Keep your producer guessing
When you're in the booth confessing
And say it was mostly fiction
If they ever come to get you
Better bet your bottom dollar
On the spirit, son, and father
That I'll spit and shit and holler, yeah
Cause I'm my mother's daughter
Be warned, my temper burns
Like a ginger-blow pugilist
Unconcerned, I never learned to swing elbows
Or use my fist
Trying to live and let live and focus
Invest in problem markets
But killer's on a road trip
His text says not with carcass

From the backs of tent flyers in pen
The guilt-racked liar pretends to confess

When I was a little fat kid
I'd throw fits and punch doors
My frame is the same
I've just thinned; I want more
Down pinned on the floor
Trading places with my shadow
A pallid sallow corpse for a rising hell to swallow
Fully unarmed or armed under the robes with a staff only
Or unarmed fully under the robes
Through the ribs and inner body but
But for a bulging lung of poison
Poised to voice its cuts
And what's worse, of course
The sick and bile-y guts

From the backs of tent flyers in pen
The guilt-racked liar pretends to confess

They asked him whether he was sane
And if he'll ever kill again
Take half a clever lawyer's brain
To link the weapon to the man
Bitter thoughts, liver spots
Or bash your skull on river rocks
Love you lots, signed mom with hearts
OXOX on a Hallmark card

From the backs of tent flyers in pen
The guilt-racked liar pretends to confess


Lyrics submitted by SisterCity, edited by IndieKid1977

Bitter Thoughts song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

4 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +1
    General Comment

    it's "through the ribs and inner body" i think

    arighoston September 18, 2012   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation
    cparkacanadaon September 01, 2012   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation

    When the vocals say

    "From the backs of tent flyers in pen The guilt-racked liar pretends to confess"

    I think this a throw-back to Sod in the Seed when he says

    "I scribble vapid raps on your flyer backs"

    I think what he is saying is that he pours all this stuff into his raps and pretends that he is confessing, when really he feels he isn't.

    lyenlionon September 02, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    background singer sounds a little like Emily Haines...

    TheWrongGirlon November 07, 2012   Link

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

Album art
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
Album art
Gentle Hour
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,
Album art
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example: "'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Album art
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
Album art
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.