Both as a standalone and as part of the DSOTS album, you can take this lyric as read. As a matter of public record, Jourgensen's drug intake was legendary even in the 1980s. By the late 90s, in his own words, he was grappling with massive addiction issues and had lost almost everything: friends, spouse, money and had nearly died more than once. "Dark Side of the Spoon" is a both funny & sad title for an album made by a musical genius who was losing the plot; and this song is a message to his fans & friends saying he knows it. It's painful to listen to so I'm glad the "Keith Richards of industrial metals" wised up and cleaned up. Well done sir.
I'll give you countless amounts
Of outright acceptance, if you want it
I will give you encouragement
To choose the path that you want, if you need it
You can speak of anger and doubts
Your fears and freak outs and I'll hold it
You can share your so-called shame-filled accounts
Of times in your life and I won't judge it
(And there are no strings attached to it)
You owe me nothing for giving the love that I give
You owe me nothing for caring the way that I have
I give you thanks for receiving, it's my privilege
And you owe me nothing in return
You can ask for space for yourself and only yourself and I'll grant it
You can ask for freedom as well or time to travel and you'll have it
You can ask to live by yourself or love someone else and I'll support it
You can ask for anything you want, anything at all and I'll understand it
(And there are no strings attached to it)
You owe me nothing for giving the love that I give
You owe me nothing for caring the way that I have
I give you thanks for receiving, it's my privilege
And you owe me nothing in return
I bet you're wondering when the next payback shoe will eventually drop
I bet you're wondering when my conditional police will force you to cough up
I bet you're wondering how far you have now danced your way back into debt
This is the only kind of love, as I understand it, that there really is
You can express your deepest of truths, even if it means I'll lose you, and I'll hear it
You can fall into the abyss on your way to your bliss, I'll empathize with
You can say that you have to skip town to chase your passion and I'll hear it
You can even hit rock bottom, have a mid-life crisis, and I'll hold it
(And there are no strings attached to it)
You owe me nothing for giving the love that I give
You owe me nothing for caring the way that I have
I give you thanks for receiving, it's my privilege
And you owe me nothing in return
You owe me nothing for giving the love that I give
You owe me nothing for caring the way that I have
I give you thanks for receiving, it's my privilege
And you owe me nothing in return
Of outright acceptance, if you want it
I will give you encouragement
To choose the path that you want, if you need it
You can speak of anger and doubts
Your fears and freak outs and I'll hold it
You can share your so-called shame-filled accounts
Of times in your life and I won't judge it
(And there are no strings attached to it)
You owe me nothing for giving the love that I give
You owe me nothing for caring the way that I have
I give you thanks for receiving, it's my privilege
And you owe me nothing in return
You can ask for space for yourself and only yourself and I'll grant it
You can ask for freedom as well or time to travel and you'll have it
You can ask to live by yourself or love someone else and I'll support it
You can ask for anything you want, anything at all and I'll understand it
(And there are no strings attached to it)
You owe me nothing for giving the love that I give
You owe me nothing for caring the way that I have
I give you thanks for receiving, it's my privilege
And you owe me nothing in return
I bet you're wondering when the next payback shoe will eventually drop
I bet you're wondering when my conditional police will force you to cough up
I bet you're wondering how far you have now danced your way back into debt
This is the only kind of love, as I understand it, that there really is
You can express your deepest of truths, even if it means I'll lose you, and I'll hear it
You can fall into the abyss on your way to your bliss, I'll empathize with
You can say that you have to skip town to chase your passion and I'll hear it
You can even hit rock bottom, have a mid-life crisis, and I'll hold it
(And there are no strings attached to it)
You owe me nothing for giving the love that I give
You owe me nothing for caring the way that I have
I give you thanks for receiving, it's my privilege
And you owe me nothing in return
You owe me nothing for giving the love that I give
You owe me nothing for caring the way that I have
I give you thanks for receiving, it's my privilege
And you owe me nothing in return
Lyrics submitted by ScribbledInk1975
You Owe Me Nothing in Return Lyrics as written by Alanis Morissette
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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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"
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I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
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How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
"You Owe Me Nothing in Return" is, in Morissette's words, "about the real definition of what love is ... wanting for someone that you love what they want for themselves. And at the same time not sacrificing my own life and my thoughts and my own beliefs. Supporting someone in their choices and at the same time being able to express what mine are, even if they differ, is the ultimate healthy, loving interaction."
Source: msopr.com/mso/morissette-cutbycut.html
Is it just me who thinks it's not as simple as people are saying? For me there is this slight air of cynicism, like 'You can do all these things that might hurt me and I'll just deal with it.'. Almost as in WHY would someone do that and the bit about 'I bet you're wondering when the next payback shoot will eventually drop' seems to me to be a bit odd. Surely an ideal relationship would be like that, as in he'd repay her in the same situation because of notions of equality. To me, equal grounding is more of a true love than doing everything for one person.
I'm not sure, it just seems to me to be a kind of critique on people who bend over backwards for their lovers no matter what they might do and don't care if the other person reciprocates.
@Prisoner.I.Was YES! I was just thinking this. I can't help but feel that the singer is feeling like - I give you everything and you give nothing back, but I can't help but to love you, so I'll let it keep going this way, despite my better judgment. This song is really hitting me hard right now.
Not trying to be Mr. Wise Guy here, but to me there's a lot of satire and sarcasm in this song. The sad tone of her voice actually gives it away. As I understand the lyrics, this song is about unconditional love but not at all the good kind. I mean, just as an example: "You can ask to live by yourself or love someone else, and I'll support it"-- that has nothing to do with a healthy relationship.
I think it is about being very much in love with somebody, to the point of obsession maybe, and that the other person owes you nothing in return for whatever you do for them. They can treat you in whatever way they want, because you'll always have their back, support them, be there for them. If they need space, support, love or acceptance, you will be the one they can call on. You will give all of your time and energy to make them feel loved, and deep in your heart that's what you really want to feel yourself. But it's not a matter of course that they will do the same things for you. It is not the type of love that is based on giving and taking, and there is really only one person who benefits from it. It is not equal or right, but the humble "giver" keeps hanging on because they have a tiny bit of hope that they will be loved fully in return. And if that doesn't happen, they'll just keep trying harder.
I was with you up until the last sentence. They move on. When there's no reason for absence and the promise made was not fulfilled, they move on. Sadly, some don't see it happening because it's gradual. But it's there. FYI, your warped view of relationships has you interpreting the song all wrong. Love is not measured by who gives more/puts more in. Love is measured by whether or not each person gets out of it what S/HE wants. People love for many reasons and each has different expectations. For example, I don't want marriage. I don't want boring. I don't want the status quo. I like a challenge. I like raw energy. I like to nurture, too. And I require extremely bright men. It's a turn on. Leave It To Beaver may work for your mama, but my mama didn't raise a dull girl...
I agree with you that love is open to many different interpretations and that people should do whatever makes them happy, as long as they don't hurt others or take advantage of them. Inequality or being completely spineless in order to please somebody is not something I've ever believed in. I don't think that has anything to do with my so-called "warped view of relationships" as you label it. I also don't believe you know me. My post was clearly labeled as being my own interpretation, so even if you disagree I suggest you keep it down with the personal comments.<br /> <br /> As for the rest, I think Prisoner.I.Was has already summed up my take on this song very well.
To me this song is about a mother's unconditional love. How she gives it and expecting nothing in return really, just having her kids there is enough..."I will give you encouragement to choose a path that you want if you need it...you can ask to live by yourself ,or love someone else and I'll support it " sounds like something a mother would do...
@suha I hadn't thought of it that way, but now that you mention it, that makes a lot of sense!
I don't appreciate it being insinuated I'm selfish, wolfnrose. I'm not at all, my partner can tell you this so don't lump me in the same category with your ex. That's just rude and presumptuous. Relationships SHOULD be about equality and loving the other in return, it's not got anything to do with 'trade'.
Anyway, aren't lyrics in many ways akin to poetry? Now call me crazy, but I believe that with poetry you can't actually be wrong. Perhaps Alanis did mean for this to be a song about the true definition of love, but if another interpretation makes just as much sense, why can't people view it in another way? Another reason people might take an interpretation like the one I took is because it's a stance Alanis takes in a lot of her songs. 'Hands Clean', 'You Oughta Know' etc. are all generally about lovers chewing their significant others up and spitting them out. Maybe that means 'You Owe Me...' is just an anomoly, I'm not throwing that theory away at all, but it could also be continuing the recurring theme in a lot of her songs.
Love without expectation for it to be return and being content with that.
This song is beautiful - how someone can love someone so much that they just want them to be happy, whether they're with them or someone else - 'this is the only kind of love, as I understand it, that there really is'.
this lyric is completely wrong... "you can share your so-called SHAME filled accounts of times in your life and I won't judge it" "I bet you're wondering when the next payback SHOE will eventually drop" "I bet you're wondering how far you have NOW DANCED, you're way back into debt" "You CAN express your deepest of truths even if it means I'll lose you and i'll hear it" "You can say that you have to skip town to CHASE YOUR passion, and I'll hear it"
This is one of my fave Alanis songs. Wow, suha, I really liked hearing your indsight - I never thought of it as a parent-child thing before but now I see perfectly how it fits. I look at it from a relationship point of view mainly - it's the kind of love I'd love to be capable of giving but I just can't - it hurts me too much to give love away and have it not returned or not appreciated. It's a representation of such selfless love...it's beautiful.
Bit too ooey gooey non-judgmental for me.