The Killers – Soft Surrender (Where Is She?)

General Commentfrom the July 2005 issue of Q magazine:

Brandon Flowers: "This is about that girl in Scotland [teenager Jodi Jones] who was murdered by her boyfriend [Luke Mitchell], and it's written from the mother's point of view. When I heard the story, it just inspired me to write about it. I hope the mother won't mind..."

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  @the_mime

General CommentI think that most of this song is in the mother's point of view. Except for, of course:

"A police car, was outside your house today
I havent seen you, in a couple of days
They knocked on your door, and then they went away
Your mother looked scared, but she didnt cry
She didnt cry"

which seems like it is from a third person. A narrator. Brandon, let's say. Or, possibly from the murderer's (boyfriend) point of view, if he is confused.

Although, now that I look at it, the whole thing except for the chorus could be in the boyfriend's point of view!

The line is:
"Follow suit shake your head, tell me that its alright
I don't want you to be dead, but I want you to die"

To me at first it sounded like the mother talking about the boyfriend in the second line, like she hates him. But now I think it might make more sense coming from the boyfriend, talking to the girl. Maybe not though.

I think the chorus:
"Where is she?
Where is she?
Where is my baby girl
Oh I've seen you, you're crazy
What have you done with my whole wide world?"

is from the mom's point of view. Talking to the boyfriend with "I've seen you before when she was alive, I never thought well of you, now you killed her! What did you do, killing her?! What did you do to her?!" kinds of remarks. It seems like the kind of emotion in this song that a mother would have toward her daughter's murderer. Not like I would know, thank God.

I don't really know. It might be from all of their perspectives, too, the mother, father, and boyfriend. Like the "all these tears that we've cried pulls it all together, like they aren't really all that different, like they are joined together in their grieving.

My thoughts on this song are really confusing, because lines seem to contradict each other. I know though that it makes perfect sense, there just isn't much proof to show us what the definite meanings are.

I mean, I know everyone basically can agree that it is about the Scottish girl who was murdered by her boyfriend, but each line has it's own meaning, and it's those that we don't exactly know.

Okay, I know that this post was probably heck for you to read, because I'm only typing things as I think of them, and I'm normally a much better writer than this, but I hope you can translate my point.

thank you and peace

--Mari

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  @foundthevelvetsun7

General CommentThis song is entirely in the mother's perspective.

A police car, was outside your house today
-- to question/arrest the boyfriend
I havent seen you, in a couple of days
-- because he's hiding out from police
They knocked on your door, and then they went away
-- he's obviously not there
Your mother looked scared, but she didnt cry
She didnt cry
-- the murderer's mother answered the door

On one hand, I've got myself to blame
-- failure to protect the daughter
But on the other, it's always the same
-- parents can't always be there
Follow suit shake your head, tell me that its alright
-- perhaps dealing with the boyfriend giving false
-- condolences, "following suit" like other mourners
I don't you to be dead, but I want you to die
-- Not wanting him to be dead because she wants
-- the whole thing to never have happened, but
-- since it did... she wants revenge.
Without a good friend, or a sunshine
-- She wants him dead with no friends left, no
-- happiness
I know I want survival, but you dont know why
-- Perhaps survival only to make his living hell...


The rest of the song is fairly self-explanatory if you know the backstory.

One of the absolute best Killers songs. Too bad they couldn't release, but understandable.

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  @Jerrbear245
  0

  I didnt check the second page until I posted, I guess my post totally echoed yours and was unnecessary. =)

  Flag jasonveraSCon December 07, 2008  

General CommentNot sure these lyrics are entirely right, but it is hard to hear Brandon on the track, so I'll let it pass for now ;)

This song is about a Scottish girl, Jodi Jones, who was killed by her boyfriend. Obviously it's from one of her parent's perspective. Apparently the guys in the band saw her story on the new when they were touring in Scotland, and decided to write a song about her.

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  @thelesserthreat

General CommentYeah the socks part doesn't seem quite right. o_O; Changed some of the bits. I didn't type them myself, I got them from thekillersonline.net

I remember reading the mom was a little shocked by the fact The Killers wrote this song.

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  @foldsbaldwin

General CommentThis song is great,
Its really meaningful. I wonder how the mother actually feels about the song like? I'd be interested to know.

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  @Bethie09

General CommentThis song is really good but im pretty sure its from the perspective off her farther not from the perspective off her parents in general.


Also i think it says
"Without a good friend, or sunshine"
not
"Without a good friend, on a sunshine"

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  @Ficti0n

General CommentThis song is really good but im pretty sure its from the perspective off her farther not from the perspective off her parents in general.


Also i think it says
"Without a good friend, or sunshine"
not
"Without a good friend, on a sunshine"

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  @Ficti0n

General CommentThis song is really good but im pretty sure its from the perspective off her farther not from the perspective off her parents in general.


Also i think it says
"Without a good friend, or sunshine"
not
"Without a good friend, on a sunshine"

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  @Ficti0n

General CommentI thought this was a version of "Leave the Bourbon on the Shelf". The first part of the murder trilogy... Correct me if I'm wrong.

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  @Poet For Pennies