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"
there is a boy in a band
who is friends with my french
teacher's step-son sebastian
a very nice
gentleman
he seems to know me
but i cant remember him
good god forgive me i'm
out of my element
and i cant seem to keep them all straight
i've forgotten which people i like
and which people i hate
and im waiting
for someone to shake me and say
hey bitch
your wish
is my command
just smile
and nod
we'll under...
...standing in front of the sink
i'm pretending to wink
at pretend-paparazzi who hide
in the chemicals
from every locket behind
every curtain
their lenses ensure that i
look lost in thought yet
approachable
and i cant seem to keep them all straight
i've forgotten which ones i should skip
and which ones i should take
and i'm waiting
for someone to shake me and say
hey bitch
dont quit
you're almost dead
don't give up now
make friends instead
of going out
go home instead
of getting dressed
go back to bed
there is a voice on the phone
who's convinced i'm alone
and i've called 'cos im greedy
and looking for sympathy
he seems to like me
but i cant relate i
would like to get closer
but christ, all the time it takes
and i cant seem to keep myself straight
i've forgotten which habits to hide
and which habits to fake
and i'm waiting
for someone to shake me and say
hey bitch
nice tits
you're broke but then
you're rich in love
you're great in bed
you'll see the world
you'll knock them dead
and all the thick books that you've read
will count for nothing in the end
who is friends with my french
teacher's step-son sebastian
a very nice
gentleman
he seems to know me
but i cant remember him
good god forgive me i'm
out of my element
and i cant seem to keep them all straight
i've forgotten which people i like
and which people i hate
and im waiting
for someone to shake me and say
hey bitch
your wish
is my command
just smile
and nod
we'll under...
...standing in front of the sink
i'm pretending to wink
at pretend-paparazzi who hide
in the chemicals
from every locket behind
every curtain
their lenses ensure that i
look lost in thought yet
approachable
and i cant seem to keep them all straight
i've forgotten which ones i should skip
and which ones i should take
and i'm waiting
for someone to shake me and say
hey bitch
dont quit
you're almost dead
don't give up now
make friends instead
of going out
go home instead
of getting dressed
go back to bed
there is a voice on the phone
who's convinced i'm alone
and i've called 'cos im greedy
and looking for sympathy
he seems to like me
but i cant relate i
would like to get closer
but christ, all the time it takes
and i cant seem to keep myself straight
i've forgotten which habits to hide
and which habits to fake
and i'm waiting
for someone to shake me and say
hey bitch
nice tits
you're broke but then
you're rich in love
you're great in bed
you'll see the world
you'll knock them dead
and all the thick books that you've read
will count for nothing in the end
Lyrics submitted by Vindemiatrix
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I love these lyrics, especially the last lines. I think it's about feeling lost and trying to find love but finding it hard to take risks.
On her website she posted other song demos in which she originally wanted to use on WKAP with a little description as to the meaning, memory, or other tidbit about it. This is what she said about it:
this song was recorded for the record itself, with a full string section, and battled against "another year" for a while for the last song slot. i'll never know whether i made the right decision or not. but i love this tune. this song was recorded around the same time i was making the record, but at home in boston, in my bedroom on the night that noah came over and helped me set up garage band and a small mixing board next to my piano. it's the only song i've recorded at home, because the minute i came back to town and things were unplugged, i couldn't remember how to set the fucking thing up again.
but i got one recording out of it, at least.
You can find this song and direct quote at : amandapalmer.bandcamp.com/track/straight-with-strings