The Bitter End

I agree with untaym and Vidmar20.

I was listening to Placebo's "Once More With Feeling" whilst reading 1984 by George Orwell. This song could not be a more accurate description of Winston and Julia's relationship. I'd be extremely surprised if it WASN'T based on the novel. There's far too many references to the text.

"Feeling so anaesthetised" and "Every broken bone" is a reference to the beating and interrogation Winston goes through inside (presumably -- it's never actually confirmed) the Ministry of Love.

"Reminds me of the second time I followed you home" is about Julia. In the beginning Winston thinks that Julia could be a member of the thought-police, and at times is almost certain that she is spying on him.

"On the second of May" was the date Winston and Julia met up for the first time away from the telescreens ["Every step we take that's synchronized" is a reference to the telescreens]. They had sex for the first time in a field far away from anywhere. From this point onwards both characters knew that they would die. Which is where the lines: "From the time we intercepted. Feels a lot like suicide." comes into play. It was almost as if knocking on deaths door (or in this case, Big Brother's.)

"Reminds me of the summertime. On this winters day" is referring to the final chapter of the book. Winston and Julia meet once after they come out of the Ministry of Love and reveal that they betrayed each other. This occurred on a cold day in March. This could also be where "As you're walking away" comes in.

"You shower me with lullabies" is a reference to the lullaby used frequently throughout the novel -- up until the thought police captured Winston and Julia -- titled 'Oranges and Lemons'.

Incidentally, the lyrics at the end...anyone been able to work them out? The ones someone posted up earlier are clearly wrong, but I'm having trouble getting them myself.

This is what I have so far:

From the time we intercepted Feels a lot like suicide Slow and sad, come in silence I walked a bitter mile Lovers seem to run around What's sicker now? Wannabes - I want out Bitter blood seeps inside Grab the jealous and sigh For your crimes It's six months' time In six months' time The mess you left will end

The 'bitter blood...jealous and sigh' is pretty clearly wrong but that's asgood as I can get. Any ideas?

yea i agree with the stalkin/suicidal thing...i was wondering tho - at the end when it gets faster and faster and everything starts overlappin and then it just ends, does ne1 else get the urge to just shoot themselves - like the whole song is building up to pulling the trigger? just a thought...

'The Bitter End', it's about him being obsessed with and stalking some girl that dumped him (Reminds me of the second time That I followed you home...), (You shower me with lullabies As you're walking away Reminds me that it's killing time On this fateful day) and if he can't have her then he feels that they both must die (The Bitter End). Listen real closely at the end of the song, Brian is saying 'From the time we intercepted Feels more like suicide... ', makes sense, that from the time they met, it's some paper thin love or sucker love, some mixture of lust and obsession and paper thin love (from Every Me and Every You by this same band), and basically he must kill himself and her if he cannot have her.

[End backing lyrics are:]

Everytime we're intercepted Feels love like suicide Slow and sad, come in silence Arise a bitter time (See you at the bitter end)

I love to see you run around And I can see you now Full to bleed, arms wide out (See you at the bitter end)

Come on and reach in sighs Grab the gentleness inside

Heard a cry Six months time (See you at the bitter end) In six months time prepare the end (See you at the bitter end)

[Taken from sing356.com. id say theyre about 90% correct... they also kinda prove how crap my previous theory was]

I think this song talks about the same as many other Placebo's songs do, breaking up. When you finish a relationship, is always a bad thing, at least for one of the couple. And also you're couple is breaking up with you, you feel so bad, so desperate (the bitter end).

Being more specific, my opinion is that this song talks about when you're in a really suffocating relationship, but you don't want to let it go because is like a drug for you. The beginning was so good ("since we're feeling so anesthetised in our comfort zone"- anesthetised: feeling no pain), you don't want to leave her in any moment ("that i followed you home")... But you know that will be over soon or late (we're running out of alibis from the second of may"- there's always something that triggers the ending), so you want to squeeze the relationship until it's over, because you don't want to resign to lose her though you know you will.

Despite good things ("you shower me with lullabies") and bad ones ("as you're walking away"), you want to be next to her and huge her for the last time on the bitter end ("running to me, arms wide out, come and reach inside, grab the gentleness inside).

Bitter end was a very raw and immediate song, it's about the death of relationships etc. Simple!

it's being filled with every moment of the relationship at the very instant that it's ending. that's the bitter end.

I'm amazed that no one has written about one of my fav Placebo songs. It's not by them but still... I LOVE this song. I think it is about 2 people being in the wrong place at the wrong time. One may be in a relationship or married. "You want the sin but not the sinner" " Since were feeling so anesthetized In our comfort zone", the voice and the one he singing to is SO hurt, so ripped up that they are not even feeling pain anymore, perhaps because of the situation. "You showered me with lullabies" perhaps saying/hoping it is going to be okay, but it is not and she is walking away from him, away from that "fateful" day when something that wasn't supposed to happen happened, or they came to realization that there was no hope for them. The bitter end I think signifies when the shit is going to hit the fan, they have both suffered so much, this could be metaphorically when her relationship ends and frees her up to be with him "in 6 months time" at which point he is so destroyed it will be too late--it feels like suicide it is THAT sad. The guitar riffs on this are amazing.

yay first comment :P

i think this songs could be about a killer stalking his prey ("Followed you home"), and killing him, hence the "see you at the bitter end"... it could also be about the break up of a relationship..