Somebody Loves You

I'm surprised nobody has commented on this. Considering E's past state of depression it's a poignant piece for anyone in the same situation, "You've got to be sure, When you turn out that light, That it's going to turn on again" is really fitting and subtle.

The first bit of the song sounds like someone is sleeping rough or in like a hostel or something 'A bug on your face/It crawled in your mouth/And gave you a taste of/The good life you left behind' That they used to be quite well off. The middle of the song talks about how the person is umemployed and living in poverty 'This nagging malaise/Is more than a phase/It feels like a job/But no boss ever pays you to lay there'. The chorus is continuosly saying not to give up because their is someone who cares 'Somebody loves you/And you're gonna make it through'. At the end I believe that the person involved is going to commit suicide but the writer is telling them not to because of that ,'somebody loves you', 'You've got to be sure/When you turn out that light/That it's going to turn on again' The writer is saying make sure you don't because this person loves you.

Just my interpretation feel free to criticise

nah, i think you're right there littleprincess873. great song, always cheers me up.

hi. Princess I think its best to look at a song as a whole, to get a message of some relevancy.. it is really not necessary to try to link everything into a story.. a song isn’t always about giving entertainment! lol like some 3 min piece of TV Soap with situations.. plots..characters and all into a pretty song. It’s not about that. it’s just that when you’re willing to write about human emotions you go through those to deliver it clearer, by using metaphores about everything..love, pain, and all those complex human things in between. That’s how you send a message out the emotions conveyed inside these lyrics are enough in themselves to understand the main theme I would think. those images used are more about getting the feelings across even the weirdest ones. Then I see many here who see it only as some invention saying nothing about us, making a useless tale of the lyrics. Missing all that’s universal inside of them See for this one how boring to think this is only about some guy that sleeps pretty bad at night.. uneasy at work and kind of gets tired at home and could possibly become suicidal so at some point in the song someone has to tell him that love can save the day. Lol come on Lol sorry to make a big deal of this but hey as far as I’ve been reading reviews on this site I’m always surprised frankly how peoples can’t get the relevance of the ideas that are holding the songs they’re talking about. We’re ending up with pieces of narrow interpretations that reduces every images made to some kind of a dumb scenario. that is annoying and kind of..frustrating. sorry and we’re back to our regular program now. goodnight :}

It's a very clear song to understand. It's about pulling through awful situations, because somebody (including yourself) loves you.

This is an uplifting song! It reminds us that we NOT alone... and that we ARE gonna get through whatever is getting us down... That someone loves us... that we need to love ourselves...

The second verse always resonates with me because of how my girlfriend describes her depression. It also makes me think of her, because the chorus is always what I say to her. :P

Such an awesome album-ender.

Hmmm yes I've read a few comments now for several Eels tracks and feel that some people are either taking lyrics at very literal value (e.g. a "bug on your face" as being about homelessness, and a "good life" meaning wealth) or putting their own slant on the meanings without having done any research on E and his experiences. Things The Grandchildren Should Know aside, Wikipedia alone will tell you that E lost all the immediate members of his family (I also heard that his cousin was killed in 9/11??). I therefore interpret his songs to be direct reflections on the sh*t he's been through. However, as an artist I would imagine E would welcome alternative interpretations by people using the lyrics to link to their own experiences and emotions.

I would also argue that music generally is for entertainment - even if for providing catharsis in a self-absorbed crying session - otherwise now-wealthy artists wouldn't need to sell their music anymore.

Of all the comments for this particular track, I personally feel that ddragonfly813 has hit the nail on the head. Naivada... I think I get the point you are trying to make but actually got quite confused by the time I got to the end of what you were saying... did stream-of-consciousness writing overwhelm you?

To me Shootenanny! It's a concept album. It reads to me like the story of a man's life going from birth and childhood through lost love, old age and death. To me, somebody loves you is sung from the point of view of someone in a coffin as they've died.

"A bug on your face, it crawled in your mouth, and have you a taste of the good life that you left behind"

"It feels like a job, but no boss ever paid you to lay there and think how you'll die"