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"
When you see a gentleman bee
Round a lady bee buzzin'
Just count to ten then count again
There's sure to be an even dozen
Multiplication
That's the name of the game
And each generation
They play the same
Now, there was two butterflies
Castin' their eyes
Both in the same direction
You'd never guess that one little yes
Could start a butterfly collection
Multiplication
That's the name of the game
And each generation
They play the same
Let me tell ya now
I say one and one is five
You can call me a silly goat
But, ya take two minks add two winks
Ah, ya got one mink coat
When a girl gets coy in front of a boy
After three or four dances
You can just bet she'll play hard to get
To multiply her chances
Multiplication
That's the name of the game
And each generation
You know they play the same
Hear me talkin' to ya
Mother Nature's a clever girl
She relies on habit
Ya take two hares with no cares
Pretty soon you got a room full of rabbits
Parakeets in between tweets
Sometimes get too quiet
Uh oh but, have no fear
'Cause soon you'll hear
A parakeet's riot just try it
Multiplication
That's the name of the game
And every generation
You know they play the same
Yes, it's multiplication
That's the name of the game
And each generation
They play the same
Round a lady bee buzzin'
Just count to ten then count again
There's sure to be an even dozen
Multiplication
That's the name of the game
And each generation
They play the same
Now, there was two butterflies
Castin' their eyes
Both in the same direction
You'd never guess that one little yes
Could start a butterfly collection
Multiplication
That's the name of the game
And each generation
They play the same
Let me tell ya now
I say one and one is five
You can call me a silly goat
But, ya take two minks add two winks
Ah, ya got one mink coat
When a girl gets coy in front of a boy
After three or four dances
You can just bet she'll play hard to get
To multiply her chances
Multiplication
That's the name of the game
And each generation
You know they play the same
Hear me talkin' to ya
Mother Nature's a clever girl
She relies on habit
Ya take two hares with no cares
Pretty soon you got a room full of rabbits
Parakeets in between tweets
Sometimes get too quiet
Uh oh but, have no fear
'Cause soon you'll hear
A parakeet's riot just try it
Multiplication
That's the name of the game
And every generation
You know they play the same
Yes, it's multiplication
That's the name of the game
And each generation
They play the same
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More Featured Meanings
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
Lord Huron
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
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,
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/
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
Its a song about making babies. That's fairily obvious.