I want to bury your face in the
Midwestern dirt to dull the shape
And cut that hand that changed my name
Polishing

And my next words could be my last
My clumsy mouth and the egg shells cracked
And oh no, oh no, oh no no, oh no, oh no no

I'm sinking in deeper, midwestern dirt
Sinking in deeper, midwestern dirt

Did you ever want to start?
Or just watch my love
I'm just some impulse buy
You couldn't take your eyes off of
Some clean white slate for you to fill in the blanks
Then show me off, you show me off

And my next words could be my last
My clumsy mouth and the egg shells cracked
And oh no, oh no, oh no no, oh no, oh no no

I'm sinking in deeper midwestern dirt
Sinking in deeper midwestern dirt

And you'll stay above me forever
Like you stay above me for now


Lyrics submitted by andreaaaa

Midwestern Dirt song meanings
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  • +1
    My Interpretation

    I think this song is about a woman being abused in her marriage by a man who married her on impulse because of her looks, not because of love.

    "I want to bury your face in the Midwestern dirt to dull the shape And cut that hand that changed my name Polishing"

    Here is the woman saying she wants to put him in the ground. "Cut the hand that changed my name" is about hurting him, the man who changed her last name when he married her.

    " And my next words could be my last My clumsy mouth and the egg shells cracked And oh no, oh no, oh no no, oh no, oh no no"

    He has a short temper and she knows the slighest thing she says could set him off and he might hurt or seriously kill her

    "I'm sinking in deeper, midwestern dirt Sinking in deeper, midwestern dirt"

    I think this is the woman admitting that she didn't kill him, but just daydreams about it. Sinking in deeper in Midwestern dirt is her accepting her fate as an abused trophy wife somewhere in the Midwest, like a plant taking root because it doesnt have the ability to go anywhere else

    "Did you ever want to start? Or just watch my love I'm just some impulse buy You couldn't take your eyes off of Some clean white slate for you to fill in the blanks Then show me off, you show me off"

    She's asking him if he ever really loved her or was she just married for her looks without a second thought. He just needed someone new to start over with, perhaps this is not his first marriage.

    "And you'll stay above me forever Like you stay above me for now"

    The most chilling line. She's saying "I know you'll kill me eventually and put me in the ground below you, just like right now you stand over me by controlling/abusing me"

    lawsongreyon September 01, 2016   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    slome clean white slate for you to clean out the holes

    ADimeADexteron February 12, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    off

    ADimeADexteron February 12, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    off

    ADimeADexteron February 12, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    This song is beautiful. I think it's about a guy that feels like his relationship isn't real anymore. His girlfriend is just using him for the idea of having a boyfriend, not who he actually is and always makes him feel unworthy.

    lilyloveson February 12, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    one of my favorite DATH songs, it just sounds like it's about being used in a relationship, something inorganic that just happened at the wrong time for both people.

    I especially love the walking on eggshells reference, the only thing that confuses me is that the last two lines sound like they could be about death.

    norawafaion December 13, 2011   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation

    I like the interpretation of it being an abusive relationship, but I almost feel as if it's one between a father/son instead of romantic.

    "I want to bury your face in the Midwestern dirt to dull the shape And cut that hand that changed my name"

    Want to dull the shape of his face, because he looks like him. Also references name, which makes more sense for wife/husband BUT could still be true. Maybe stepfather?

    "And my next words could be my last My clumsy mouth and the egg shells cracked"

    Volatility of an abusive father

    "Did you ever want to start? Or just watch my love I'm just some impulse buy You couldn't take your eyes off of Some clean white slate for you to fill in the blanks Then show me off, you show me off"

    Trophy kids are definitely a thing, impulsively deciding you want children to live out the life you wanted.

    If it were a female singing, it would make sense as an abusive marriage but I think given it coming from a male and this album referencing his family and childhood I think it's plausible.

    kellyisaacson September 26, 2017   Link

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