You didn't have to say that I'm no good, 'cause I know.
There's no point pointing pistols at me now, I'll just go.
I never should have asked you to be kind, but I'm slow.

I'm sorry, but how can I get to you
Stuck in my fifty-pound lead boots,
Stuck in my deep sea diving suit?

I never thought you'd turn on me, 'cause you're my best friend.
You say I never offered you a thing in the end.
And now you wouldn't trust me with a grain of sand.

I'm sorry, but how can I get to you
Stuck in my fifty-pound lead boots,
Stuck in my deep sea diving suit?


Lyrics submitted by delial

Deep Sea Diving Suit Lyrics as written by

Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING

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Deep Sea Diving Suit song meanings
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6 Comments

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  • +3
    General Comment

    Being "stuck" in a deep sea diving suit is being mired down by your past relationships. You wear the suit to survive the ocean, it is the protection you need to survive in a harsh environment. If you suddenly find yourself in an inviting environment, however, the suit becomes a hindrance, bulky and heavy, and it slows you down. Similarly, the emotional barriers you build to protect yourself from one bad relationship may hinder you when a good relationship comes along.

    Beautiful that he doesn't beat you over the head with other ocean metaphors, though.

    judahnielsenon November 21, 2006   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Going deep into the sea shouldn't be that bad, the girl should get a diving suit for herself so that both can enjoy love in the deep sea.

    Ar-Kikanon July 12, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Sweet tune S.M.!!!!

    3RA1N1ACon July 29, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I thought of it more like a communication thing, distance between people. The character can't connect or can't understand, so it feels like he's trapped underwater.

    elementaron August 23, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I see this song as being written from one friend to another, not about a relationship. Although the Magnetic Fields became known for doing tongue-in-cheek love songs through 69 Love Songs, the rest of their catalogue is pretty varied, especially their mid-nineties stuff. What's cool about this song is you can hear both sides of the story. Friend A feels too depressed (the significance of the fifty-pound lead boots, dragging him down to the bottom of the ocean) to deal with Friend B, and he feels betrayed when B decides to stop hanging out with him. But you can hear why B wrote him off: A comes off as pretty self-absorbed and self-pitying. Why would B say he never offered him anything if it weren't true?

    Stephin Merritt gives you one guy's perspective, and thanks to his meticulous writing you get both sides of the story. Just another example of how great a songwriter he is.

    gpphon June 28, 2011   Link
  • -1
    General Comment

    Love is like being stuck in a deep sea diving suit, isn't it?

    GeorginaMansleyon July 29, 2008   Link

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