Green striped sheets lifted from me
i am free of two very heavy bodies
once we three had slept soundly
i couldn't keep them around
fold the blankets down
and found new sleeping ground
bed springs squeaking
tires squealing away from one another
we all used to be lovers here
bodies playing
stay they'll
stay like their boxes stacked
stay labeled and separated
go ahead take the couch
i know i don't want to sit next to nobody
go ahead take the fridge and all
i don't want you going hungry
go ahead take the cat
i know you're only gonna be coming back
go ahead take it all
i know how you've been wanting to settle down
has it always been settling down?
the one on the left says to the one on the right
i could make a very good wife for you
the one on the right to the one on the left
let's take this one step at a time
one the right says to the one on the left
you know i need you all the time
the one on the left says to the one on the right
i think i've changed my mind
i can't help but think
my insides have to sing
now the weight gets the better of me
and my insides have to sing
song for the sad ones
who say they'll marry they guess
she's wearing a white dress if he behaves his very best
song for the sad ones
who say they'll marry they guess
she's wearing a white dress if he behaves his very best
song for the sad ones
who say they'll marry they guess
she's wearing a white dress if he behaves his very best
song for the sad ones
who say they'll marry they guess
she's wearing a white dress if he behaves his very best
yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yeah
yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes
go ahead take the couch
i know i don't want to sit next to nobody
go ahead take the fridge and all
i don't want you going hungry
go ahead take the cat
i know you're coming back
go ahead take it all
i know how you've wanting to settle down all this time
has it always been settling down?
my elastic, steel and spring
they will tell you everything
if you lay down
for a minute
oh my elastic, steel and spring
they will tell you everything
if you lay down
for a minute
the mattress maker's making his living by the minute, by the minute
the mattress maker's making his living by the minute, by the minute
the mattress maker's making his living by the minute, by the minute
the mattress maker's making his living by the minute, by the minute
so, go ahead


Lyrics submitted by everybodylovetoday, edited by broguinn

Laments of a Mattress song meanings
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6 Comments

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  • +3
    General Comment

    seems to me it's from a mattress' perspective of a failing relationship

    feverrdreamson December 28, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    the one on the left says to the one on the right i think i've changed my mind

    i think this song is about a couple who is in love with the idea of being in love, rather than the actual relationship.

    inafutureageon June 27, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I'm guessing it's about a love triangle.

    rotguton March 05, 2009   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation

    I used to think, like feverrdreams, that this was about a mattress bearing witness to a relationship that ends because the couple aren't ready to commit further. Now, I wonder if it isn't about a three person relationship.

    "we all used to be lovers here bodies playing"

    But what was once a happy unconventional relationship ended:

    "i am free of two very heavy bodies once we three had slept soundly i couldn't keep them around"

    Two of the partners become fixated on the idea of a more conventional relationship:

    "the one on the left says to the on the right i could make a very good wife for you"

    The third person bitterly wishes them the best, sacrificing everything she has so they'll be happy, reducing her own value to that of the mattress they used to fuck on.

    "go ahead take it all i know how you've [been] wanting to settle down has it always been settling down?"

    While the other two don't stay together ("I think I've changed my mind"), it's a story of a happy yet unconventional relationship being torn apart by outside social pressures.

    broguinnon December 31, 2013   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Like all music, these lyrics are interpreted by you. Only you can determine what they mean and how they effect you. That being said, this song is extremely personal for me. To me, this song is about a relationship that started off very strong, yet had to end. During the demise of the relationship, each member still cares about the other. They wish to make it easier for each other by giving them more ownership of the "objects" they shared. "go ahead take the couch i know i don't want to sit next to nobody go ahead take the fridge and all i don't want you going hungry go ahead take the cat i know you're only gonna be coming back go ahead take it all" These lyrics seem to be exactly the words I spoke to my ex that I used to live with, yet had to part with. We both still loved and respected each other, but we both knew we had to separate. "stay like their boxes stacked stay labeled and separated"

    "i know how you've wanting to settle down all this time has it always been settling down? " Which to me, shows that one person in the relationship wanted to or expected it to turn into a marriage. Which, is heartbreaking to hear. For anyone.

    slillo89on January 26, 2014   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I don't think I understand the point of "The mattress maker's making his living by the minute". Anyone have any insights

    thimblythomon April 15, 2014   Link

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