3 Meanings
Add Yours
Share
Q&A

I'm Writing a Novel Lyrics

I ran down the road, pants down to my knees
Screaming 'please come help me, that Canadian shaman gave a little too much to me!'
And I'm writing a novel because it's never been done before

First house that I saw I wrote house up on the door
And told the people who lived there they had to get out 'cause my reality is realer than yours'
And there's no time for the present
And there's a black dog on the bed

I went to the backyard to burn my only clothes
And the dog ran out and said 'you can't turn nothing into nothingness with me no more'
Well I'm no doctor but that monkey might be right
And if he is I'll be walking him my whole life

I rode to Malibu on a dune buggy with Neil
He said 'you're gonna have to drown me down on the beach if you ever want to write the real'
And I said 'I'm sorry, young man what is your name again?'

Now everywhere I go in West Hollywood
It's filled with people pretending they don't see the actress and the actress wishing that they could
We could do ayahuasca
Baby if I wasn't holding all these drinks

Something 'bout the way Violet whips her hair
That makes me empty my pockets holding court on the corner burning twenties as if I was the mayor
I don't need any new friends, Momma
But I could really use something to do
So if you're up for it sometimes
I swear you wouldn't have to be my muse

Heidegger and Sartre, drinking poppy tea
I could've sworn last night I passed out in my van and now these guys are pouring one for me
I'll never leave the canyon 'cause I'm surrounded on all sides
By people writing novels and living on amusement rides
Questions and Answers

Ask specific questions and get answers to unlock more indepth meanings & facts.

3 Meanings

Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.

Cover art for I'm Writing a Novel lyrics by Father John Misty

The line, "Something 'bout the way Violet whips her hair That makes me empty my pockets on the corner to corner bumming twenties as if I was the mayor" Is actually incorrect.

It should read... "That makes me empty my pockets, HOLDIN' COURT on the corner BURNING twenties as if I was the mayor"

Great song.

Lyric Correction
Cover art for I'm Writing a Novel lyrics by Father John Misty

i'm afraid Oscar isn't really involved here ;) pretty sure he says "we could do ayahuasca".

also, i think in his hallucination he's riding to Malibu on a dune buggy with Neil Young (a reference to his Revolution Blues) who tells him "you're gonna have to drown me down on the beach if you ever want to write the real" as in something as good as the real "On The Beach" album.

funny song

Lyric Correction

I first heard this sing after reading the book "My Life With Charles Manson," and I know it was just parallels my brain created, but...

In the book, it mentioned the Family's "freakout" where they were tripping on belladonna and Manson ran down the street with his pants half on.

The book also spoke about the Family taking over a house on Topanga canyon Blvd. "My reality is realer than yours" is also very close to a Manson quote "You say your reality is real and my reality is not."

The Dunebuggy...

Cover art for I'm Writing a Novel lyrics by Father John Misty

I believe it's, "you can't turn nothing into nothingness with me no more".

My favorite line on the record is, "cause I'm surrounded on all sides / by people writing novels / and living on amusement rides". (Now, he's started saying "and living lives that look like mine.")

Lyric Correction

Thanks for the correction!

Not Valid