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Barenaked Ladies – Told You So Lyrics 11 years ago
I always thought it was a song about a friend or family member getting involved with hard drugs or alcohol. The song to me is how the singer got on with their life, how they were able to move past needing or relying on this person for anything as they fell down. It became painless with time to not try to save them anymore, they were no longer their problem.

Personally I don't think it's about AIDS or cancer, I would find it rather harsh for it to be based on something like that. I think part of whatever happened was by choice, not a sickness that cannot be controlled or cured. (also I realize addiction and alcoholism are real issues but I still think this could refer to them)

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Barenaked Ladies – Intermittently Lyrics 11 years ago
"Someone somewhere has unglued our epoxy
Someone somewhere has unglued our epoxy
And now I'm kissing you by proxy,
Hope you don't mind
Somewhere someone is dreaming of me
Tries to love me,
Hope you don't mind"

Epoxy is a strong glue, the couple is coming apart. Someone is referring to another woman the singer is interested in. Proxy means to give authority to someone to act on behalf of, he is giving himself proxy to continue the facade of a relationship. Somebody else is interested in him and he in clearly interested in her because the current relationship isn't holding strong. Hope you don't take mind of that!

"I love you
Intermittently
I love you intermittently"

I love you baby... sometimes. I love you every once in awhile. I love that he sings it twice every time pausing before saying intermittently the first time. He is pushing his false emotions on his girlfriend because he doesn't want to regret breaking up if what he is imagining as better doesn't work out as planned.

"She's a lot like you but she don't look like you
Okay, she's not you,
But she'll do fine
I put my life on hold to avoid confrontation
But should I tell you to your face and
Risk my hide?"

She is not you, but she'll do fine. I'm tired of what I have now and she is looking good to me. I'm putting off breaking up with you because I'm afraid of what will happen, even if it makes a shell of a man, I don't want to tell you how I feel.

"When immeasurably
Turns to intermittently
There's no use in going on
Except for fear of being wrong"

My favorite verse of the song, it sums up the whole song. When the immense love you felt for someone becomes I kind of love you sometimes you should break up, but what if that's not really what you want? Fear has hold of the singer, he does not want to be alone but he also dreams of another woman.

"Every morning I just hit the ground yawning,
Stick around if you enjoy disaster
'Cause if you can't see what I'm after
You must be blind"

The stale lifestyle he has put himself into is driving him crazy. Wanting or possibly being unfaithful to his girlfriend for so long has dug at his mind and he decides it's time to do something about it. If you can't see what I'm after you must be blind. I want this other woman and I'm convinced that if you cannot understand my emotions and distance you must not understand me. The girlfriend probably has no idea there is a distance or possible adultery going on. Disaster indeed.

"Didn't have the heart to say goodbye
So I continued in my charlatan ways
Did I say heart? I meant to say guts
Now I'm on my own and I'm sorry that you're gone"

I didn't have the guts to say goodbye. I continued pretending I knew what was going on when I had no idea. The other girl wasn't as inviting as I assumed. I am alone now, I'm sorry that you're gone. Note that I didn't say I miss you, I'm sorry for giving up what I had even if I wasn't sure it was what I wanted. Either way it's probably for the best.


Sorry my writing is so jumbled, I have never actually commented on a song before. This has been my favorite band since the early-mid 90s and the depth of their songs always astounded me. I hope my ideas came across well in writing.

The summary is a man lusted after another woman being unhappy/bored in his own relationship. When he took the plunge and left his girlfriend he was not met with the idealism of the other girl he lusted for he regretted leaving his safe relationship.

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