She was lying on the floor and counting stretch marks
She hadn't been a virgin and he hadn't been a god
So she named the baby Elvis
To make up for the royalty he lacked

And from then on it was turpentine and patches
From then on it was cold Campbell's from the can
And they were just two jerks playing with matches
'Cause that's all they knew how to play

And it was raining cats and dogs out side of her window
And she knew they were destined to become
Sacred road kill on the way
And she was listening to the sound of heavens shaking
Thinking about puddles ah, puddles and mistakes

'Cause it's been turpentine and patches
It's been cold, cold Campbell's from the can
And they were just two jerks playing with matches
'Cause that's all they knew how to play

Elvis never could carry a tune
And she thought about this irony as she stared back at the moon
She was tracing her years with her fingers on her skin
Saying well why don't I begin again?
With turpentine and patches
With cold, cold Campbell's from the can
After all I'm still a jerk playing with matches
It's just that he's not around to play along yeah
I'm still an ass hole playing with candles
Blowing out wishes blowing out dreams
Just sitting here and trying to decipher
What's written in Braille upon my skin oh oh ah

All this skin

She was lying on the floor and counting stretch
She was lying on the floor and counting stretch
She was lying on the floor, l-l-lying, l-l-lying
And a-counting stretch


Lyrics submitted by medicine

Braille Lyrics as written by Regina Spektor

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

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    My Interpretation

    Am I totally off?

    I think this is a song about a woman who regrets having an abortion. She & the father were just goofing around, but she still kind of got attached to the idea of having this child. Then the father took off (he's not around to play along), and she realized she and her baby would be in poverty (eating cold soup from a can), possibly homeless or dead (roadkill). So it's turpentine (to induce abortion) and patches (to prevent another pregnancy).

    The playing with matches bit -- in my local culture that's a euphemism for playing with sex. Matches are great under the right circumstances, and destructive under others. And these two were apparently bored; they didn't know what else to play.

    Elvis couldn't carry a tune because he never had a chance. She's blowing out birthday candles for him, blowing out the dream of him being a singer... thinking about puddles (of blood possibly? amniotic fluid? vomit from drinking turpentine?) -- thinking about actually being a mom, wondering if she could now (tracing her years) and saying she's still incapable (just a jerk playing with matches). And trying to make out the meaning of it all, like the stretchmarks can deliver a message she was blind to all along...

    ironcatastropheon January 05, 2011   Link

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