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"
Love
Is it true
What they say of you
Gonna call the President
Gonna call a private eye
Gonna get the IRS
Gonna need the FBI
There's not anymore that I can do
All the reasons that you give
I follow you
So when you lead them in, that'll be the end of time it's true
Wouldn't be the first time I've been wrong
Wouldn't be the last I'm sure, I've known
With all the rumors I can tell
Some things didn't work so well
Well anyway, it feels the same
As when you first told me you were gone
So long ago but I still held on
Through all the emotions that I've had to take
And that's the truth, and here's the worst yet
Wouldn't even matter the things that I say
You've made your mind up and gone anyway
And there's no use now in dragging it on
Should've seen it coming all along
Well it's true, oh, I had
My doubts of you
Gonna call the President
Gonna call myself a private eye
Gonna need the IRS
Gonna get the FBI
Gonna make this a federal case
Gonna wave it right down in your face
Read it baby with your morning news
With a sweet hangover
And the headlines too, now
I bet you think I'm doing this all for my health
I should've looked again then at somebody else
Feelin' like I've done way more than wrong
Feelin' like I'm livin' inside of this song
Feelin' like I'm just too tired to care
Feelin' like I've done more than my share
Could've been the way that I carried on
Like a broken record for so long
And I do
Oh, oh
I'm gonna call the President
I'm gonna call a private eye
Gonna get the IRS
Gonna need myself the FBI
Oh, what shall I do?
If I gave my heart to you
It's such a crime you know it's true
Gonna call the president
Gonna need myself a private eye
Ooh, gonna need the IRS
Gonna get the FBI
Gonna make it a federal case
Gonna wave it right down in your face
Read it baby with your morning news
With the sweet hangover and the headlines too
There's not anymore that I can do
Is it true
What they say of you
Gonna call the President
Gonna call a private eye
Gonna get the IRS
Gonna need the FBI
There's not anymore that I can do
All the reasons that you give
I follow you
So when you lead them in, that'll be the end of time it's true
Wouldn't be the first time I've been wrong
Wouldn't be the last I'm sure, I've known
With all the rumors I can tell
Some things didn't work so well
Well anyway, it feels the same
As when you first told me you were gone
So long ago but I still held on
Through all the emotions that I've had to take
And that's the truth, and here's the worst yet
Wouldn't even matter the things that I say
You've made your mind up and gone anyway
And there's no use now in dragging it on
Should've seen it coming all along
Well it's true, oh, I had
My doubts of you
Gonna call the President
Gonna call myself a private eye
Gonna need the IRS
Gonna get the FBI
Gonna make this a federal case
Gonna wave it right down in your face
Read it baby with your morning news
With a sweet hangover
And the headlines too, now
I bet you think I'm doing this all for my health
I should've looked again then at somebody else
Feelin' like I've done way more than wrong
Feelin' like I'm livin' inside of this song
Feelin' like I'm just too tired to care
Feelin' like I've done more than my share
Could've been the way that I carried on
Like a broken record for so long
And I do
Oh, oh
I'm gonna call the President
I'm gonna call a private eye
Gonna get the IRS
Gonna need myself the FBI
Oh, what shall I do?
If I gave my heart to you
It's such a crime you know it's true
Gonna call the president
Gonna need myself a private eye
Ooh, gonna need the IRS
Gonna get the FBI
Gonna make it a federal case
Gonna wave it right down in your face
Read it baby with your morning news
With the sweet hangover and the headlines too
There's not anymore that I can do
Lyrics submitted by GNFR-For-Life
I.R.S. Lyrics as written by Darren A. Reed W. Axl Rose
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
Lord Huron
Holiday
Bee Gees
Bee Gees
@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
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,
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.
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
I thought it was about his divorce and further lawsuits with his wife. I don't know if I read this somewhere or came to this conclusion myself, but when I read the lyrics they sound more relevant to this than to the band. Maybe it's about both?
The lyrics are obviously about a woman that was infidel to the writer. The lyrics are a bit over the top, maybe even ridiculous, but musically it's an awesome catchy song.
One of the best GN'R songs yet - including the old ones. It sounds like a "sequel" to You Could Be Mine.
Where did you hear this, I can't find it anywhere.
I first nabbed it when it was leaked onto the 'net in 2004 and you could only get it on forums. Nowadays it's on Limewire, though. It's a New GN'R track that was originally played on Eddie Trunk's radio show in NYC in 2002 by Mike Piazza. Apparently someone gave Mike a tap with I.R.S. on it but after he played it for Trunk, GN'R managers called in and gave them a ceast and desist. Apparently, someone managed to record the song, anyway. It was put on the Internet last April, I think.
Yesterday Feb 15th 2006. A better quality demo version of I.R.S and the song Better was leaked onto various GNR Sites.
After hearing the good quality verion I.R.S. It is one of the best rock songs I have heard since the early 1990s. And yes I can see your relation to You Could Be Mine.
It's a great song, but I'd say it's the weakest of the new songs that were leaked.
Great, great song... true rock... but I think it's one of the best new songs... "Better" being the best one, then "I.R.S."... "The Blues" is real good too. And plz, someone correct the lyrics and get the right ones.
i dnt care wot evry1 says i think theyr just obsessed with slash, new gnr r better
Love this song.
Seems to me it is about the breakup of the old band. Axl admits he wronged the others but it was too late by the time he realised it. Then he goes on to talk abut the lawsuits between the old band and him.