This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
If you, if you could return
Don't let it burn
Don't let it fade
I'm sure I'm not being rude
But it's just your attitude
It's tearing me apart
It's ruining every day
I swore, I swore I would be true
And honey so did you
So why were you holding her hand?
Is that the way we stand?
Were you lying all the time?
Was it just a game to you?
But I'm in so deep
You know I'm such a fool for you
You got me wrapped around your finger
Do you have to let it linger?
Do you have to, do you have to, do you have to let it linger?
Oh, I thought the world of you
I thought nothing could go wrong
But I was wrong, I was wrong
If you, if you could get by
Trying not to lie
Things wouldn't be so confused
And I wouldn't feel so used
But you always really knew
I just want to be with you
And I'm in so deep
You know I'm such a fool for you
You got me wrapped around your finger
Do you have to let it linger?
Do you have to, do you have to, do you have to let it linger?
And I'm in so deep
You know I'm such a fool for you
You got me wrapped around your finger
Do you have to let it linger?
Do you have to, do you have to, do you have to let it linger?
You know I'm such a fool for you
You got me wrapped around your finger
Do you have to let it linger?
Do you have to, do you have to, do you have to let it linger?
Don't let it burn
Don't let it fade
I'm sure I'm not being rude
But it's just your attitude
It's tearing me apart
It's ruining every day
I swore, I swore I would be true
And honey so did you
So why were you holding her hand?
Is that the way we stand?
Were you lying all the time?
Was it just a game to you?
But I'm in so deep
You know I'm such a fool for you
You got me wrapped around your finger
Do you have to let it linger?
Do you have to, do you have to, do you have to let it linger?
Oh, I thought the world of you
I thought nothing could go wrong
But I was wrong, I was wrong
If you, if you could get by
Trying not to lie
Things wouldn't be so confused
And I wouldn't feel so used
But you always really knew
I just want to be with you
And I'm in so deep
You know I'm such a fool for you
You got me wrapped around your finger
Do you have to let it linger?
Do you have to, do you have to, do you have to let it linger?
And I'm in so deep
You know I'm such a fool for you
You got me wrapped around your finger
Do you have to let it linger?
Do you have to, do you have to, do you have to let it linger?
You know I'm such a fool for you
You got me wrapped around your finger
Do you have to let it linger?
Do you have to, do you have to, do you have to let it linger?
Lyrics submitted by Novartza, edited by TheMirzaei
Linger Lyrics as written by Dolores Mary O'riordan Noel Anthony Hogan
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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what a fabulous song this is. it's about wanting someone who has kind of fucked you over. you really know you shouldn't want to be with him anymore, but logic really doesn't mean a lot when you care about someone so much.
This is me right now :(<br />
@catherineks your statement also works for men. "You shouldn't want to be with her anymore". At 61 I've been through this twice in my life. It was devastating both times but I should have seen it coming and baled out earlier both times. We just want the relationships to work and think that if we only tweak this or that it will work. Not true. Both women were toxic to me and in the long run, I'm better off without those relationships.
What I really like about the song is just the general feeling that you get from the combination of the background music and the singer's voice. I don't even pay attention to the words anymore, I just let the feeling wash over me. I played the melody on the harmonica for my friends once, and they still got the meaning of the song: all the hurt and betrayal and foolish loyalty and hope. The meaning is obvious, but the artists managed to utilize the entire song (instruments + voice + words) to convey that meaning.
This is such a beautiful song. It's about how her guy let her down but she still loves him and she knows it's stupid to keep loving him but she has to go w/ her her heart. I personally can't relate but it's still a really good love song.
of course, it always lingers... (sigh)
Too me this song is about someone who she was dating.
"Don't let it burn, don't let it fade"
This guy is distant. Her feelings for him are beginning to dissapear the longer he waits to contact her.
"It's just your attitude, it's tearing me apart it's ruining every day"
She really likes this guy and she has become a fool for him. But she can feel something is off about him when he's very distant and confusing by the way he's acting, not knowing where he stands gives her that bad feeling in her stomach, she can't stop thinking about him, wondering what he's thinking and what he wants with her which ruins her days because she can't think off anything else except him.
"I swore I would be true and honey, so did you"
They both commited to a relationship where they wouldn't date others.
"So why were you holding her hand, is that the way we stand?"
She finds out that the bad feeling she had before is real. She sees him with another girl. He was distant and confusing because he was lying. She's now questioning where they stand in the relationship they have because he told her that he wouldn't be with another girl. This guy is making it more confusing.
"But I'm in so deep. You know I'm such a fool for you. You've got me wrapped around your finger"
Even though she knows he's an asshole she can't seem to let him go because the feelings she has for him have grown to deep.
"Do you have to let it linger?"
She knows it's wrong to still like him so much and she wants him to let her go because she can't let him go. He holds on to her even though he doesn't want the same thing she wants, a commited relationship.
"I thought the world of you. I thought nothing could go wrong. But I was wrong"
She was blinded by her feelings for him, she didn't see what a douchebag he actually was. Now that she's seen what an ass he is she realizes how wrong she was about him but she's still a fool for him.
"If you could get by, trying not to lie. Things wouldn't be so confused and I wouldn't feel so used"
He makes it all so confusing by lying, if he could just stop lying and started telling the truth she wouldn't have to feel used by him.
"But you always really knew, I just want to be with you"
He knows that she only wants him yet he keeps lying to her about how he feels about her. Holding on to her, keeping her thinking about him everyday.
It's such a beautiful but sad song. I'm surprised any guy could do this to sweet Dolores.
I'm going through the exact same thing atm and this is my go to song all the time. Love can be such hell sometimes =(
The song basically highlights the fact that when you really like or love someone, even when they hurt you, your love doesn't die immediately. Feelings can't be turned on and off like a light bulb. It takes time to heal, esp. when the heart is involved. It hurts so much when this happens because even know you know you should just let it go, you cant seem to. That is why the words "such a fool for you" makes so much sense. We become colossal idiots when we're in love.
well said :)
well said :)
the cranberries are my life force and this song is my world.
yea, foolish loyalty. like what fyrefox said. i can relate to the song.. cause im foolishly loyal. grins i just love this song so much.
i only have praise for this song. bcoz it clearly defines exactly how i am feeling for being so damn hurt and inlove to a guy who just treated me like a big joke. i even bought my own copy so i can listen to it as many time as possible. if anyone asks how i feel about my hurting experience i just say listen to LINGER! cranberries rule!
YOU GO GIRL
This song simply hits the spot for me. Pregnant girlfriend nearly miscarried and freaked out, moved home to her mum 7 hour drive away and now ignores all contact with me saying she wants to do this on her own now. I feel completely betrayed and lost. Foolishly i listen to this song constantly.
"I'm in so deep, I'm such a fool for you" "Dont let it burn, dont let it fade"
The longer you shut me out babes, the more of my daughters life I'll be missing. Dont let it linger :-( x