In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
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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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.