Born For Me

This song taps the vein of forbidden love. I think it's about an affair. "I can't bear to, try and share you, well I'm the one to talk, you're the one who's free." He's saying it's funny that he's so jealous and possessive when he's either got a wife or a girlfriend, and meanwhile this girl is "free" - meaning still single, though possibly seeing someone else at the same time. Like TheSilverNoble said, the guy knows that the girl just can't be with him for some reason or other (maybe because he won't change his situation; hence, she has to pretend to be his wife for the few brief nights when they're together). Towards the end of the song, he recognizes that the relationship has to end, but she'll always be born for him; even when she forget him, he'll still be in love with her. Perhaps I'm applying it too much to my own personal tale... who knows?

Westerberg's first three solo albums deal with rejection and loves not meant to be quite often. This song seems to right along with that. He believes this girl was "born for him," in other words his perfect woman. Yet he also seems to think that, even if she was with him, he's clearly not her first choice, and that they wouldn't stay together. Weather this is due to reliable perceptions, or because of some inferiority complex, who can say? Still a sweet but sad song, even if the first verse and "beautiful and blue" lines are a bit weak.

Still get a lump in my throat when the "you can say you're my wife" line. Sarah McLachlan sings backup on this ong beautifully as well. One of his best later compositions.