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I've Had Her Lyrics
The night air is inviting you to walk out on the trail
You will not fail
You will not fail
And by the beach a lady sails a ship without a sail
And you reach out for her
And you reach out for her
But, I've had her
I've had her
She's nothing
Down the cliffs you clamber and you tumble to the shore
The warm waves roar
The warm waves roar
And on the reef a mermaid siren screams one perfume more
And she shouts to you
Through the foam she shouts to you
But, I've had her
I've had her
She's nothing
The players at the party are prepared to take a chance
They drop their pants
They drop their pants
In the corner, she's so crystaline no one dares to ask a dance
And she calls out to you
And she calls out to you
But, I've had her
I've had her
She's nothing
In the prison of your broken bed you dribble in a dream
And find a queen
And find a queen
But your sleep is sadly stolen by the face that is a stream
That's flowing out to you
She's flowing out to you
But, I've had her
I've had her
She's nothing
The vision of the seven veils are racing down the road
signs are slow
The signs are slow
But beauty is the mistress and the beauty you've been told
You'd speed the route for her
You'd speed the route for her
But, I've had her
I've had her
She's nothing
The fog has changed the city to a friendly frightened fawn
The shades are drawn
The shades are drawn
To posess her misty madness you would gladly duel the dawn
And fade out to her
And fade out to her
But, I've had her
I've had her
She's nothing
The circus clown, he hides a tear beneath his pained smile
And charms a child
And charms a child
While the dancing girls and prancing horse blows kisses down the aisle
You'd roll about for her
You'd roll about for her
But, I've had her
I've had her
She's nothing
All alone, the flaming field, your fairy love is spread
Your time has fled
Your time has fled
Now the only way to touch her is the gun beside your head
Now there's no doubt for her
Now there's no doubt for her
But, I've had her
I've had her
She's nothing
You will not fail
You will not fail
And by the beach a lady sails a ship without a sail
And you reach out for her
And you reach out for her
But, I've had her
I've had her
She's nothing
The warm waves roar
The warm waves roar
And on the reef a mermaid siren screams one perfume more
And she shouts to you
Through the foam she shouts to you
But, I've had her
I've had her
She's nothing
They drop their pants
They drop their pants
In the corner, she's so crystaline no one dares to ask a dance
And she calls out to you
And she calls out to you
But, I've had her
I've had her
She's nothing
And find a queen
And find a queen
But your sleep is sadly stolen by the face that is a stream
That's flowing out to you
She's flowing out to you
But, I've had her
I've had her
She's nothing
signs are slow
The signs are slow
But beauty is the mistress and the beauty you've been told
You'd speed the route for her
You'd speed the route for her
But, I've had her
I've had her
She's nothing
The shades are drawn
The shades are drawn
To posess her misty madness you would gladly duel the dawn
And fade out to her
And fade out to her
But, I've had her
I've had her
She's nothing
And charms a child
And charms a child
While the dancing girls and prancing horse blows kisses down the aisle
You'd roll about for her
You'd roll about for her
But, I've had her
I've had her
She's nothing
Your time has fled
Your time has fled
Now the only way to touch her is the gun beside your head
Now there's no doubt for her
Now there's no doubt for her
But, I've had her
I've had her
She's nothing
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“You” and “I” are the same person. It's an inner dialogue. Overwhelming love and longing met with a cynical self-protecting dismissal.
This is a hard one to figure out because it seems so callous and unlike Phil Ochs. I can only guess he's either trying to reassure some girl that all the others meant nothing to him, or that "she's nothing" means "she's dead." Or I suppose it could be a crass way of trying to discourage another guy from going for the girl he wants. If it's the last case, let's hope it doesn't get back to the girl that he talked about her like that.
@epiwoosh This song is about drugs probably cocaine.
@epiwoosh This song is about drugs probably cocaine.
This is the love song of a man who has been dumped. He is so distraught that he has decided to kill himself. Before doing so, however, he realizes that he will be leaving his lover for other men so he follows each of his expressions of his love with a disclaimer, an attempt to say that no matter how much see seems the perfect lover, she's really nothing and not worth pursuing.
The loneliness of the "you" in this narrative becomes a desperate pursuit for love that forms into lust. As the infatuation between the lovers gradually dwindles, "your" pursuit is inevitably fruitless as, in the end, the hollow, empty feeling of loneliness seeps its way back into the narrative.
> "Now the only way to touch her is the gun beside your head"
This can also be literally interpreted as the woman has died, and "you" want to join her in eternal death by committing suicide.
"You" grieve the loss of, not just a person, but a passion you held onto during "your" period of depression and hopelessness. Now it is gone, and "you" have "nothing"; "she", or love, is nothing.
Perhaps the way to feel a sense of self-repletion is not to look for it in other people (in this case, through infatuation), but it is to look for it in yourself.
I also interpret this as the "you" being reminded of his past love through mystical creatures or dancing girls. This also reminds "you" of the emptiness growing in his chest, and he cannot bear with the loneliness anymore so he resorts to suicide.
The narrator is warning "you" that this phantom from the past is not worth losing yourself over.