that the woman in question kills herself on her wedding day. I think she finds her bridesmaid and her fiance and shoots herself. Although it is definitly a refrence to Jackie-O the line where she says "Shots rang out, the police came. Momma laid me on the front lawn, and prayed for Jackies strength" leads me to believe that she shoots herself.
i may be terribly wrong on this but im pretty sure that the woman in question kills herself on her wedding day. I think she finds her bridesmaid and her fiance and shoots herself. Although it is definitly a refrence to Jackie-O the line where she says "Shots rang out, the police came. Momma laid me on the front lawn, and prayed for Jackies strength" leads me to believe that she shoots herself.
@toxiccute I think she is well past that point when she sings this song, and is saying, bitterly, "Go ahead: you wanna make me laugh? Tell me again how 'you know what you want.'
@toxiccute I think she is well past that point when she sings this song, and is saying, bitterly, "Go ahead: you wanna make me laugh? Tell me again how 'you know what you want.'
This has been my favorite Tori song for a long time, given its great depth of personal expression interwoven with the political tragedy of a country and the woman who led the country through its grief with her emotional strength.
I love JBBonBon's analysis of "the real thing", but I have a slightly different interpretation of one line in particular. I don't think Tori is saying "He made her laugh and reveal herself in ways she wouldn't have because he was disarming." I think she is well past that point when she sings this song, and is saying, bitterly, "Go ahead: you wanna make me laugh? Tell me again how 'you know what you want.' It would make me laugh, you know, because you never knew what you wanted. Its funny, but still, knowing that now has left me so stunned and hurt. I actually listened to you when you said we 'were the real thing.' I believed you, and I poured myself open for you to learn who I am. And what did I get? Well, I learned too. I learned what black magic can do." Whether it is his black magic for carelessly misleading her -- or the black magic she develops when she becomes aware of his betrayal -- is left delightfully ambiguous.
For the second half of the chorus, she basically repeats the same sentiment: "Yeah, that's right, you wanna make me laugh again? Tell me one more time how you are gonna turn me into the "real thing." I actually wanted to be that "real thing" you know (sick!), and so I may have opened up to you, but that mistake has cost me dearly, and now, how I have learned."
Hope someone else finds something in that analysis that resonates, or even wants to debate it. I never find people eager to discuss the meaning of Tori's poetry. It's good to be here with y'all.
i may be terribly wrong on this but im pretty sure that the woman in question kills herself on her wedding day. I think she finds her bridesmaid and her fiance and shoots herself. Although it is definitly a refrence to Jackie-O the line where she says "Shots rang out, the police came. Momma laid me on the front lawn, and prayed for Jackies strength" leads me to believe that she shoots herself.
i may be terribly wrong on this but im pretty sure that the woman in question kills herself on her wedding day. I think she finds her bridesmaid and her fiance and shoots herself. Although it is definitly a refrence to Jackie-O the line where she says "Shots rang out, the police came. Momma laid me on the front lawn, and prayed for Jackies strength" leads me to believe that she shoots herself.
@toxiccute I think she is well past that point when she sings this song, and is saying, bitterly, "Go ahead: you wanna make me laugh? Tell me again how 'you know what you want.'
@toxiccute I think she is well past that point when she sings this song, and is saying, bitterly, "Go ahead: you wanna make me laugh? Tell me again how 'you know what you want.'
Yes, I think this is definitely the tone here.
Yes, I think this is definitely the tone here.