#41

It's about love gone sour.

As for the title "Skinny Love" it could be an affectionate term he gave his petite girlfriend, or maby the fact that their love is wasting away- shrinking to skinny. The latter is probably more likely, due to the reference in the first line ("Come on, skinny love just last the year").

"pour a little salt, we were never here" Salt has healing properties, when put on open wound they help the process along. Probably metaphorically speaking, he wants this doomed relationship to heal, to even "Just last the year." I like the vivid imagery to blood and crushed veneer in a sink, as if a vase was broken in a fit of rage. I dunno if that ties into the salt reference, maby indirectly.

he then basically tells her to let him go, to cut off the tethers binding him to her.

the third stanza deals wih a blaming the other for the failure of the relationship. She couldn't meet with his expectations, either that or she treated him poorly, probably both.

stanza four seems like a mixture of memories, stating why have we gone wrong when we once loved each other? and how even though the burden of pain (through separating) is heavy, it's still hard to "split."

The last part gives us a glimse as to WHY it went sour. it seems she kind of led him on, that she wasn't that into him- when he really cared for her.

He then states that its unlikely she'll find anyone worthwhile, no one will be able to love her for all the stuff she puts her partners through.

wonderfully honest and emotional, i love this song.

[Edit: 01/01/1967]

In effort to keep the spirit of what this site should be about which is expressing what we feel these songs mean to us...I thought i'd offer my interpretation for what I would like to believe this song means or at least acknowledge what it means to me:

Coming to terms with wanting a second chance with someone you once were close with. Most likely, romantically. Everyone always says " Just give it time" but sometimes time can only make the inner turmoil worse and the regret grows so large it becomes overwhelming which I think Dave captures so perfectly..on one hand you want to move on but on the other all you want to do is get on your knees and beg for that person to take you back but perhaps its the person's pride that makes it hard to go back: " Come and see I swear by now I'm playing time I against my troubles I'm coming slow but speeding Do you wish a dance and while I'm In the front The play on time is won But the difficulty is coming here "

And everyone is counseling you on how to move on and get over whatever remorse you are feeling you know what you want to do and you aren't interested in hearing others stories you are willing to make your own mistakes "I will go in this way And find my own way out I wont tell you to stay But I'm coming to much more Me"

So you do it...you go back. You walk back into their life and lay it on the line... "All at once the ghosts come back Reeling in you now What if they came down crushing Remember when I used to play for All of the loneliness that nobody Notice now I'm begging slow I'm coming here Only waiting I wanted to stay I wanted to play I wanted to love you I'm only this far And only tomorrow leads my way

I'm coming waltzing back and moving into your head Please, I wouldnt pass this by I would take any more than What sort of man goes by I will bring water Why wont you ever be glad It melts into wonder I came in praying for you why wont you run In the rain and play Let the tears splash all over you "

and then you wait...and you hope. I think the tears are almost like a reference to other person cleansing themselves from whatever hard feelings they are holding onto from the past so that they can move forward....hopefully together? and the music is so powerful it captures all of those feelings of tension, love, frustration, remorse, anxiety, and most of all hope. In the end I feel that is emotion that is the driving force behind this song. Hope.

This song means so much to me. I think its about going through a breakup after being dumped. He feels alone, and has to only rely on himself to get out of the funk that he finds himself in, and he feels lonely without her. He is so frustrated and can't forget all the good memories that he will never come back to reality. The memory of what he had with her will always haunt him, and he wants to get back together with his ex. He is willing to do whatever it takes to get back together because she is the only one that he will ever want, but for some reason, she doesn't recognize his unconditional love and deep care that he has for her. He still has hope that things can get better, but he must face the fact that its all in the past. In the Radio City performance of this song, you can hear the frustration in Dave's voice. Every time I hear this it makes feel the pain from my own experiences. Great Song- one of his best.

I think this song means that he really likes a girl, to the point that it causes him to act shy around her, and he still doesnt know why he fell for her so hard but she is all he thinks about. And in front of his friends he acts different around her so they catch on quickly. He feels gloomy all the time b/c she doesnt know how he feels and he doesnt know if he will feel comfortable enough around her to act himself. Eventually she finds another guy and it is too late and he realizes that he wasted the whole time because he failed to act and the problems he worried about before dont even compare to the problems he has now and he tries his hardest to act like it doesn't bother him. He feels like he was slowly making progress but in the end his "conscience" let him down when he gets the news.

"I swear by now I'm playing time against my troubles"

"The play on time is won But the difficulty is coming here"

"All at once the ghosts come back Reeling in you now What if they came down crushing Remember when I used to play for All of the loneliness that nobody Notice now I'm begging slow I'm coming here Only waiting I wanted to stay I wanted to play I wanted to love you"

Its about being true to yourself and your own wants and needs... when you know the odds are against you.. you dive in head first.."I will go in this way.. and find my own way out"... He knows he wants something that can not be forever his, but he pursues it anyway, knowing he will get hurt. Its about loving... he wanted to stay, he wanted to play..he wanted to love, but he knows he cant.. even though he knows everything is working against him... he loves anyway...

just read my above post. got my ex back and am going to keep her...never let her go. i'm going to propose next week.

I have my own opinion as to what this song means. I also take some lyrics from the live versions to show what they mean more, and some I think are different than what is posted above, so I just write what I think he's singing.

I assumed this song was about a pain shared between him and someone he loved, a death, a fight, something like that. That's what this song means to me:

Come and see, I swear by now I'm playing time against my troubles I'm coming slow but speeding (I'm trying to forget the pain we've felt, I'm not perfect but I'm trying to get better.)

Do you wish a dance and while I'm in the front my playing time is won. Oh but the difficulty's coming here. (Do you want to be like me and try to move on, as you can see I am moving on. Only more pain will be coming to you.)

I will go in this way, and find my own way out. I won't tell you what to be, but I'm coming to much more. (I will fix my own problems. I won't tell you to be like me, but I'm getting better.)

Me, come now that ghosts come back, reeling in you now. What if they came down crushing? (You are only going to keep remembering me. What if these memories are too painful?)

In the wake, we used to play for all the loneliness that nobody notices now. Begging slow, I'm coming here. (Remember now, we used to just ignore all the pain that no one else can see. I'm coming very slowly, but I'm coming to help you.)

Only waiting, I wanted to stay, I wanted to play, I wanted to love you. (I am willing to wait for you, I wish we could have stayed happy, I wish I could have just loved you with no pain.)

I'm only this far, and only tomorrow leads the way. I'm coming waltzing back and moving into your head. (I've only come this far, but only the future leads the way. I am coming back into your life now.)

Please, I wouldn't pass this by, I wouldn't take any more than what sort of man goes by. I will bring water. (I won't just let you go that easily, I won't just be like other people and leave you here. I will help you.)

Why won't you ever be glad, it melts into wonder. I came in praying for you. (Why can't you just forget the pain, I'm happy, it will all just go away. I came here just trying to help you.)

Why won't you run into the rain and play, and let tears splash all over you. (Why don't you just let go of the pain and be happy again, let it become part of you, but no longer controlling you.)

Just curious if anyone ever considered the syntax with "Say Goodbye"? Beyond being one of the best transitions on a studio album since the B-Side of Abbey Road, it might also lend itself to understanding this song. To me, the two together have always stood for a breakup and brief reconciliation... very bittersweet, but that's life.

A lot of Dave's songs have religious references in them. I wonder if this part is a reference to the Good Samaritan parable from the Bible:

I wouldn't pass this by Oh, no I wouldn't take any more than What sort of man goes by I will bring water

I'm not sure exactly how it would fit in with the rest of the song. Maybe as simple as a desire to help others?

i could be wrong but this is the way i interpret it. i have been listening to this son for 10 years, and today it all just seemed to make sense, especially when u consider that he says things that dont normally make sense like"i will bring water" i think this song is about a love and about his life being out of control.

1st verse - "Come and see..." hes saying that time cures all ills, but more problems are coming

2nd verse - " i will go in this way..." he's gonna do things his own way and "find his own way out" but he wont tell her how to handle her problems - "I wont tell you what to be"

3rd verse - "All at once the ghosts .." even though he made it through the problems by "playing time" they come back "the ghosts" realing "her" back into his life. the same way that he used to play for love and lonliness and no one notices anymore

4th verse - "I'll be waiting..." hes waiting for her. he always wanted to be with her and "play and love her" hes only gotten so far, but he's walting back into her head (getting back into her life)

And the best part of the song: 5th verse - "I wouldn't pass this by.."

• he wont pass by this opportunity to be with her
• what sort of man wlaks by? doesnt take this opportunity?
• i will bring you water (implying that she's thirsty for some one to care about her and he will bring her that water and not walk by)
• he wants her to be glad
• he cant figure out why " it melts into wonder"
• he came into the ralationship "praying for her" hoping to help her to not be sad
• he wants her to run in the rain and play (what little kids do when they have fun)
• and let all the tears wash away "let tears splash all over you"