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Pet Grief Lyrics
And then he's gone
Never put up a fight
You think you know someone, right?
Maybe you never did, and how that scares you
I'll shut my mouth for you
Just like your friend would do
And this pet grief
It's just too bad
I've never seen you this sad
And if you need someone who doesn't talk back
I'll shut my mouth for you
Anything you want me to
What can I say?
What can I do?
Don't mean to analyze you
It is a double bind
I can't win this one
I'll shut my mouth for you
Anything you want me to
Never put up a fight
You think you know someone, right?
Maybe you never did, and how that scares you
I'll shut my mouth for you
Just like your friend would do
It's just too bad
I've never seen you this sad
And if you need someone who doesn't talk back
I'll shut my mouth for you
Anything you want me to
What can I do?
Don't mean to analyze you
It is a double bind
I can't win this one
I'll shut my mouth for you
Anything you want me to
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17 seconds into this song, this reverb synth comes in, and it's been haunting me for the last two months. i swear that it might be the most gorgeous moment in music in as long as i can remember, even though technically it's the simplest effect.
i sent this song to a friend after we both found out at the same time that her ex-boyfriend had started seeing someone else. she said it was the only thing in the few weeks after that really made her feel better. i think that is what it's about - when you really want to help someone who is sad, but the best way to do it is to shut your mouth and just listen.
I'm not so sure this song is about love, it might be about consoling your friends while they're experiencing grief. But I could be wrong.
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The first verse is the narrator consoling a friend who lost a loved one suddenly, through death, divorce, or a breakup. The friend thinks maybe they never truly knew this person, and they're realizing they will never have the chance. The narrator just wants to listen, be a good friend, like the person they lost.
...
The second verse is about the narrator helping a friend who lost a pet. "Someone who doesn't talk back" could be a cat or a dog. Since pets can't talk back, they're just a warm physical presence. So the narrator wants to fill a need and do the same for their grieving friend, to be a silent companion.
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The last verse is about how sometimes saying nothing is the only way to comfort a grieving friend. No need to overanalyze a situation, no need to remind them of their loss. There's nothing you can say or do to change things, and sometimes saying too much makes it worse. You just need to be there for your friend and help them with whatever they need in this moment.
[Edit: Formatting ]
What can I say? What can I do? Don't mean to analyze you
Best lines ever. They come at the right moment, just as if the song would have been weaker without them... I love how Radio Dept. songs are always sort of "hazy", blurry. "Pet Grief" is the best song on the album (n°2 for me is "The Worst Taste in Music")
It almost sounds like this person has been put into the friend zone, and he likes this girl whose boyfriend has just left her and rather than trying to make a move, he realizes he'll never have a chance so he just does what he can and listens because he cares about her. Very upsetting.
Its a song about a guy who has a friend that just lost a pet. I don't think its all that complex. There is plenty of beauty in its simplicity.
this is my absolute fav in pet grief album! amazing song indeed :)
:)
Great line: "I'll shut my mouth for you, anything you want me to."
Nothing pleases us more than listening to our own voice. We all just wait for everyone else to stop talking so we can say something. This dude willingly sacrifices his speeches to listen to this girl. That is love.
emotions and memories, an ethereal sound, an atmosphere that resonates deeply, lingering in the mind long after the notes have faded, a fleeting moment, simply fabulous!