Tiny Vessels Lyrics
That you told her that you loved her, but you don't
You touch her skin and then you think
That she is beautiful, but she don't mean a thing to me
Yeah, she is beautiful, but she don't mean a thing to me
The California sun cascading down my face
There was a girl with light brown streaks
And she was beautiful, but she didn't mean a thing to me
Yeah, she was beautiful, but she didn't mean a thing to me
As we moved together in the dark
And all the friends that I was telling
And all the playful misspellings
And every bite I gave you left a mark
And formed the bruises
That you said you didn't want to fade
But they did and so did I that day
In the distance, moving closer with every hour
So when you'd ask, "Is something wrong?"
I'd think, "You're damn right there is
But we can't talk about it now
No, we can't talk about it now"
And we'll pretend that it meant something so much more
But it was vile, and it was cheap
And you are beautiful, but you don't mean a thing to me
Yeah, you are beautiful, but you don't mean a thing to me
Yeah, you are beautiful, but you don't mean a thing to me
I think the meaning of the song is pretty straight-forward.. but here's my experience with this song: I loved this boy, was infatuated. For three years, through two boyfriends I still couldn't get over him. Perhaps a little too romantic? obsessed? maybe... but I laid down next to him and felt myself melt into him. There was something empty about him, though. After we had sex a few times (which is when that "laying" happened).. he played this song while we made love. on repeat. then let it play. devestating. he's out of my life, but that fucking song-- I can't listen to it. crushed and crushed again each time. recently, in a nice little moment of masochism we all go through... when i learned he had left my life without a goodbye.. i played the song once more... and it was scratched. felt good. it definitely gave me some strange sense of closure.
Wow, that is a really powerful story.
Wow, that is a really powerful story.
that story is crazy...in a good way. ha.
that story is crazy...in a good way. ha.
I think its about that saidwhatever he wanted to get in the sac with a beautiful tight girl that no one had so he did what ever he could to get and once he got it was done and dumped her
I think its about that saidwhatever he wanted to get in the sac with a beautiful tight girl that no one had so he did what ever he could to get and once he got it was done and dumped her
its happened to me. fuck virgins:(
its happened to me. fuck virgins:(
People seem to give Gibbard little credit. With the level of emotion he puts into his music, I would think more people would have also realized that he's more of an emotional person than one just out for sex. That being said, I think there are many people who may be looking at this without a certain maturation one gets from having many relationships. Many seem to think Gibbard is saying he makes empty promises for sex, and I don't see it as that by any means.
From my experience, there are times where you want to love someone more than you actually love them. I feel that is what the meaning of this song is, rather, coming to the realization of said fact with one person in particular.
I have had relationships in the past where I liked someone, loved to spend time with them, and a relationship status elevated quickly enough that it seemed like love. After some time and intimacy, however, it became apparent that instead of loving that person in particular, I was just wanting to love someone in general.
When you realize that you don't love the person that you thought you loved, it can be pretty rough, and I think that is what he is writing of. His lyrics are indicative of similar experiences, so I can only imagine he was meaning that, rather than something so simple and vain as lying to for sex. Tricking someone into a lay is hardly something to write a song about...especially on an album that's mostly about love and life.
I couldn't have said it better myself, Chalz. Or more so, Gibbard couldn't have said it better himself.
I couldn't have said it better myself, Chalz. Or more so, Gibbard couldn't have said it better himself.
@micromanage good that you got closure, but fuck what a dick.
@micromanage good that you got closure, but fuck what a dick.
@Chalz why does he say it was vile then? It seems like it indeed is about the moment when he realizes that he doesn't love her, but he uses her for a while before telling her. Getting on the ethical aspect of things, he should have told her if that was the case, or simply not told her at all he loved her. On my personal relationships I say it when I mean it.
@Chalz why does he say it was vile then? It seems like it indeed is about the moment when he realizes that he doesn't love her, but he uses her for a while before telling her. Getting on the ethical aspect of things, he should have told her if that was the case, or simply not told her at all he loved her. On my personal relationships I say it when I mean it.
@terriblyvexed why would you say she is out of his league? I think its normal...
@terriblyvexed why would you say she is out of his league? I think its normal to think sexual partners are beautiful, and this seems like a relationship between a guy and a girl in which the guy was simply using the girl for sex. Also the beggining of the song gives it a different direction at the start.
@Chalz (Coming late to this, I know!): I agree with your take. In particular, the opening two lines: "This is the moment that you know/That you told you loved her but you don't," suggest that before "this moment" he really thought he meant what he'd said. Also, "Wanted to believe in all the words that I was speaking" pretty strongly indicates he wasn't just lying for sex. Finally, the "Tiny vessels..." verse talks about him "fading"—something was changing; he wasn't just lying from the start (except perhaps to the extent he was also lying to himself)....
@Chalz (Coming late to this, I know!): I agree with your take. In particular, the opening two lines: "This is the moment that you know/That you told you loved her but you don't," suggest that before "this moment" he really thought he meant what he'd said. Also, "Wanted to believe in all the words that I was speaking" pretty strongly indicates he wasn't just lying for sex. Finally, the "Tiny vessels..." verse talks about him "fading"—something was changing; he wasn't just lying from the start (except perhaps to the extent he was also lying to himself).
I saw them play in April with the orchestra (which was amazing) and I think it is interesting to note that he changed the lyrics in one line. Instead of:
I spent two weeks in Silverlake. The California sun cascading down my face
He said:
I spent three years in Silverlake. The California sun cascading down my face
I am assuming this is a reference to Zooey Deschanel and their marriage. I thought it was kind of nice and I'm also wondering if anyone has noticed this recently when they played?
That's quite interesting; their marriage was only two years but their relationship lasted three. Its even more interesting when you think about how this song is much older than that. I'm curious to see if he's been doing this in other shows too.
That's quite interesting; their marriage was only two years but their relationship lasted three. Its even more interesting when you think about how this song is much older than that. I'm curious to see if he's been doing this in other shows too.
this song describes the guys of every relationship i've been in.
Someday, you will be loved.
i just wanted to say..this site is so wicked..i just found it today...and its awesome
OH OOPS and another thing!
Heh, I know I wrote a lot but I just want to add that I always say "men give love for sex, women give sex for love" and I think that this song totally backs that statement up.
Yeah, I feel very strongly about this song.
The first time I heard this song was about a week ago and it is very ironic becauise it describes my current relationship almost perfectly. We have been together for almost seven years and unlike a lot of relationships we have kept our physical connection/sexual desire for each other and lost pretty much everything else that used to define us. I have been told before that he needs more than just a gorgeous woman, which to me is what he is trying to say here. You can have a beautiful physical appearance but without a deeper connection there is no love, and there is nothing special. It is a "cheap and vile" relationship. Sad but true realization for myself.
i don't really think this song has anything to do with some sort of cheap, strictly sexual relationship. none of that kind of meaninglessness that i'm reading a lot of here. i hear more of a bitter (very bitter) end of a real relationship. kind of a fake reassurance that, like, 'i'm ok. i don't care that we're not together anymore cuz i never loved you anyway,' just to make a person feel better about the situation. i mean, who hasn't felt that bitter at the end of a relationship?? maybe some of you think ben's a asshole for writing this song, but i just think it's realisitc and beautiful and sad. i freaking
just to add to it, the bit that goes:
So when you'd ask, "Is something wrong?" I'd think, "You're damn right there is But we can't talk about it now No, we can't talk about it now"
implies, to me, that he's afraid to tell her cos he know he'll hurt her. it's not about using her - it's about wanting to avoid hurting her in any way. but he doesn't know how to handle it - and will probably end up hurting her even more than he wanted to, cos he doesn't know how to tell her.