Alice pressed against the wall
So she can see the door
In case the laughing strangers crawl and
Crush the petals on the floor

Alice in her party dress
She thanks you kindly
So serene
She needs you like she needs her tranqs
To tell her that the world is clean
To promise her a definition
Tell her where the rain will fall
Tell her where the sun shines bright
And tell her she can have it all
Today
Today

Pass the crystal spread the tarot
In illusion comfort lies
The safest way the straight and narrow
No confusion no surprise

Alice in her party dressed to kill
She the thanks you turns away
She needs you like she needs needs her pills
To tell her that the world's okay
To promise her a definition
Tell her where the rain will fall
Tell her where the sun shines bright
And tell her she can have it all
Today
Today

Alice
Don't give it way


Lyrics submitted by o0Sid0o, edited by stephen103

Alice Lyrics as written by Andrew Eldritch

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

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Alice song meanings
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  • +3
    General Comment

    People must treat Alice with kid gloves; otherwise her imaginary world (the serene world that she had constructed in her head) will dissolve and she will not be able to handle it.

    Alice represents all that is weak, naive, or childlike within each of us. She is defined by her need. She needs "tranqs," "pills," "you," and ultimately, she needs her definitions (her view of the world) to remain intact in order for her to go on living, breathing, and hoping that she can one day "have it all."

    I've often wondered if it was an allusion to Alice in Wonderland -- someone who needs to be patted on the head and comforted in her pink party dress so that she can go on believing that the world is "clean."

    Crushed petals represent the disillusionment of adulthood, especially the deflowering of a maiden. The one thing Alice absolutely cannot tolerate is confusion. She needs to be in control, and the "straight and narrow" provides a way for her to maintain the illusion of that she is in control.

    laurie_sunshineon April 09, 2008   Link

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