I think this is a beautiful, profound, albeit strange song about sexual discovery and loneliness. I can't speak for the meaning of the song as a whole, but I think at least one of the sections of the song refers to Anne Frank.
As most people know, this album is largely about the tragic life of Anne Frank, who had to hide in secrecy during the Holocaust. She had to keep quiet and isolated for a long period of time, something that would surely bring feelings of loneliness and disconnection from the world. Furthermore, she was at the age of sexual discovery (early teens), so to have little contact with human beings, let alone intimacy, would surely be very difficult. Thus she "bends toward herself" and "moves herself about her fist" - references, I believe, to masturbation - to "prove that she must still exist." How poetically sad can you get? She needs to feel intimacy and human love, but due to her isolation and confinement she turns to herself for those feelings. I teared up writing this. Kudos to Jeff for creating such a beautiful depiction of longing for intimacy.
I think this is a beautiful, profound, albeit strange song about sexual discovery and loneliness. I can't speak for the meaning of the song as a whole, but I think at least one of the sections of the song refers to Anne Frank.
As most people know, this album is largely about the tragic life of Anne Frank, who had to hide in secrecy during the Holocaust. She had to keep quiet and isolated for a long period of time, something that would surely bring feelings of loneliness and disconnection from the world. Furthermore, she was at the age of sexual discovery (early teens), so to have little contact with human beings, let alone intimacy, would surely be very difficult. Thus she "bends toward herself" and "moves herself about her fist" - references, I believe, to masturbation - to "prove that she must still exist." How poetically sad can you get? She needs to feel intimacy and human love, but due to her isolation and confinement she turns to herself for those feelings. I teared up writing this. Kudos to Jeff for creating such a beautiful depiction of longing for intimacy.