I made her smile, and made her cry
Cleared her head and made her wonder why
I helped her live, and made her wanna die
But she, can't complain, she can't complain

She tried to date a friend of mine
I was at his house when she came to say goodbye
He stood her up, and she took it as a sign
And I can't complain, I can't complain

We took off for the weekend had quite a time
Shared everything we'd ever tried
I told her I could love her, I told her I could lie
So she can't complain, she can't complain

She didn't care she saw me in her life
I left it up for her to decide
She couldn't see the end of me, nor could I
So I can't complain, I guess I can't complain

She moved here, about the first house she could find
I moved in and we locked ourselves inside
I guess we just kidnapped each other's minds
So we can't complain, we can't complain

I cheated on her with a friend of mine
There are no days that we don't fight
But remember, I warned her, and I'm a guy
So she can't complain, no she can't complain, she knows,
She can't complain, she can't complain

No she can't complain, she can't complain
She can't complain, she can't complain
She can't complain, she can't complain
She can't complain, she can't complain
She can't complain, she can't complain


Lyrics submitted by th3gh05t

Can't Complain Lyrics as written by Chris Thile

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Can't Complain song meanings
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11 Comments

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  • +2
    General Comment

    maybe you're right a1recycler, but I see a slightly different meaning.

    I see two people that are completely enraptured by eachother, but at the same time completely not ready for a relationship. Two people who are wild and intense, probably young and not ready to settle down. They meet and immediatly fall in love, and the story goes on from there. The beginning lines mark the extremes in the relationship, the happiness and then the downfall. The next part is how they met-she was going to go on a date with his friend and he didn't show up, so they decided to go out instead. The next part seems to be a whirlwind of a weekend. They go into a relationship knowing he can lie, and basically cheat, and therefore she's not allowed to complain when it will inevitably happen. They go on to move in together, and i agree with a1recycler, the best line is "i guess we kidnapped eachothers minds". I see it as more of a love thing though, not a sign of boredomn. They completely captivated eachoether, at least for the time being. Then of course: the demise of the relationship where he does in fact cheat, and the "can't complain" part of the song becomes relevant. They were completely in love and possibly she thought she had been the solution to a once-cheater. But, alas, she was not. And since she was warned-she can't complain.

    morningloryon February 22, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    i'm guessing it's about karma, because it goes from what she did, to what he did, and back and forth, but i'm not sure about the actual story laced in it.

    forelsket segon September 24, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I really get the feeling of a stale relationship. Both are in a pretty serious relationship because they've got nothing better to do. It in a sense has killed their sense of adventure, but that's what they wanted, so they can't complain.

    "she couldn't see the end of me, nor could I" I feel like that is saying that she didn't have real reason to end the relationship, so they just stuck it out.

    "I told her I could love her, I told her I could lie" "But remember I warned her, and I'm a guy" that's basically him excusing the cheating because he basically told her that he wasn't all into the relationship if he said he could lie.

    and the line I love: "I moved in and we locked ourselves inside I guess we just kidnapped each other's minds" I really feel like this is saying that when they moved in together, they hit the wall. Meaning they became completely boring and repetitive. Kidnapping the mind's to me is symbolic of stifiling their creativity or desire to try new things.

    But that's me, I could be wrong, maybe it's a terrible tragedy.

    a1recycleron October 12, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Lyrics are

    She didn't care she saw me in her life I left it up for her to decide She couldn't see the end but neither could I So I can't complain, I guess I can't complain

    edmikkelsen27on March 24, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Just an idea up for kicking around. At first I thought that he was making the statement saying she doesn't have a right to complain, but now I'm thinking that he's really just trying to justify what he did "I cheated on her with a friend of mine" and how the relationship is falling apart throughout the whole song by telling himself that she can't complain.

    AquilaIncertaon October 18, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    anyone ever seen Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind? the message of this song kinda reminds me of the final conversation between Joel and Clementine in the hallway.

    it's about the joy and pain, resolution and confusion, and all the other paradoxical things involved in a relationship. the song (like the movie) is just saying that there are things that you agree to put up with if you want to have that experience of being close to someone. even though they know it'll likely end in pain and bitterness, they both "can't complain" because what they shared was worth it. love, like everything, doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful.

    TheeAbecedarianon April 09, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I really agree with AquilaIncerta and TheeAbecedarian... he's just trying to justify tweo things: his hurting her, and his getting hurt. Like he says that he told her he could lie, he's a guy, etc., so he's saying these things as if he's telling her "you were forewarned," but he's more than likely he's telling them moreso to himself, as if he's saying "We knew this would happen, and it did" but both of them were too happy or too scared to stop it.

    teasoireeon July 20, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    this is one of my favorite songs EVER.

    severalwayson October 28, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I think this song is about a guy and a girl who get into a relationship that is too serious for both of them to handle, and then they're not really sure how to get themselves out of it. Neither of them are really happy but they think they'll make each other happy, and for a while they do, until they start looking for more happiness. I think the "can't complain" part is not really serious...it's just kind of like "well, this is a part of life, so we can't complain, we got ourselves into this, it's our fault." although I'm a bit confused when he talks about cheating on her like...

    "she can't complain because I warned her I would cheat on her, and well...I'm a guy. that's what guys do"

    And I have great doubts that that's serious at all...so that makes me wonder if he's just kind of being sarcastic throughout the whole song...or showing the way they blame each other for everything when it's really all both of them doing everything not one person or the other...

    hmmm...I'll have to ponder this a while longer.

    songofthedeafgirlon November 05, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    well she can't complain, because she would be a complete hypocrite.

    i definately adore this song.

    rocky!bella!on November 28, 2007   Link

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