H-A-T-E
Is that how you spell love in your dictionary
K-I-C-K
Pronounced as kind
F-U-C-K
Is that how you spell friend in your dictionary
Black on black
A guidebook for the blind

Well now that I can see my eyes won't weep
Now that I can hear your song sounds cheap
Now that I can talk all your corn I'll reap
I'm not so sure that Joey wed a Virgin Mary
There are no words for me inside your dictionary

S-L-A-P
Is that how you spell kiss in your dictionary
C-O-L-D
Pronounced as care
S-H-I-T
Is that how you spelled me in your dictionary
Four-eyed fool
You led 'round everywhere

Now that I can see it's the queens new clothes
Now that I can hear all your poison prose
Now that I can talk with my tongue unfroze
I'm not so sure of Santa or the buck-tooth fairy
There are no words for me inside your dictionary

Now your laughter has a hollow ring
But the hollow ring has no finger in
So let's close the book and let the day begin
And our marriage be undone


Lyrics submitted by pumkinhed

Your Dictionary Lyrics as written by Andy Partridge

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

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Your Dictionary song meanings
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5 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment

    a very neat anti-love song.

    pumkinhedon February 10, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    oh and it's not "now that i can talk all your corn i'll reap" it is in fact "now that i can talk you'll hear my faith leap," which is still a relatively strange phrase.

    pumkinhedon February 10, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    You're thinking of the demo version, released on Homespun. The album version is as above.

    lord_lacolithon March 18, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Not particularly subtle by XTC standards, anyway "I'm not so sure that Joey wed a Virgin Mary" could refer both to the end of XTC's relationship with its then record label, and the end of lead singer Andy Partridge's marriage to his then-wife Marianne. "Now that I can talk all your corn I'll reap" possibly alludes to the artist royalties that finally started to flow through to the band at around the time this song was written.

    EvolutionBeanFeaston October 01, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    ive heard Andy Partiridge in interview. There was nothing symbolic in relation to anything BUT a bad divorce. He was very badly hurt by his then wife. I can relate and empathize with Andy. AS i understand it he almost didnt include the song in the album for obvious reasons. .

    davesdayon May 27, 2008   Link

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