I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Truly, with his thorn in your side
And you don't know why
Julie dips her toe in the tide
And she don't know why
No, she don't know why she got
All dolled up for a suicide
And when the stage lights dimmed on the fading scrim,
It was morning before the cheering died
Is it too late to tell you that I don't mind?
King George in imperial robe
And a lazy eye
Knelt down as the semaphore broke
On his tawdry bride
But we don't know why he got
All stressed out on the motherland
With his T.V. sets and his fighter jets
And the royal ubiquitous handycam
Is it too late to tell you that I don't mind?
Here's you with your mom on your back
Going into the woods
She's so proud that you're staying on track
Like a good son should
But you don't know why you got
All choked up when you said goodbye
And you can hear her still when the nights are still
All crying out for calamine
Is it too late to tell you that I don't mind?
Is it too late to tell you that I don't mind?
And you don't know why
Julie dips her toe in the tide
And she don't know why
No, she don't know why she got
All dolled up for a suicide
And when the stage lights dimmed on the fading scrim,
It was morning before the cheering died
Is it too late to tell you that I don't mind?
King George in imperial robe
And a lazy eye
Knelt down as the semaphore broke
On his tawdry bride
But we don't know why he got
All stressed out on the motherland
With his T.V. sets and his fighter jets
And the royal ubiquitous handycam
Is it too late to tell you that I don't mind?
Here's you with your mom on your back
Going into the woods
She's so proud that you're staying on track
Like a good son should
But you don't know why you got
All choked up when you said goodbye
And you can hear her still when the nights are still
All crying out for calamine
Is it too late to tell you that I don't mind?
Is it too late to tell you that I don't mind?
Lyrics submitted by sendthestars
I Don't Mind Lyrics as written by Colin Meloy
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
well at the very least, we know there is a son, taking his mother into the "woods", which is typically connotated as a dangerous, vulnerable place to be. she obviously trusts him, and seems to be oblivious to the fact that someone she adores so completely is taking her into such a disparaging place. actually she might know , but doesnt even care
i think its irrelevant why he leaves her there, thats not the point of the song. its not attempting to tell a story, but typically colin uses pieces of images to display emotions that wouldnt be satisfied if he spoonfed specific words to you. take this pathetic situation. how it makes you feel.... thats all it means. most of the time people dont write music for people to pick it apart and find right and wrong answers as to what it means. its supposed to make you feeeeel a certain way and the decemberists manipulate this amazingly well because we all feel a little bit the same way listening to each song and we can relate, but its hard to put it into words. he just gives us the senario its up to you to filter that into useable emotion. and if this particular section of a song is unsettling to you, i think its intentional, partly because the charactor is unsettled.
it doesnt matter why he planned on metaphorically abandoning his own mother in a place he knew she would be unsafe, what is important is that he didnt plan on feeling guilty about it. except he does feel guilty and cant shake the thought of her helplessly crying out to him for relief of the iching plants.
although these three separte stories seem to have not much to do with eachother, they all tie to a running theme of pathetic self-absorbed people catching a glimpse of outside perspective. one does it through glorified fantasy, one displays it in frustration, and out last is guilt-ridden. However, the chorus serves to further trivialize their self absorbancy by forgiving it and melodically soothing it away. like drowing for julie, like defeat for king george, and like guilt for the son (who actually is intimated as you). you could take this a step further in saying colin is trying to bring you out of your arrogance and realize the things in life you are doing like this. but its okay :)