You think I'll run, not walk, to you
Why would I want to talk to you?
I want you crawling back to me
Down on your knees, yeah
Like an appendectomy
Sans anesthesia

[Chorus]
If you think you can leave the past behind
You must be out of your mind
If you think you can simply press rewind
You must be out of your mind, son
You must be out of your mind

You want what you've turned off turned on
You call it sunset, now it's dawn
You can't go 'round just saying stuff
Because it's pretty
And I no longer drink enough
To think you're witty

[Chorus]

You want to kindle that old flame
I don't remember your real name
It must be something scandalous
Lurks in your shadows
If you need a Santa Claus
To buy your gallows

[Chorus]


Lyrics submitted by StephinMerrittsLover

You Must Be Out of Your Mind Lyrics as written by Stephin Raymond Merritt

Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING

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You Must Be Out Of Your Mind song meanings
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6 Comments

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  • +1
    General Comment

    what in the hell does the Santa Claus to buy your gallows thing mean?

    Jaegerianon February 15, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I think the song is about a man that betrayed his wife/girlfriend and is trying to win her back.

    [I want you crawling back to me down on your knees, yeah] [Like an appendectomy sans anesthesia]

    He calls to ask for forgiveness and she tells him to beg for it. She wants to get his hopes up so rejection will hurt even more.

    [You can't go round just saying stuff because it's pretty] [And I no longer drink enough to think you're witty]

    He tries smooth-talking but she is now wise enough to know he's lying.

    [It must be something scandalous lurks in your shallows] [If you needed Santa Claus to buy your gallows]

    He claims he will kill himself if he can't have her. She sees this as a disgraceful way to patch up their relationship, which is now as make believe as Santa Claus.

    I'm certain it's "shallows" and not "shadows."

    iunnuion April 03, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Beautiful. The new album excites me.

    renirambuson January 26, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I believe he is talking to a younger lover who has mindfucked him, and his trying to sweep it all under the rug and hook up again.

    Not exactly a secret, but Stephin is gay.

    muldrakeon September 17, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    As with so many Merritt tunes, this gets deeper with time. I had originally pegged this as one of his witty wordplay songs, because that part is so obvious.

    Instead, it's much more deeply witty, and much more sad.

    What does a song like this mean? It means love is horrible. Pain is forever. There's no rewind button. It actually speaks for itself, because it says all this in its lyrics. And it stabs you in the heart too.

    The incredibly harsh Santa Claus line reminds me of the equally harsh Santa Claus line from Dress Rehearsal Rag by Leonard Cohen.

    muldrakeon September 26, 2013   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    One of my all time favorites ????

    Martdogyoon January 14, 2023   Link

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