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"
Met on a train goin’ somewhere fast
He could see what she had right on
Together they build up an empire so vast
That no one and nothin’ could stop them
He looked like a man of the people
She looked high as hell at the ball
Of course they made everybody so jealous
But no one could touch ‘em et all
It was true love
What while the rabbles was restin’
They conquered the world and beyond
With each new insatiable ambition
They tested and strengthened their bond
He wasn’t nearly as driven
She wasn’t nearly as fun
But together they was quite a combination
When it come down to gettin’ it done
It was true love
True love
They amassed unspeakable fortunes and she still wasn’t satisfied
So he fell out to find what she wanted in her mind
What a hell of a ride
Bought private jet planes and castles
Took every pleasure that they could
Well good love comes with its troubles
Where things, things wouldn’t always be good
It was true love
There was a few times that she cheated
There was even some times when they split
But she upped and went and he got arrested
And she put up with it
It was drugs
Cause what mattered was keepin’ that feeling
What mattered was stayin’ on top
Some say what’s keepin’ them together so long
Is feelin’ they’ve already thought they could drop
It’s true love
True, true love
These days he’s callin’ her Brenda
That wasn’t always her name
That opened them to so many changes
As they weathered the pressures of change
Not long ago she almost lost him
Lesser man might’ve been dead
But just when she thought he might be giving up
He was back up in business instead
It was true love
Tonight I’m sure he’s in some tavern, smokin’, he’s drinkin’ it in
And I’m sure she’s holed up in that office, cruchin’ the numbers again
He’s livin’ it up while she’s workin’
I guess that’s just about right
Mick Jagger was born on a Monday morning
Keith Richards was born on a Saturday night
It was true love
It was true, it was true, it was true love
It was true, it was true love
He could see what she had right on
Together they build up an empire so vast
That no one and nothin’ could stop them
He looked like a man of the people
She looked high as hell at the ball
Of course they made everybody so jealous
But no one could touch ‘em et all
It was true love
What while the rabbles was restin’
They conquered the world and beyond
With each new insatiable ambition
They tested and strengthened their bond
He wasn’t nearly as driven
She wasn’t nearly as fun
But together they was quite a combination
When it come down to gettin’ it done
It was true love
True love
They amassed unspeakable fortunes and she still wasn’t satisfied
So he fell out to find what she wanted in her mind
What a hell of a ride
Bought private jet planes and castles
Took every pleasure that they could
Well good love comes with its troubles
Where things, things wouldn’t always be good
It was true love
There was a few times that she cheated
There was even some times when they split
But she upped and went and he got arrested
And she put up with it
It was drugs
Cause what mattered was keepin’ that feeling
What mattered was stayin’ on top
Some say what’s keepin’ them together so long
Is feelin’ they’ve already thought they could drop
It’s true love
True, true love
These days he’s callin’ her Brenda
That wasn’t always her name
That opened them to so many changes
As they weathered the pressures of change
Not long ago she almost lost him
Lesser man might’ve been dead
But just when she thought he might be giving up
He was back up in business instead
It was true love
Tonight I’m sure he’s in some tavern, smokin’, he’s drinkin’ it in
And I’m sure she’s holed up in that office, cruchin’ the numbers again
He’s livin’ it up while she’s workin’
I guess that’s just about right
Mick Jagger was born on a Monday morning
Keith Richards was born on a Saturday night
It was true love
It was true, it was true, it was true love
It was true, it was true love
Lyrics submitted by UnpopularPoet
Brenda Lyrics as written by Todd Daniel Snider
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This song is really hard to hear what he's singing in places, and of course there's no lyrics in the liner notes. I've had to use my ear from years of listening to Todd, and I've still had to check other lyrics sites to see what other people made of lines that didn't make sense to me. I think this is pretty close to correct now, after fixing the "Worked while their rivals was resting" line.
This is definitely my favorite song off "Agnostic Hymns and Stoner Fables." I love the Stones, but I might like this more my favorite one of theirs. I'm sure Todd would disagree, but hey. Part of what sells it doesn't even show up in the lyrics. Those "whoa-oh-whoa-oh-a-oh-oh"s are key.
Thanks for these Unpopular. I found this article that may help explain some of this to anyone not familiar with the trials and tribulations of The Stones.
independent.co.uk/news/people/news/keith-richards-apologises-to-mick-jagger-for-book-offence-7575284.html