You'll never see the courage I know
Its colors' richness won't appear within your view
I'll never glow - the way that you glow
Your presence dominates the judgments made on you
But as the scenery grows, I see in different lights
The shades and shadows undulate in my perception
My feelings swell and stretch; I see from greater heights
I understand what I am still too proud to mention - to you
You'll say you understand, but you don't understand
You'll say you'd never give up seeing eye to eye
But never is a promise, and you can't afford to lie
You'll never touch - these things that I hold
The skin of my emotions lies beneath my own
You'll never feel the heat of this soul
My fever burns me deeper than I've ever shown - to you
You'll say don't fear your dreams, it's easier than it seems
You'll say you'd never let me fall from hopes so high
But never is a promise and you can't afford to lie
You'll never live the life that I live
I'll never live the life that wakes me in the night
You'll never hear the message I give
You'll say it looks as though I might give up this fight
But as the scenery grows, I see in different lights
The shades and shadows undulate in my perception
My feelings swell and stretch, I see from greater heights
I realize what I am now too smart to mention - to you
You'll say you understand, you'll never understand
I'll say I'll never wake up knowing how or why
I don't know what to believe in, you don't know who I am
You'll say I need appeasing when I start to cry
But never is a promise and I'll never need a lie
Its colors' richness won't appear within your view
I'll never glow - the way that you glow
Your presence dominates the judgments made on you
But as the scenery grows, I see in different lights
The shades and shadows undulate in my perception
My feelings swell and stretch; I see from greater heights
I understand what I am still too proud to mention - to you
You'll say you understand, but you don't understand
You'll say you'd never give up seeing eye to eye
But never is a promise, and you can't afford to lie
You'll never touch - these things that I hold
The skin of my emotions lies beneath my own
You'll never feel the heat of this soul
My fever burns me deeper than I've ever shown - to you
You'll say don't fear your dreams, it's easier than it seems
You'll say you'd never let me fall from hopes so high
But never is a promise and you can't afford to lie
You'll never live the life that I live
I'll never live the life that wakes me in the night
You'll never hear the message I give
You'll say it looks as though I might give up this fight
But as the scenery grows, I see in different lights
The shades and shadows undulate in my perception
My feelings swell and stretch, I see from greater heights
I realize what I am now too smart to mention - to you
You'll say you understand, you'll never understand
I'll say I'll never wake up knowing how or why
I don't know what to believe in, you don't know who I am
You'll say I need appeasing when I start to cry
But never is a promise and I'll never need a lie
Lyrics submitted by SNYder, edited by Mellow_Harsher, moonglo
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I think people are getting the wrong end of the stick with some of the lyrics. I don't think she is saying the other person HAS failed her, or that they will fail her.
It's about not being understood.
About not being able to adequately convey the "heat of this soul", the things she feels, and the way she feels. And it is that the other person is also unable to understand these things ("you don't know who I am"), cannot empathise because they cannot live in her skin ("You'll never live the life that I live"), despite their best efforts so far, and despite, at times, thinking that they do ("You'll say you understand, but you don't understand").
And then, the song is about her doubts about the other person.
They're making promises ("You'll say you'd never give up seeing eye to eye") she does not believe they can keep ("But never is a promise, and you can't afford to lie"). It's not about their betrayal or their failure, insomuch as it is about their simple inability to understand her, to truly empathise, to live in her skin, to know her and what she goes through every ... single ... damn ... night.
But finally, she's admitting that she's been holding back.
There are things about herself she is "too proud to mention ... to you", that her "fever burns me deeper than I've ever shown ... to you". She also doesn't trust them, doesn't trust them enough to show all of herself, because they'll not understand, not handle with the appropriate care the depths of her craziness, therefore things that she's "too smart to mention ... to you". And the teeth-gritting she sings that line with convey how disappointed she is with the whole relationship.
It's not about rape (well, not directly), it's not about betrayal, it is about emotions, it's about not being understood, and therefore NOT TRUSTING the other person, either to follow through on their promises or trusting them with her fragile soul, the real depths of how she thinks and feels.
And the refrain over and over, "never is a promise", implies she believes they cannot keep it, and she'll "never need a lie".
Finally, I'll just add three thoughts: (i) Such captured emotions, such expressive words, such poetry ... and from a teenager!!!!!! She lived a richer experience than my dull, study-filled teen years! (ii) The emotion, particularly angst, she conveys on-camera in the videoclip ... if you've never seen it, it is worth your time. She acts well enough that I'm surprised no one has ever tried to tap that skill in film. (iii) This song, alongside "Sullen Girl" remain my all-time favourite Apple tunes. They were the #1 double-A single of my 2002 and 2003 and I still hold such fond memories of it. To me, it stands alongside Tori Amos's "Winter" as one of the best, most beautifully-sad songs of all time. Thanks, Fiona.