I'm gonna pull you in close
Gonna wrap you up tight
Gonna play with the braids
That you came here with tonight
I'm gonna hold your face
And toast the snow that fell

Because friends don't waste wine
When there's words to sell

I feel like love in the kitchen
With the culinary eye
I think he's makin' something special
And I'm smart enough to try
If you don't trust yourself
For at least a minute each day
Well, you should trust in this, girl
'Cause loving is coming our way

You can fix me up, girl
We'll go a long long way
If you can fix me up, girl
You'll go a long long way

I'll stand by all this drinking (take my love in these small doses)
If it helps me through these days (take my love in these small doses)
It takes a long time just to get this all straight (take my love in these small doses)
I'll showcase on Route 7 (take my love in these small doses)
When I find the right place (take my love in these small doses)
It takes a long time just to get this all straight (take my love in these small doses)
In my mind
This is my, my, my free time

Because friends don't waste wine
When there's words to sell
If you can fix me up, girl, we'll go a long long way
If you can fix me up, girl, you'll go a long long way

I'll stand by all this drinking (take my love in these small doses)
If it helps me through these days (take my love in these small doses)
I've spent a long time corresponding in my own way (take my love in these small doses)
I'll showcase on Route 7 (take my love in these small doses)
When I find the right place (take my love in these small doses)
It takes a long time just to get this all straight (take my love in these small doses)
In my mind
This is my, my, my free time

To break it all away
Spend it all today
Spend it all today

It took time, then I found you
It took time, then I found you
It took time, then I found you
It took time, then I found you, oh, oh, ooh, ooh


Lyrics submitted by saturnine, edited by westernize

Obstacle 2 Lyrics as written by Daniel Kessler Paul Banks

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.

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Obstacle 2 song meanings
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43 Comments

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  • +3
    General Comment

    I have just fallen in love with this song. Also, nobody should be looking too much into the lyrics. It's pretty straight forward.

    Romance is the second meaning of this song. The first stanza is obviously a setting up of a situation. Banks is in love with a girl and says to take a chance with him. This much is obvious.

    But I believe underneath the surface of this romantic setting is a fragile alcoholic who wants fixing. There's lots of lines that mention his alcoholism, most notably I'll stand by all this drinking if it helps me through these days

    and

    because friends don't waste wine when there's words to sell

    The second line makes it seem like the narrator is a social drinker, drinking more due to peer pressure.

    "If you can fix me up girl" pretty much says it all - the narrator is desperately looking for someone to help him with his alcoholism. it's difficult to interpret the final part where Paul hits the falsetto notes. He may be saying it in a positive light that he DID find the person that fixed him. Or the process of finding a new lover after new lover is happening again and he's continuing his desperate search for "the one".

    granolabaron October 05, 2010   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    "...and toast the snow that fell because friends don't waste wine when there's words to sell"

    Still, the most elegantly worded cocaine reference I've ever heard in song.

    jameson p.on January 03, 2015   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    man i can't believe there's no comments on this song. this is one of my favorite on bright lights, and it definitely has the best chorus out of any of the song on the album(although many of them don't even have choruses)

    bamargeroon July 01, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I disagree. personally I don't like this song as well as the others. it seems slightly more forced to me. I might just need to listen to it again, but it definitely is not my favorite. The best chorus is probably from stella, or leif erikson.

    bamvolstoneon September 18, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    whoah. I agree with bamargero, one of the best songs on the album. i love the opening lines to he song. So fll of imagery, and the line about toasting the snow.. who says that??? toasting snow? it's awesome

    anna118kon October 30, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    This is one of my favorite songs on bright lights. The whole song is just great; the melody, the lyrics, everything combines perfectly. I especially love the "..I feel like love is in the kitchen.." verse. Now that's being creatively romantic.

    EstherGreenwoodon November 09, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    This song reminds me of the relationship that I have with my girlfriend especially the last line "it took time then I found you."

    Ueleyon November 22, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I just heard this CD a little while ago. I ended up with a whored out copy of Bright Lights because a friend wanted me to listen to it, and it's been passed around so many times I don't know who had it originally but everyone ends up loving the band so much they just buy Bright Lights and pass the burn on... so now it's my turn. I love this album, it is so amazing and this song is definetly my favourite... most of the their starts off so catchy and the drops down to depressing it's really and interesting style... haha... anyone an amazing song.

    clumsy_childon November 25, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    this song has some of the best interpol lyrics in my opinion...my favorite line is, "bc friends don't waste wine when there's words to sell"..to me it's a play on words, like wine=whine...friends don't waste their time whining when there's something important to say..or friends don't waste wine by drinking it all and completely confessing their dirtiest secrets to the one they love, just bc it's easier that way.

    paradigmshifton December 07, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    this is a great song, with great lyrics I think everyone can relate closley to at least one verse

    startingtorambleon January 07, 2005   Link

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