"Family Happiness" as written by and David Berman....
as we cruised across the Canadian border
you reached into your handbag, pulled out a micro-cassette recorder,
started quoting Tolstoy into the machine,
i had no idea what you meant.
i guess i'm supposed to figure these things out,
or maybe it's supposed to be self-evident.
but i've gone feral,
and i don't speak the language anymore.
we're headed deep into the forest, i've got the pedal to the floor.
the engine shudders, like a dying man, when you reach out to grab my hand,
you can bring out all your weapons,
you can't make me go to war.
long winding Canadian highways,
innumerable evergreens.
weather forecast on the AM radio
says we'll be expecting highs in the low teens
when i mouth my silent curses at you,
you can see my breath.
i hope the stars don't even come out tonight.
i hope we both freeze to death.
look at the person i've turned into, tell me,
how do you like him now?
no standards of any kind, no creeds to disavow
i am right here where you want me
do what you brought me out here for.
you can arm me to the teeth.
you can't make me go to war.
you reached into your handbag, pulled out a micro-cassette recorder,
started quoting Tolstoy into the machine,
i had no idea what you meant.
i guess i'm supposed to figure these things out,
or maybe it's supposed to be self-evident.
but i've gone feral,
and i don't speak the language anymore.
we're headed deep into the forest, i've got the pedal to the floor.
the engine shudders, like a dying man, when you reach out to grab my hand,
you can bring out all your weapons,
you can't make me go to war.
long winding Canadian highways,
innumerable evergreens.
weather forecast on the AM radio
says we'll be expecting highs in the low teens
when i mouth my silent curses at you,
you can see my breath.
i hope the stars don't even come out tonight.
i hope we both freeze to death.
look at the person i've turned into, tell me,
how do you like him now?
no standards of any kind, no creeds to disavow
i am right here where you want me
do what you brought me out here for.
you can arm me to the teeth.
you can't make me go to war.
Lyrics submitted by sendthestars
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i dont agree with harvestgloom, though. this is about being in love with someone. its about when you realize that theyre incredibly selfish, they dont really love you. or they did once, and its gone. and you wish to god it would come back, but something has changed and its awful, and theres no way you can get out.
"you can arm me to the teeth.
you can't make me go to war."
thing, not the entire song.
i hear a bitter boy saying all these words to a girl he loved.
"you can bring out all your weapons, but you can't make me go to war"
i think this means, we aren't going to fight. you're not going to win, there won't be a war here tonight.
he is whispering curses into the cold night air.
look at the person i've turned into.
he used to be civil and caring, but he's turned into this raging feral beast, full of disdain for this woman.
no family happiness :[
i am right here where you want me
do what you brought me out here for.
you can arm me to the teeth.
you can't make me go to war.
all of these lines are amazing. he structures stories in 3 minutes like no other.