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"
I've been searching and you've been gone
Out looking for the shortest path to the one that you're on
And I've already seen all I want to see
Come on, let's take the long cut
I think that's what we need
When we were younger, we were strong
We felt a lot better than the things that we'd done
Now if it's to be, if you still believe
Come on let's take the long cut
I think that's what we need
If you want to take the long cut
We'll get there eventually
I've been searching and you've been gone
Out looking for the shortest path to the one you're on
Now if it's to be, if you still believe
Come on let's take the long cut
I think that's what we need
We've been in a deep rut
And it's been killing me
If you want to take the long cut
We'll get there eventually
Out looking for the shortest path to the one that you're on
And I've already seen all I want to see
Come on, let's take the long cut
I think that's what we need
When we were younger, we were strong
We felt a lot better than the things that we'd done
Now if it's to be, if you still believe
Come on let's take the long cut
I think that's what we need
If you want to take the long cut
We'll get there eventually
I've been searching and you've been gone
Out looking for the shortest path to the one you're on
Now if it's to be, if you still believe
Come on let's take the long cut
I think that's what we need
We've been in a deep rut
And it's been killing me
If you want to take the long cut
We'll get there eventually
Lyrics submitted by myeyesareopen
The Long Cut Lyrics as written by Jeffrey Scott Tweedy Jeff Tweedy
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Outside of that, it's probably my third favorite Tupelo song.
@whatchamacallme Tweedy will do them in his acoustic sets every so often, but I haven't heard Wilco do a full band Tupelo song since the 90s
I've never had the chance to see Uncle Tupelo/Son Volt/Wilco in concert. Does Wilco still do this or any other Uncle Tupelo songs in concert.
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@julian1010 I know I posted this question 7.5 years ago and you answered it 4 years ago, but thanes. I've since seen Wilco in concert and I could've sworn I'd heard an Uncle Tupelo song in their set.