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Relient K – The Stenographer Lyrics 14 years ago
So "The Stenographer" is pure lyrical genius!!!!

this song is extremely well crafted when it comes to flawless and intricate metaphors
the metaphor to begin with is, a stenographer is the person who types out a record of all the words spoken in the court of law

which to me implys the fact that he's having a fight with someone who likes to keep score
and can use his words against him because she remembers them 'word for word' almost as if she's reading them back to him "afterward she read me like a book"
and it seems that he doesnt want to fight, he tries to get along and is coming in pleasant temperment, but she disregards this fact to shoot him down with words

and sneaking into the court room is just another brilliant reference to fights/stenographers etc

the next metaphor, is Smith and Wesson Jr.
(being australian i did not understand the referrence without looking it up)
but Smith and Wesson is the largest gun manufacturer in the U.S., so putting a Junior on the end is setting up the story and the segue into the common expression "son of a gun"
then "pressed his nose up to my head" is implying the nose of the gun being held up to his head
as he feels that she is shooting him down
which leads into the next expression "sweating bullets"
implying nerves, and trying to dodge the proverbial bullets being shot at him

"Oh i still love you, Oh i still love you, even though you want me dead"
to me is reflecting again on the fact that he doesnt want to fight
and he's trying to go about it in a Chirst-like way
by turing the other cheek
which is implying he's already been hit (perhaps by her words/bullets)
but he is obviously (as we all do in situations like this) hoping "beg and i'll plead" that instead of being hit again
maybe forgiveness, "this time you might just kiss it instead"

the the last part is the metephor of a book
being his side of the story,which he is sticking to, and he won't change
regardless of her begging, or asking, or twisting his words to change his tune
but he is sticking to his guns ;) (mind the pun)

AAAAANNNNNYYYYYWWWWAAAAYYYYYY
that is my interpretation of the incredibly well-written song by the WONDERFUL Matthew Thiessen.
God bless him!






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