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.
She's made of hair and bone, little teeth
things I cannot speak
She comes on like a crippled plaything
Spine is just a string
I wrapped our love in all this foil
Silver tight like spider legs
I never wanted it to ever spoil
But flies will lay their eggs
Take your hatred out on me
Make your victim my head
You never ever believed in me
I am your tourniquet
Prosthetic synthesis with butterfly
Sealed up with virgin stitch
If it hurts, baby, please tell me
Preserve the innocence
I never wanted it to end like this
But flies will lay their eggs
Take your hatred out on me
Make your victim my head
You never ever believed in me
I am your tourniquet
What I wanted, what I needed
What I got for me
What I wanted, what I needed
What I got for me
Take your hatred out on me
Make your victim my head
You never ever believed in me
I am your tourniquet
Take your, take your, get up out of me
I'm not proud of me
I never, ever believed in me
I am your tourniquet
things I cannot speak
She comes on like a crippled plaything
Spine is just a string
I wrapped our love in all this foil
Silver tight like spider legs
I never wanted it to ever spoil
But flies will lay their eggs
Take your hatred out on me
Make your victim my head
You never ever believed in me
I am your tourniquet
Prosthetic synthesis with butterfly
Sealed up with virgin stitch
If it hurts, baby, please tell me
Preserve the innocence
I never wanted it to end like this
But flies will lay their eggs
Take your hatred out on me
Make your victim my head
You never ever believed in me
I am your tourniquet
What I wanted, what I needed
What I got for me
What I wanted, what I needed
What I got for me
Take your hatred out on me
Make your victim my head
You never ever believed in me
I am your tourniquet
Take your, take your, get up out of me
I'm not proud of me
I never, ever believed in me
I am your tourniquet
Lyrics submitted by piesupreme, edited by Rawrishly, Monkey Brainz
Tourniquet Lyrics as written by Scott Mitchell Putesky Brian Hugh Warner
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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
Standing On The Edge Of Summer
Thursday
Thursday
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
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,
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
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.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
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.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
I'm aware of what it says in the book, but how closely it parallels to a victim mentality in relationships, motivated me to comment. As it's been said in a concise way already in one of the comments I've read, I simply wanted to expound on it further with my own perspective =P
"she comes on like a crippled play thing" seems to me as a person that only finds self worth by physical intimacy, making up for the lack of emotional needs being met, due to being emotionally shut off.
"spine is just a string" being a metaphor for lack of spine, backbone, or an inability to stand up for one's self. Needing support to stand up.
"I wrapped our love in all this foil/silver-tight like spider legs/I never wanted it to ever spoil/but flies will always lay their eggs". Wrapping this love in silver lining as to preserve the first stage of a relationship (romance, which is addicting) but as all things, it changed but due to it not being handled properly, it rotted away... and in a pessimistic perspective, it was inevitable.
"Take your hatred out on me/make your victim my head/you never ever believed in me/I am your tourniquet" Total victim mentality. Treat me like I'm nothing so that you'll feel better. I'll sustain it because I care for you that much... All in effort to sustain a conditional love relationship at the sacrifice of your own needs just so that they will not leave you. All to feel as if you have a function or purpose in life... and you somehow deserve this abuse because you really are worthless, and you were made to believe it not so much by physical abuse (may be included but not referred to), but by mental/emotional abuse. Or, rather, being emotionally held hostage so that you'd continue sacrificing yourself like Christ just to keep that person happy. And he is continuing to serve and look after all of her wounds believing that she'd die without him being her crutch. He has an incessant need to feel wanted/needed as the she needs support/a crutch once again referencing "spine is just a string".
Perfect example of an unhealthy relationship of two emotionally unavailable people trying to get their needs met... At least, that's what I think =P
@Molo I completely agree with this opinion... This is exactly how I see this song, although I do see a tourniquet as being a self admission wrapped around you to feel better... As in the aggressor has the victim wrapped around them in the purpose to make them feel better...