She's A Jar

I can see this song in several ways. People seem to have missed "She begs me not to miss her." I don't think that "She begs me not to hit her "is about the narrator. The last line sounds like she's been abused by someone other than the narrator. She's wary of the relationship because she doesn't trust men.

I actually see a lot of heroin references in this song. A "hit" is the injection of the drug. "The tracks of a train's arm" sounds like it's talking about needle marks. "She begs me not to miss her" and "She begs me not to hit her" are her feelings about kicking heroin. "And freeze to spread skeleton wings/I passed through before I knew you" sounds like it's about the slimness that comes with heroin. He's been through it before himself.

The hit/ miss thing could be ambivalence. She doesn't really want the relationship, but she doesn't want it to end either. In that case, I take miss to mean the feeling you get after someone leaves, and "hit" would be an ironic definition meaning the opposite of miss. She doesn't want him to stay around, but she doesn't want him to leave.

She bottles up fer feelings like a jar, and she'll break like one. She's pretty outside and a war inside.

The last line gives me the chills. It changes the entire sentiment of the song.

Perhaps the title is a play on the word "ajar." As in, she's open?

I can analyze this song a million times, but I'll never know what it means. I doubt Tweedy knows either. I hate/love how all of his lyrics seem to lead you in a certain way and then there's one bit to them that make you think "wow, i have this song all wrong. what the hell does this mean?!"

i think this song sounds sort of Beatles-esque.

a women is reluctant to enter into a relationship with a somewhat flighty narrator. she tries to deny the feelings she has for him, does it anyway, and gets hurt despite the narrator's own warnings about his tendency to blow into and out of peoples lives rather quickly and without warning.

the best verse in the one in which the narrator asks the girl to take their picture..."won't you please bring that flash to shine and turn my eyes red unless the close". "when you click and my face gets sick, stuck like a question...". BRILLIANT lyric. genius, in fact.

I like how it changes from the first verse to the last... little tiny changes that warp the entire story.. adding the "pretty war," the change from "Her feelings hid" to his own... and from missing her to hitting her...

Hit. Miss.
Miss. Hit.

Somehow, Wilco has made the most understated song in the world. The very definition of poetry, and the idea that flawlessness is only had by those who choose not to seek it. That is what I think when I hear this song. Unbelievably calm and still unbelievably active harmonies. The lyrics are basically just impossible. No artist has lines that follow like this. This is fluid. This whole song is like a walking oxymoron...but everything seems to be in its right place. She's a sleepy kisser, this is a tired love. The vocals are all tired. The juxtaposition of hit and miss in the first and last verses is truly incredible. Examine that and you have to realize the true genius of this song. "I passed through, before I knew you." I hope that line means everything to you, because of something in particular, a person or event, etc. This song is about you. Think of how everything relates to your life. Music is a personal meaning. Whether this artist was writing about drugs or about someone he knew, it doesn't matter to anyone but him. And that's a good thing. What does it mean to you? Live this song...and love living every step of the way. I hope you get what you need.

to me this song is about the book "the garden of eden" by Ernest Hemingway.
if you are planning to read this book, please do not read the rest of this post, as i give away the secret surprise at the end and will ruin it for you.

The character David calls his wife Catherine "Devil" as a term of affection, a nickname. Catherine wants to be respected like men are in society so she tries different things like cutting her hair short or asking her husband to pretend he's the woman when they are in bed.
David is a writer and the book takes place while he and Catherine are on their honeymoon. he writes in the morning while she is asleep. eventually she becomes so jealous of his ability to be productive that she does something very cruel to him. this angers him greatly and he says things like "i wish your mom and dad had not met each other and made you" he doesn't actually threaten to hit her, but the sentiment is similar. there's also stuff about her dad, and her having her dad's money and stuff (daddy's payday is not enough) just read the book. it will make sense to you.