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Enid Lyrics

Words and Music by
Steven Page & Ed Robertson
Did you know?
Enid was inspired by a waitress.
A waitress that worked at a diner named Enid.
Can you spell dine backwards?
Yet another play on words the clever BNL came up with.

\"The silence, the terror, the pain, the horror
As your mom comes downstairs\"

Enid we never really knew each other anyway
Enid we never really knew each other anyway

It took me a year to believe it was over
And it took me two more to get over the loss.
I took a beating when you wrote me those letters
And every time I remembered the taste of your lipgloss.

Chorus
Enid we never really knew each other anyway
Enid we never really knew each other anyway
Maybe we always saw right through each other anyway
But Enid we really never knew each other anyway

There were times when I wanted to hurt you ,
And there were times when I know that I did.
There were times when I thought I would kill you,
But can you blame me I was only a kid.

Tell me why we never really respected each other
And tell me why I never believed you were a person too
I always thought that you fancied my brother.
I may not have liked it, oh but memory is a stranage thing, oh
And Enid? Enid I remember you.

Chorus

It took me a year to believe it was over,
And it took me two more to get over the loss.
I took a beating when you wrote me those letters,
And every time you told me to get lost.

Now it\'s not fair to say that it\'s \'cause I was three inches shorter then,
And it\'s not fair to say it\'s \'cause I was only fifteen years old.
But maybe it\'s fair to say there was a lack of communication;
I took a phone message, oh and speaking of communication, oh,
And Enid, Enid you caught a cold.

I can get a job, I can pay the phone bills
I can cut the lawn, cut my hair, cut out my cholesterol
I can work overtime, I can work in a mine
I can do it all for you,
But I don\'t want to.

Chorus

(Ed)
I can teach you how to dance, how to sing, how to knit,
How to make things that you never ever made before
Enid, I can teach you how to use cookie cutters
To make crazy things out of Play-Doh

Little houses, little farms, little accessories for your mom,
For your Barbie set, for your friends and your family
Enid, I can teach you how to snowmobile, cross-country ski,
snowshoe,
But I don\'t want to!

(Andrew)
I took you dancing, paid for your nightschool.

Andy Creeggan: Cuica, piano, vocals
Jim Creeggan: Double Bass, vocals
Steven Page: Lead Vocal, moronic intro synth
Ed Robertson: Guitars, vocals, bionic intro synth
Tyler Stewart: Drums
with
Michael Phillip-Wojewoda: Tuetonic intro vocal, tambourine
Lewis Melville: Pedal steel and the Jimmy Crack Corns
Nic Gotham: Baritone Sax
Gene Hardy: Tenor Sax
Chris Howells: Trumpet
Tom Walsh: Trombone
12 Meanings

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Cover art for Enid lyrics by Barenaked Ladies

This really hits home with me- not because of childhood ex, but because of my once best friend. It was a very toxic relationship. We used to be really close, but for a lot of the relationship, we were fighting and arguing because of stupid things. We never really let each other KNOW each other because of it. Half the time, I wanted to sock her in the face for being such an ass.

And when we finally did part ways (looking back, I realize what a good thing this was) it took me a year to believe it was over, and I really did kind of miss her. I mean, we did have SOME good times. But I see now they weren't worth it, considering all the horrible times we also had. I only wish we could have found a mature way to end things.

Memory
Cover art for Enid lyrics by Barenaked Ladies

It says at the beginning what the song means! It was written about a waitress named Enid. She worked at a restaurant in Moncton, New Brunswick called "Spanky's". Now, it's a Mexi Cali Rosa's. The fact that he wrote the song and made it sound like a young love relationship is strange, because they only spoke with the waitress for a few hours before leaving the city.

@philwalker Actually, the song was about Steven's first relationship, but then he used the name Enid from his experience with meeting the waitress at Spanky's that impressed upon him because of her great attitude and also her name spelled "Dine" backward and she was a waitress. If you want to know more, listen to our interview with Enid next week on the podcast, Barenaked ABCs.

Cover art for Enid lyrics by Barenaked Ladies

this is just, like, every junior high relationship ...

I mean ... like ... all these kids are "going out" and don't even KNOW each other. Singerboy is having a tough time getting over this chick until he realizes that they didn't really have anything anyway.

Cover art for Enid lyrics by Barenaked Ladies

great song,especially the fast talking parts!

Cover art for Enid lyrics by Barenaked Ladies

this song is about another shitty meaningless high school relationship. the dude can't get over the girl but then he figures out that their affair was pointless anyway.

Cover art for Enid lyrics by Barenaked Ladies

It kind of seems like this song is about a love/hate relationship two teenagers shared back in the day. The lead singer questions about how the two never respected eachother or he never believed she was a person too. Hes looking back, finally realizing how immature and insensitive they acted towards eachother and perhaps how the two were both inexperienced, immature and not ready to handle this sort of realtionship.

Cover art for Enid lyrics by Barenaked Ladies

Can someone fix these up... I only heard this song a couple of days ago & I can't seem to follow any of this properly because of all the facts that shouldn't be posted (or if needed, should all be in one spot)

Cover art for Enid lyrics by Barenaked Ladies

it had to last a long time though... I just got out of a three year relationship and we started when I was a freshman and ended as a senior... I am now over her after only 6 months but I can relate this ...specially when he says maybe it fair part that entire thinks then the fast part is right on key with me

Cover art for Enid lyrics by Barenaked Ladies

I always thought it was about a 15 yr old dating a woman much older than him. I dunno, that's just what I got out of it.

Cover art for Enid lyrics by Barenaked Ladies

(Ed) I can teach you how to dance, how to sing, how to knit, How to make things that you never ever made before Enid, I can teach you how to use cookie cutters To make crazy things out of Play-Doh

Little houses, little farms, little accessories for your mom, For your Barbie set, for your friends and your family Enid, I can teach you how to snowmobile, cross-country ski, snowshoe, But I don\'t want to!


This is not on my Gordon Album, nor in the booklet of the lyrics =(


Now it\'s not fair to say that it\'s \'cause I was three inches shorter then, And it\'s not fair to say it\'s \'cause I was only fifteen years old.


Lol, the first line is not talking about penis-size eh?

BNL has a habit of throwing in alternate lyrics during their live shows. It's sort of their way of giving a little extra performance in person.

 
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