I find this quite an uplifting song. It's actually about a female victim of domestic abuse who has decided that enough is enough and ended the relationship.
The title - Valentine's Day is Over, and many of the lyrics: 'We used to want the same thing', 'Poetry and Flowers' etc. refers to the how it is at the start of a relationship. The girl thinks that her partner is amazing and that their love will last forever.
'Some day boy you'll reap what you've sown' means that one day the abuser will try it on with someone who will hit back even harder.
'You'll catch a cold and you'll be on your own'. I see this as a play on how needy men are when they are ill, but also in many other situations rely on their loving partners. All that support is of course fotgotten when they are in the mood to batter their partners senseless.
'What's wrong with me' refers to the fact that the abuser thinks (and tells) the partner that it is her fault he does what he does, and the next line which talks about everyone having the same problem, refers to the abuser being the real problem.
'You've gone to the dogs again' has a double or even treble meaning. The phrase 'gone to the dogs' means letting yourself go or turning into someone / something less desirable / moral etc. than before. 'The dogs' may also refer to dog racing or even a pub, both places where lots of alcohol is consumed.
When she says that she can't see him coming home 'anything but blind', she means that he will be drunk (blind drunk) and therefore more likely to hit her. (In the UK, Stella Artois lager is often referred to as 'wife beater' because of the effect it has on lots of men.)
The girl's strength starts to come through in the next verse when she tells him that if he wants to talk about it he should call her i.e. she's not going to come grovelling back to him telling him that she understands his violence and the fact that it's probably her fault.
'Don't come around reminding me again how brittle bone is' could be seen as a plea for him not to hit her any more but I see it more as a threat i.e. If you know what's good for you you'll leave me alone!
It also makes clear that they are no longer living together so she has finally made up her mind not to take it any more.
The God and The Devil bit is about how we are all capable of cruelty and the fact that it's easy to forget how to be good and hurt people in the process.
Possibly my favourite line of the song: 'That brutality and economy are related, now I understand' implies that the frustration of poverty and social deprivation leads to a rise in domestic abuse which is tragic as people in those situations have it hard enough already. This is also evident in the following verse which talks about the abuse getting worse as 'it all gets tougher'.
'The girl with the hour glass figure' refers to the girl in the early days of the relationship, probably when the guy showered her with love and gifts and was proud to have her on his arm. Whereas 'time runs out very fast' is referring to the inevitable process of physical aging and also the fact that relationships also degrade over time if they are not worked at.
The most uplifting part for me is the final verse. The girl has the strength to go through the things she has to thank her abusive partner for: The things he bought her and the cards (bithday, valentines day etc.) but also that in abusing her he taught her about life and the nature of relationships and in particular, that she was not prepared to be a victim any longer. It was a hard lesson but a worthwhile one nevertheless. I think that the fact that she has learned that lesson the hard way means that she will not get caught in an abusive relationship ever again.
'Until that's true, you'll find your gear all stacked out on the landing!' actually means that she has thrown him out and not just fled their home. This makes her even stronger in my opinion.
@ThisGuitarSaysSorry I think your interpretations of this song, for me, have hit the nail right on the head. Thanks for being so clear and precise. A brilliant assessment of a brilliant song!
@ThisGuitarSaysSorry I think your interpretations of this song, for me, have hit the nail right on the head. Thanks for being so clear and precise. A brilliant assessment of a brilliant song!
I find this quite an uplifting song. It's actually about a female victim of domestic abuse who has decided that enough is enough and ended the relationship.
The title - Valentine's Day is Over, and many of the lyrics: 'We used to want the same thing', 'Poetry and Flowers' etc. refers to the how it is at the start of a relationship. The girl thinks that her partner is amazing and that their love will last forever.
'Some day boy you'll reap what you've sown' means that one day the abuser will try it on with someone who will hit back even harder.
'You'll catch a cold and you'll be on your own'. I see this as a play on how needy men are when they are ill, but also in many other situations rely on their loving partners. All that support is of course fotgotten when they are in the mood to batter their partners senseless.
'What's wrong with me' refers to the fact that the abuser thinks (and tells) the partner that it is her fault he does what he does, and the next line which talks about everyone having the same problem, refers to the abuser being the real problem.
'You've gone to the dogs again' has a double or even treble meaning. The phrase 'gone to the dogs' means letting yourself go or turning into someone / something less desirable / moral etc. than before. 'The dogs' may also refer to dog racing or even a pub, both places where lots of alcohol is consumed.
When she says that she can't see him coming home 'anything but blind', she means that he will be drunk (blind drunk) and therefore more likely to hit her. (In the UK, Stella Artois lager is often referred to as 'wife beater' because of the effect it has on lots of men.)
The girl's strength starts to come through in the next verse when she tells him that if he wants to talk about it he should call her i.e. she's not going to come grovelling back to him telling him that she understands his violence and the fact that it's probably her fault. 'Don't come around reminding me again how brittle bone is' could be seen as a plea for him not to hit her any more but I see it more as a threat i.e. If you know what's good for you you'll leave me alone! It also makes clear that they are no longer living together so she has finally made up her mind not to take it any more.
The God and The Devil bit is about how we are all capable of cruelty and the fact that it's easy to forget how to be good and hurt people in the process.
Possibly my favourite line of the song: 'That brutality and economy are related, now I understand' implies that the frustration of poverty and social deprivation leads to a rise in domestic abuse which is tragic as people in those situations have it hard enough already. This is also evident in the following verse which talks about the abuse getting worse as 'it all gets tougher'.
'The girl with the hour glass figure' refers to the girl in the early days of the relationship, probably when the guy showered her with love and gifts and was proud to have her on his arm. Whereas 'time runs out very fast' is referring to the inevitable process of physical aging and also the fact that relationships also degrade over time if they are not worked at.
The most uplifting part for me is the final verse. The girl has the strength to go through the things she has to thank her abusive partner for: The things he bought her and the cards (bithday, valentines day etc.) but also that in abusing her he taught her about life and the nature of relationships and in particular, that she was not prepared to be a victim any longer. It was a hard lesson but a worthwhile one nevertheless. I think that the fact that she has learned that lesson the hard way means that she will not get caught in an abusive relationship ever again.
'Until that's true, you'll find your gear all stacked out on the landing!' actually means that she has thrown him out and not just fled their home. This makes her even stronger in my opinion.
PS I am male...
@ThisGuitarSaysSorry I think your interpretations of this song, for me, have hit the nail right on the head. Thanks for being so clear and precise. A brilliant assessment of a brilliant song!
@ThisGuitarSaysSorry I think your interpretations of this song, for me, have hit the nail right on the head. Thanks for being so clear and precise. A brilliant assessment of a brilliant song!