Rootless Tree

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

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.

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.

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...

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

'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.

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.

I can tell you that if you can relate to this song, you know what it means. Fuck you, I love you and all we’ve been through, capture my feelings now perfectly. You love someone, but you need to learn to say F you so you can move on, you realize it never meant anything to them. What I want from this is to learn to let go, no not of you, but of all that’s been told. Everything about this song is perfect for me right now.

The volatility of a breakup. I blamed myself for everything and could not be angry with her, once I learned to feel anger for being mistreated and stopped accepting all the fault as my own, I felt this. I love you, but fuck you. I don’t want to let go of you, but of everything that was said. To feel anger turns out to be healthy if channeled in the right ways.

this sounds beautiful. where can you find it?