Do you like pretty things?
Would you caress broken wings?
To truly smile, to face the day
Do you like pretty things?

And in time did you know
Pretty things always go?
A smile can never go away
It ought to be the face today

Castles melt in the sand
But you could still touch my hand
And have a dream, then go away
If you like pretty things

Can you mend broken wings?
Do you know of these things?
First at a glance you'd think you might
If you like pretty things




Lyrics submitted by weezerific:cutlery

Pretty Things Lyrics as written by Jonas Gudmundson Johan Brolin

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Pretty Things song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

2 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +1
    General Comment

    Isobel Campbell always has a way of making the corniest and over-used themes sound so poetic and pretty. I'm sure her cotton-candy voice only helps her in that area. ;-)

    This song might be about 'inner beauty'. I imagine a timid, and cute-yet-slightly bookish girl thinking about this as she looks at her schoolgirl crush from across the room. He is, of course oblivious. lol...

    She wonders, "Do you like pretty things?"

    Of course, we all do. But then she questions the listeners about the true value of beauty: as corny as it is, true beauty comes from within. A heartfelt and sincere SMILE can make almost ANYONE look beautiful. Superficial, cosmetic beauty, in contrast, rarely lasts a long time:

    "And time did you know - pretty things always go? A smile can never go away."

    "Castles melt in the sand" also alludes to ephemeral beauty that doesn't really last.

    I've personally known girls who I've had an inexplicable attraction to - their faces weren't those of models or conventionally "hot" girls. But now that I've gotten a few years older and can appreciate the human qualities of people a bit more, I realize that it truly WAS their inner beauty peeking out through their SMILES. They were okay with who they were. Comfortable with themselves, and it showed in the way they carried themselves. That is true beauty that lasts a lifetime.

    Maybe this is Ms. Campbell's commentary about what true beauty is. Maybe it's a message to her female fans out there who struggle with themselves. She believes that there is beauty inside all of you. ;-)

    Vicomte de Valmonton October 11, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    While I agree with the general idea of outer beauty fading with time, for me this song has a melancolic, and maybe slightly bitter quality. I picture the protagonist as a woman who is beautiful and a bit jaded, and offers her beauty to find warmth and love in hope that a partner will ease the sadness she feels inside (can you caress broken wings). She does realize that it will most likely be shallow and not last (castles melt in the sand), but is willing to try if only for the comfort it will provide her while it lasts (but you could still touch my hand/and have a dream, then go away).

    lullaby12on December 08, 2009   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him. There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
Album art
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Album art
Son Şansın - Şarkı Sözleri
Hayalperest
This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere. In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
Album art
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
Album art
Plastic Bag
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.