| Cursive – The Lament of Pretty Baby Lyrics | 20 years ago |
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Okay, from what I've read I think I have a WAY different take on this song than the rest of you. First off, ignoring all of the rude and wrongly placed comments, I for one find Cursive genius and this song beautiful. My opinion of this song is that it is a take on Tim's marriage with his ex wife and its end, and thus quite fitting in the album. "Pretty Baby" is the personification of his marriage, and "She" is being lamented. Also, I think the fact that so many people don't think it fits in the album doubly serves Cursive's purpose. The marraige itself didn't fit, thus the song about it is going to sum it up and be slightly different than the rest, and resemble its muse by "not fitting". "I saw something I was not supposed to see" deals with Tim perhaps realizing his marriage was collapsing, even though he desperately hoped against it. He was so dependant on his wife that when he realized that they were over he just couldn't take it. Perhaps he realized she was cheating on him, and the lyrics can indeed be taken literally, or, if not that, maybe it was after a heated argument. I think "They" might be metephorical for her wanting to leave him, and perhaps also for another man she was cheating on him with. Thus, when he says "We will fix this incident" he is refering to the fact that they can still fix it, and "He [the man she was cheating on him with] won't touch [her] again". Because he is in love with her and desperately hopes against his revelation, that fortells the end. Remember, this is all from Tim's view, so "hurt" could be an easy metephor for hurting their marriage and stealing her away from him. "I don't want to be seen as a pretty thing...." is a metaphor for the relationship, it was a beautiful thing and beautiful things can never last and always break. "I'm Broken" and the "She" saying it, probably is the personification of his marriage, because (as I said) in my opinion, "Pretty Baby" is the personification, and she is saying that she is literally broken. The second part of the song is about his marriage, and again I believe a personification of it in female form. "She" (the marriage) always feels imperfect and wants to be "fixed". In other words, he was always trying to fix his marriage and work things out, but his wife just told him it was naivete and she liked it as it was, perhaps its the "all marriages have their downsides" deal. Meanwhile, Pretty Baby (once again, their marriage) was, in Tim's view, being smothered by denial and really wanted and needed to be fixed. "Crushed beneath fashion magazines" is just a metaphor for how they were always trying to make it appear like they were happily married, and thus their marriage (personified) was always painting herself up to be happy and conform to the common standards of a healthy relationship (as fashion magazines are accepted as common standards of beauty). "Trampled by circus pony dreams" just cements this, because the effort they spent on appearing happy (and he on trying to fix it) ended up ruining it, and trampling their love. "Won't you kiss me?" is most likely him trying to patch things up and pleading with her, hoping she still loves him. And when she lets him down, he is desperately wanting someone to "fix things", and thus their marriage personified is looking for help anywhere, and holding out as a last resort. "The Moon has raped me" I think is a reference to the fact that their love has been stolen, as "rape" also means "to steal". It possibly also means that the night has stolen the marriage away, or perhaps desecrated it, because Tim has found out his revelation: his wife was cheating on him and its really over. That's why its a copy from "The Casualty". In "Casualty" Tim is saying that the night has cheated him and stolen it away, he's just carrying that on here. Also, I think it is a direct reference, insofar as it means their relationship, and thus Pretty Baby, is now a casualty. Pretty Baby is dead, because their marriage has failed, and though he has not quite accepted it yet, however it forshadows the end of the song. Finally, the last few lines dealing with "Cry yourself to sleep" I think are acceptance, though still hard acceptance. His marriage can go ahead and fuck itself, because its over. He is lying to himself when he says he's strong, and he realizes that she is strong and he is weak, so really its over. Perhaps it is meant as a ray of hope, because Tim finally moves on and doesn't want to stay with her, though he is still "lamenting pretty baby". Anyway, just my take on it. Maybe I'm thinking way too hard on this; but I think Tim is too much of a poetic genius to not use imagery and metaphor to their upmost best. And as for you who are still holding onto line of "Oh darling sister", well, I for one think that he is just reffering to his wife as his other half, his "sister". This makes it all the more terrible, because his other half is leaving him, even though he really does love her. This also reinforces the concept of "Pretty Baby" being a personification of their marriage, because if "Sister" is being used as a similie with "other half" then "Pretty Baby" is that unity and thus their marriage itself. |
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