You Tripped at Every Step

Definitely not about incest. I think this is told from the perspective of an old friend, or an imaginary friend who is observing the subject from broken childhood until alcoholic adulthood. The girls mother was an alcoholic, and while the girl mocked her alcoholic mothers actions as a child with the narrator, she eventually became an alcoholic as well.

that last verse makes me really sad. You can just imagine the person being so desperate, and clinging on to the other persons arm saying 'don't ever leave me'. Elvis is a genius

The cartoon mouse must be Jerry Mouse. Undetected like the kids are as they hide under the table. It's a sad song really though. I feel lucky that my childhood didn't endure such behaviour. Such a great songwriter.

And to add further... I don't understand how this could be about incest. Surely it is about the mother or wife who is constantly drunk and controls the house. The daggers being her heels on her shoes as she stumbles and obviously trips along.

I think it's about his relationship with Cait O'Riordan. Mostly about her struggles with alcoholism and depression. In this context "every step" would make sense being about AA. "How wicked we have been" would allude to one or both of them cheating on somebody else to be together. This was probably making them both feel guilty and jaded. The song progresses from him excited about the relationship, then feeling sorry for her, then him chiding her, then exasperated with her, then finally understanding there is a serious problem. It's not necessarily about a father/daughter relationship, more likely about an older guy/younger girl relationship. He is almost a surrogate father, having been through all of this already, mad at his ability to not get through with good advice and good intentions. It is a brilliant song that has a great melody. And one of his best.

I always this was about a father struggling with his daughter growing up and discovering the “adult” world of drink and drugs.

The first verse is about when she is a kid and try’s on her mother shoes. Then she comes home one night and pretends to be sober but has tell tale staggers.

She wants to be grown up and he wants her to stay a little girl and they have to find a way to meet in the middle.

I knew the song for years before I had my own daughter but then the lyrics pop into my head all time since she was born.

I may be wrong because as far as I know, EC has no daughter. Having said that, it wouldn’t be a huge stretch for him to imagine what it is like as a father of a daughter.

Also, didn’t he spend some time with Liv Tyler’s mother? Perhaps it’s about her teenage behaviour.

OK, this has to be about incest, doesn't it. I don't understand all the references, but I am assuming that Elvis is talking about the torment that both the father and the daughter are going through--they are walking this knife's edge knowing that sooner or later everything will become known to mom and then their life, as disturbing as it is, will change forever. What's the "cartoon mouse" line about?

There is something about drinking going on in this song... tripping at every step of the 12 steps of AA.

"It's not just the lipstick drawn on crooked" - she's so drunk she can't put her makeup on correctly

"Only you drank that potion, and went out of control" - drank too much

"In another world of gin and cigarettes" - obvious, the gin is a type of booze

Who is the cartoon mouse that he is referring to? Mickey mouse? i don't get that part..

Cartoon mouse I believe to be the children's show, Tom and Jerry ( cat and mouse). Vids on YouTube. Think the the beginning to be brother and sister/or friend. during his mothers alcoholic rants hid under the dining room table hiding and watching, later married the same type of person.