Your back curves like a creeping vine,
With the answers in the fluid in the stem of the spine,
In the black-coffee bowl of your eye,
Why do you overestimate the size of the lie?

I've seen
The dangers of your rising sign,
But I swear
I'd like to drink the fuel straight from your lighter
It's all inside the wrist,
It's all inside the way you time it
I resent the way you make me like myself

My nerves jump like a boiling pan,
Like a skillet full of oil spits rattling on the burner,
When I stumble onto the thought
Of the match you lit and dropped
And set the dial to slow yearn

Can I spell it out?
Should I spell it out?


Lyrics submitted by ulcailinchick

Rising Sign Lyrics as written by Mike Doughty

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Rising Sign song meanings
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7 Comments

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  • +1
    General Comment

    It's not about an unhappy relationship, mockorange13! I resent the way you make me like myself is a positive comment on how the person makes him feel good eventhough he thinks he shouldn't. It's about how he knows he's getting himself into a relationship that might not work out but he still wants to do it.

    suchatreaton April 01, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    "i resent the way you make me like myself" perfect representation of an unhappy relationship

    mockorange13on November 29, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I think that it might be about drugs and he's talking about his addiction in that quote. especially with all the drugs references and imagery. like the lighters and how his nerves jump like an oil pan etc.

    Gibbymanon March 01, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    This is my very favorite song from Skittish. I like the way suchatreat explained it.

    Alpha13on April 19, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I have to say drugs too. Curvature of a flame, the answers that it brings. Resenting the fact that the drugs make him happy. Doughty kicked drugs back in the day. I don't know if still talks about that, but at the shows i've seen him, he was open about that fact.

    thebrainon July 31, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Yeah, I have to say, although it does look like a pretty sweet love song, it's about heroin. Mike addresses his addiction several times on Skittish, and there's several obvious references in here..."With the answers in the fluid in the stem of the spine", "It's all inside the wrist/It's all inside the way you time it". The second verse seems to be about withdrawal; his shot nerves, his thoughts drifting back to his addicition ("The match you lit and dropped and set the dial to slow yearn"). Mike has an incredible way with words. Best track from Skittish, IMHO.

    BCKnighton March 04, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Good song. I'm thinking it's about drugs, too, but you never know.

    xmakesherflyxon August 26, 2010   Link

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