Beauty can be sad; you're proof of that
When the damage is done, you're damaged goods
That's not to say it's not okay
I wouldn't have it any other way

A heart, a heart that hurts, is a heart, a heart that works
A heart, a heart that hurts, is a heart, a heart that works

Sweet, sweet pain comes with the sun
Lie down and soak it up, burn off layers of insulators
Exposed nose to the cold, I'm bleeding pretty colors
Yeah, all over myself

A heart, a heart that hurts, is a heart, a heart that works
A heart, a heart that hurts, is a heart, a heart that works

Black wave comes to take me away
I ride it almost to the grave
Landing on a crowded shore, high-fiving
What a trip; I'm better for it
I feel a live sensation

A heart, a heart that hurts, is a heart, a heart that works
A heart, a heart that hurts, is a heart, a heart that works
A heart, a heart that hurts, is a heart, a heart that works
A heart, a heart that hurts, is a heart, a heart that works
A heart, a heart that hurts, is a heart, a heart that works
A heart, a heart that hurts, is a heart, a heart that works


Lyrics submitted by Neon_Like

Universal Heart-Beat Lyrics as written by Juliana Hatfield

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

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Universal Heartbeat song meanings
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    Beauty can be sad. You're proof of that. When the damage is done, you're damaged goods. That's not to say it's not okay. I wouldn't have it any other way.

    I think this has to do with the things people do to make themselves look certain ways, the pressure people feel to be accepted and to feel attractive, and what they do to attain the common notion of beauty. And when it's done with, you can't get back the years, and what harm you've inflicted upon yourself, or what changes you've imposed upon yourself, in the name of beauty. It's often irreversible - in ways that are both physical and mental. When she says she wouldn't have it any other way, it's hard to explain, but it makes sense to me. It's sort of the way i feel about a lot of things these days. Though you recognize how debauched and degraded our societal standards are these days, it's almost like watching a car wreck. It's like Lindsey Lohan on E! or Winehouse snorting vodka or something. It's just so absurd, it's almost bittersweet.

    A heart, a heart that hurts, is a heart, a heart that works. A heart, a heart that hurts, is a heart, a heart that works.

    Sweet. sweet pain comes with the sun. Lie down and soak it up, Burn off layers of insulators. Exposed nose to the cold, I'm bleeding pretty colors, yeah, all over myself.

    I think this has to do with how we do these things to our bodies, and we are so infused with the idea of how we are supposed to look and be, that we don't even think twice about how we are hurting ourselves. The simple act of lying in the sun these days, and we are literally burning ourselves. By describing pain as "sweet", and phrasing things like "lie down and soak it up", i think she is invoking a certain vocab. to intensify almost a sort of masochism, to suffer for fashion, so to speak. In the end, by BLEEDING pretty colors all over, you have to think of the word choices. This person achieved what they wanted, which is to say, simply put, to be pretty, but not without sacrifice.

    A heart, a heart that hurts, is a heart, a heart that works. A heart, a heart that hurts, is a heart, a heart that works.

    Black wave comes to take me away. I ride it almost to the grave. Landing on a crowded shore, high-fiving. What a trip I'm better for it. I feel a live sensation.

    I think this has to do with how extreme it actually is (even more so, these days, opposed to when this song was written) and what people have to do not to feel anything at all, with so much being force-fed. If i were a teenager right now, and i watched the TV and listened to the radio, i'd be so screwed up. They are force-fed feelings - which ones they should be having and how they should be experiencing them, and little pills, accommodating any syndrome, accompanied by any number of pills for any variety of side-effects. TV and radio portray these dramatic, heart-on-your-sleeve, CHILDREN, talking about love and heartbreak, etc. We've reached an age of such extremism that i don't know how anyone feels a thing! Anyway, i digress... It's about the risks people take, the things people do, at almost any cost, to feel alive, to get a high, and to feel accepted.

    A heart, a heart that hurts, is a heart, a heart that works X6

    This makes me feel and think of a lot of things. To name a few: You don't need to break down, and turn into a sobbing fool to show you're upset. There aren't certain ways we are supposed to feel according to certain circumstances or situations. Also, it's very universal to me. It's hopeful. Despite, the appearance-obsessed present state (even of alterations and cosmetic surgery), when it comes down to it, we all sort of feel the same. We all suffer and feel pain, and it's normal. It even feels good, sometimes. :)

    To sum up the song in a line, which i bet you wish i'd done earlier- NO PAIN, NO GAIN.

    HowToWalkAwayon March 21, 2008   Link

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