This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
I know you
I know you've seen her
She's a sad tomato
She's three miles of bad road
Walking down the street
Will I never meet her?
She's a real woman-child
Oh, my kiss breath turpentine
I am smitten
I'm the real thing (I'm the real thing)
Have you seen her come around?
My crush with eyeliner
I'm in like
I'm infatuated
It's all too much, the pressure
She's all that I can take
What position should I wear?
Cop an attitude? (you fake her)
How can I convince her? (fake her)
That I'm invented too, yeah
I am smitten
I'm the real thing (I'm the real thing)
We all invent ourselves
And, uh, you know me
She's a sad tomato
She's three miles of bad road
She's her own invention (she's her own invention)
That gets me in the throat
What can I make myself be?
Life is strange, yeah (life is strange)
What can I make myself be? (fake her)
To make her mine?
I am smitten
I'll do anything (I'll do anything)
A kiss breath turpentine
My crush with eyeliner
I am smitten
You know me (yeah, you know me)
I could be your Frankenstein
My crush with eyeliner
I am smitten
I'm the real thing (I'm the real thing)
Won't you be my valentine?
My crush with eyeliner
I know you've seen her
She's a sad tomato
She's three miles of bad road
Walking down the street
Will I never meet her?
She's a real woman-child
Oh, my kiss breath turpentine
I am smitten
I'm the real thing (I'm the real thing)
Have you seen her come around?
My crush with eyeliner
I'm in like
I'm infatuated
It's all too much, the pressure
She's all that I can take
What position should I wear?
Cop an attitude? (you fake her)
How can I convince her? (fake her)
That I'm invented too, yeah
I am smitten
I'm the real thing (I'm the real thing)
We all invent ourselves
And, uh, you know me
She's a sad tomato
She's three miles of bad road
She's her own invention (she's her own invention)
That gets me in the throat
What can I make myself be?
Life is strange, yeah (life is strange)
What can I make myself be? (fake her)
To make her mine?
I am smitten
I'll do anything (I'll do anything)
A kiss breath turpentine
My crush with eyeliner
I am smitten
You know me (yeah, you know me)
I could be your Frankenstein
My crush with eyeliner
I am smitten
I'm the real thing (I'm the real thing)
Won't you be my valentine?
My crush with eyeliner
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More Featured Meanings
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
When I hear this song, I always imagine a straight-edge and somewhat socially awkward teenager feeling a strange attraction to a punk rock girl. Despite knowing they have nothing in common. After reading the lyrics more carefully, it seems more likely that, as other people have said, the song is about being fake in relationships. When I just listen to the song without listening hard to the lyrics, however, this is just what it feels like to me.