This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
She doesn't look, she doesn't see
Opens up for nobody
Figures out, she figures out
Narrow line, she can't decide
Everything short of suicide
Never hurts, nearly works
Something scratching its way out
Something you want to forget about
A part of you that'll never show
You're the only one that'll ever know
Take it back when it all began
Take your time, would you understand
What it's all about?
Something scratching its way out
Something you want to forget about
No one expects you to get up
All on your own with no one around
Opens up for nobody
Figures out, she figures out
Narrow line, she can't decide
Everything short of suicide
Never hurts, nearly works
Something scratching its way out
Something you want to forget about
A part of you that'll never show
You're the only one that'll ever know
Take it back when it all began
Take your time, would you understand
What it's all about?
Something scratching its way out
Something you want to forget about
No one expects you to get up
All on your own with no one around
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More Featured Meanings
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
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/
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.
I'm pretty sure this song is about a girl who is seriously depressed. She feels alone, and "opens up for nobody".
"Take it back when it all began" - I think she's trying to figure out why she is the way she is and how she got there.
And also I think there is some references to cutting in there, such as "never hurts, nearly works" as in, it nearly helps to take away the hurt she feels inside and she doesnt seem to feel the physical pain from it
My interpretation of the song may be a little biased, but I've always thought the song was about a girl who was raped or sexually assaulted as a child and kept it secret. I was raped as a kid and the abuse continued for almost seven years before I told a cousin, who was like my big brother. This song was a song that I related to through those years. Each line made sense to me and it sort of related to the situation.
"She doesn't look, she doesn't see" Meaning that she didn't look when he was assaulting her. "Opens up for nobody" how she kept it a secret. "Figures out, she figures out" how she believes that it was her fault. "Narrow line, she can't decide" her debate whether or not to tell someone. "Everything short of suicide" cutting because of effects of the assault. "Never hurts, nearly works" the display she puts on to fool other people.
"Something is scratching its way out" how she almost tells people "Something you want to forget about" the assault.
"A part of you that you'll never show, you're the only one that'll ever know" meaning it's kept a secret. No one knows about what happened. "Take it back to when it all began" I always thought that was her remembering the assault, analyzing it, trying to understand what made this man choose her. "Take your time, would you understand what it's all about, what it's all about?" when she's telling someone and explaining why she's so broken and so depressed.
"Something is scratching its way out, something you want to forget about. No one expects you to get out." The aftermath of telling her story. She feels like people are ashamed of her and angry with her, blaming her for what happened whether its true or not. She believes they don't think she will ever get better. "All on your own with no one around" meaning that even after she tells the story, she still feels alone.
That's what this song means to me too, although I was raped as an adult. I can also see how the song can mean a lot of different things to different people. Beautiful song.
i am soo sorry:(
@definingme yes you couldn't have put it any better. I was sexually assaulted by my dads friend beginning at the age of 7 until I was a teenager and had the courage to stand up for myself. I listen to this song in my car, windows up and blast this song as a 30 year old women and sing this song from the pit of my stomach and cry for the scared little girl in me that was too afraid to confess this to my parents. My parents have been married for 32 years and i was afraid that if I told my father he would kill his friend and he would go to prison. I didnt want to break up our family because of me so I kept quiet. Now I have a daughter and would kill anyone who would try to sexually assault her. It brings pain but I love this song!
i really think this song is about cutting and how someone is stuggling with that. "never hurts nearly works" people who cut dont see it as pain they see it as letting out the hurt from the inside, or at least with my expeiriences that has been the case. "A part of you that wil never show, your the only one that will ever know" people try and hide their pain and get rid of it and i think this song explains what goes through people who cut when they're cutting, i also think the way that the song is up beat, to me almost angry sounding, i just think it explains cutting very well
i love the fray theres this guy whos my best friend and every song they sing somehow reminds me of that boy
this song is about a girl who just wants everything bad to be over she thinks that there is no other way other than suicide its really quite sad and makes me want to cry cause it just reminds of myself but then again it could different things for everyone who listens to this song let it mean what you want it to <3
I love the piano part. . . ah, the arpeggio. . . (I think I spelled that wrong). . .
I think that without knowing anything about the song I think this song could possibly be about an abortion. The whole "She opens up for nobody" could be about the after abortion effects that many people have. And the something inside of her could represent the baby or lack ther of and all that has happened......I dont know, just a thought
I agree with clarence . I can completley understand this song and it really stands out to me on the album. This song reminds me of a friend of mine when they were very depressed. I can see the abortion issue but this song is clearly about a very upset or depressed girl. She is regretting somthing and reflecting on how it happened and why. It bugs her and she needs to get it out and forget about it completly. She wants to rid herself of this monstor inside of her but she cant because she cannot trust anybody so she hurts herself somehow but she dosent feel the pain to its full extent.."never hurts, nearly works"
And everybody knows she is upset and nobody expects her to make it on her own, nobody expects her to get over this and she shut everybody out so she ends up all alone and even more depressed.
I love this song. alot.
I think this song is about a choice that someone made a while ago that's eating them up inside, and it will never go away. They did such a bad thing and they don't know what to do about it, that they consider suicide. possibly...
nice that i added that after 8 people talked about that. i just realized other people had posted on this song already.......
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