What I want from you
Is empty your head
Well they say be true
Don't stain your bed

Well we do
What we need to be free
And it leans on me
Like a rootless tree

What I want from us
Is empty our minds
Well we fake a fuss
And fracture the times

We go blind
When we've needed to see
And this leans on me
Just like a rootless

So fuck you, fuck you, fuck you
And all we've been through
I said leave it, leave it, leave it
It's nothing to you
And if you hate me, hate me, hate me
Then hate me so good that you can let me out, let me out
Let me out of this hell when you're around

Let me out, let me out, let me out
Hell when you're around
Let me out, let me out, let me out

What I want from this
Is learn to let go
No, not of you
Of all that's been told

Killers reinvent and believe
And this leans on me
Like a rootless

So fuck you, fuck you, fuck you
And all we've been through
I said leave it, leave it, leave it
It's nothing to you
And if you hate me, hate me, hate me
Then hate me so good that you can let me out, let me out
Let me out of this hell when you're around
Let me out, let me out
Let me out of this hell when you're around

Let me out, let me out, let me out
Hell when you're around
Let me out, let me out, let me out
Hell when you're around
Let me out, let me out, let me out, let me out
Let me out, let me out, let me out, let me out
Let me out, let me out, let me out, let me out
Let me out, let me out, let me out

And fuck you, fuck you, I love you
And all we've been through
I said leave it, leave it, leave it
It's nothing to you
And if you hate me, hate me, hate me
Then hate me so good that you can let me out
Let me out, let me out, let me out
Let me out, let me out, let me out, let me out
Let me out, let me out, let me out, let me out
Let me out, let me out, let me out, let me out

Let me out, let me out, let me out
Hell when you're around
Let me out, let me out, let me out
Hell when you're around
Let me out, let me out, let me out
Hell when you're around
Let me out, let me out, let me out
Hell when you're around


Lyrics submitted by JordyWordy

Rootless Tree Lyrics as written by Damien George Rice

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Rootless Tree song meanings
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86 Comments

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  • +2
    General Comment

    Not sure why you found it necessary to censor his lyrics...

    tjwellson November 07, 2006   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    Anyone who thinks this song is out of character for Damien (i.e. with the swearing) really needs to check out some of his B-sides. Especially the song Woman Like A Man. He does angsty very well.

    SparksOfGoldon November 20, 2006   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    I really love this song. It is my favorite off of 9. I think that his use of "fuck" really expresses his raw anger and emotion. It's a bitter feeling because although he is screaming for the other person to "fuck" off, he really still wants her. And so the the cursing is not only directed at the other person but at himself and his lingering feelings.

    NoCoastSurferon December 05, 2006   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I love this song... it's one of my favorite ones by Damien. The melody just gets stuck in my head. There are some mistakes in these lyrics though... here are the corrected ones, as best to my knowledge.

    What I want from you is empty your head But they say be true, don't stay in your bed We do what we need to be free And it leans on me like a rootless tree

    What I want from us is empty our minds But we fade the forests, fracture the times(this is the only line I'm not real sure about) We go blind when we needed to see And it leans on me, like a rootless...

    So fuk you, fuk you, fu*k you And all you didn't do I said leave it, leave it, leave it There's nothing anyway And do you hate me, hate me, hate me, hate me so much That you can't let me out, let me out, let me out it's hell when you're around Let me out, let me out, let me out Hell when you're around Let me out, let me out, let me out Hell when you're around

    What I want from this Is to learn to let go No not of you Of all that's been told Killers re-invent and believe And it leans on me, like a rootless...

    So fuk you, fuk you, fu*k you And all you didn't do I said leave it, leave it, leave it It's nothin anyway And did you hate me, hate me, hate me, hate me so much That you can't let me out, let me out, let me out... It's hell when you're around...

    So fuk you, fuk you, fu*k you And all we've been through I said leave it, leave it, leave it It's nothing anyway And do you hate me, hate me, hate me, hate me so much That you can't let me out, let me out, let me out... Hell when you're around... Let me out, let me out, let me out, let me out...

    seulette suison January 03, 2006   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Great song, completely unexpected from him too... I love the moodiness.

    shrodeson November 09, 2006   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    'Rootless tree' could be an image alluding to being 'shallow'.

    I think the song is about a relationship that the protagonist needs to get out of. He needs to let go of this person and the feelings he has for them because they aren't doing him any good. The other person in the relationship is the rootless tree, just using the protagonist.

    "What I want from this Is to learn to let go"

    I don't know, the song confuses me a bit. It's just an idea.

    AiR7oNon November 11, 2006   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Let me start by saying I think Damien Rice and I must have dated the same girl...on first glance, this song is oviously about the struggle to get over a relationship in which the two people still love/hate each other, and probably always will.

    After reading through the lyrics a couple of times, though, it seems there could be some struggle to escape the religious dogma embedded as a child.

    "They say be true, don't stain your bed/We go blind when we needed to see"

    Think about all that can mean...and it's not limited to sexuality. Follow that up with "And it leans on me like a rootless tree," which can be interpreted as something powerful with no foundation. I don't think these quotes are taken out of context, either.

    Just food for thought.

    drewphoriaon January 02, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    this sounds beautiful. where can you find it?

    voddoon March 21, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    this song's gonna be on the new album out in november. lookin forward to it. oh and those lyrics don't look 100% accurate but whatever.

    icebox712on September 27, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    i think it's "fuck you / fuck you / fuck you / and all you've been through".

    can't be sure, though.

    sebharperon October 26, 2006   Link

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