Three words you have spoken
Don't make me a fool
As a gesture, a token
Please play by the rules

Please play by the rules
Please play by the rules
If I knew a way out
From breaking your heart
Was it free for the taking?

To tear you apart?
To tear you apart?
To tear you apart?
To tear you apart?

There can be no mistaking
Tell me quick as you can
'Cause I'm so tired faking

What we understand
What we understand
What we understand
What we understand


Lyrics submitted by Clay_Easton, edited by nicfit

Nevertheless Lyrics as written by Anton A Newcombe

Lyrics © WARP MUSIC LIMITED

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Nevertheless song meanings
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14 Comments

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  • +2
    My Opinion

    "Three words you have spoken..."

    One of the coolest tunes ever written and recorded. At the end of the documentary 'Dig,' Courtney Taylor hints at the idea of thinking he may have won the competition between he and Anton. The Dandy's made more money, bigger fanbase, whatever. Anton was a total mess, whacked out on drugs and a lost cause. Taylor says something along the lines of "Just when you think he's totally finished, he comes out with something, and you listen to it and you sit back and say, 'Wow.'" What he meant was, 'I lost. Anton won.'

    Taylor was talking about this song.

    PatMCon July 10, 2015   Link
  • +2
    My Interpretation

    You know how much I care about you, Nevertheless

    Don't say you love me Because I can't lose my head. Help me out Stay in our boundaries.

    I don't know how to say this Without hurting you. Would you hand me your heart? And make me break it? Make me hurt you?

    I don't want that mistake. Let me know directly, No more dancing around it, That we're on the same page.

    ~potentialprotagonist

    ptntlprtgnston August 04, 2015   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    He loves her too. "Don't make me a fool... please play by the rules". He knows the murky waters of love and wishes to preserve it as pure.

    Basically, he's giving her his heart and asking not to be hurt.

    "If I knew a way out from breaking your heart, was it free for the taking?" However, he knows he is also capable of hurting her and its almost like a no-turning back type deal... is hurting someone less more appropriate than breaking a heart?

    He wants to know where they stand.

    I'd really like to see what others think about this one..

    bumbagon August 24, 2008   Link
  • +1
    Song Meaning

    I agree with bumbag and Rovbanan... especially the 'no-turning back type deal' you get with relationships and the part about waiting to say those "three words"... you feel like a total tool if someone professes their love for you early in a relationship and a few months later dump you on your ass..

    "there can be no mistaking, tell me quick as you can. 'cause i'm so tired faking." perhaps when a relationship starts to go sour, but neither party wants to admit it or perhaps they try to get things back to the way they were... and it gets to the point that you know its not worth it and you just want it to be out in the open since youre so tired of trying to maintain that pretense...

    what really interests me is what is meant by the song's name, "Nevertheless" it begs the question 'nevertheless what?' so obviously its something we're supposed to think about... nevertheless, we will continue to shat all over peoples' hearts and get our shat all over? or perhaps it was written with a more literal, double meaning - despite our previous experiences, 'never will our high expectations/optimism be less' there are probably a number of ways to look at it... bjm's songs always have so much duplicity.. or else i can always find multiple meanings... i freaking love bjm <3

    c4r4me1on August 29, 2009   Link
  • +1
    My Interpretation

    Pretty straightforward. It's about someone who is dealing with the pain of rejecting a friends romantic overtures. Likely someone they care a great deal about, and while part of them might like to, they can't give them what they want.

    "Three words you have spoken, don't make me a fool. as a gesture, a token please play by the rules."

    The friend in loves declares their feelings, and the object of there affection is asking them to stay within the boundary of their friendship.

    "if i knew a way out, from breaking your heart. was it free for the taking? to tear it apart? to tear you apart?"

    They wish they could avoid it, but they know that there is only one possible outcome - breaking their friends heart.

    "there can be no mistaking, tell me quick as you can. 'cause i'm so tired faking."

    They don't want to pretend that things are ok when it is obvious they are not. Better to just get it over with and not prolong the suffering.

    A heart breaking song.

    h2theizzoon June 10, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    This is one of the greatest songs ever performed. Maybe second to Malela. It's a shame that most people will live their lives without ever experiencing the brilliance that is the Brian Jonestown Massacre. I count myself among the fortunate, thought I cannot now remember how that came about. DiG maybe? cause I'm so tired of fakin'...

    Eleriuson November 12, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    the beeping/submarine sound came from jeff davies amp, which everyone was stoked on so anton looped it throungh the whole song!

    rickksbon December 10, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Well i uploaded the lyrics so here is my opinion.. This song is great, but i have no idea what it means.

    Clay_Eastonon May 04, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I love this song so very much

    precipitateon May 10, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Great song. Song is about, i think, unreturned love, or at least some confusion regarding the writers love to someone. Three words you have spoken (I love you). Please play by the rules - maybe something about waiting some time before saying it. Yeah if you've broken somebodys heart youll know whats it about...quite obviuos really...

    Rovbananon August 01, 2007   Link

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