7 Meanings
Add Yours
Follow
Share
Q&A
Walk Away Renee Lyrics
She said it was just a figment of speech
And I said, "You mean figure?"
And she said, "No, figment"
Because she could never imagine it happening
But it did.
When we first met I played the shy boy
And when she spoke to me for the first time
My nose began to bleed
She guessed the rest
The next day we went on a bus ride to the ferry
And when nobody came to collect our fares
Well, I knew then this was something special
I couldn’t stop thinking about her
And every time I switched on the radio
There was somebody else singing a song about the two of us
It was just like being on a fast ride at the funfair
The sort you wanna get off because it’s scary
And then as soon as you’re off
You wanna get straight back on again
But our love is strange
And you have to take the crunchy with the smooth I s'pose
She began going out with Mr Potato Head
It was when I saw her in the car park
With his coat around her shoulders that I realised
I went home and thought about the two of them together
Until the bath water went cold around me
I thought about her eyes and the curve of her breasts
And about the point where their bodies met
I confronted her about it.
I said, "I’m the most illegible bachelor in town."
And she said, "Yea, that's why I can never understand
Any of those silly letters you send me."
And then one day it happened
She cut 'er hair and I stopped lovin' 'er
And I said, "You mean figure?"
And she said, "No, figment"
Because she could never imagine it happening
But it did.
And when she spoke to me for the first time
My nose began to bleed
She guessed the rest
And when nobody came to collect our fares
Well, I knew then this was something special
I couldn’t stop thinking about her
And every time I switched on the radio
There was somebody else singing a song about the two of us
The sort you wanna get off because it’s scary
And then as soon as you’re off
You wanna get straight back on again
And you have to take the crunchy with the smooth I s'pose
She began going out with Mr Potato Head
It was when I saw her in the car park
With his coat around her shoulders that I realised
I went home and thought about the two of them together
Until the bath water went cold around me
And about the point where their bodies met
I confronted her about it.
I said, "I’m the most illegible bachelor in town."
And she said, "Yea, that's why I can never understand
Any of those silly letters you send me."
She cut 'er hair and I stopped lovin' 'er
Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.
eligable and illegible are subtituted for the pun.
why do girls cut their hair and become less attractive? Good observation Billy.
"I went home and thought about the two of them together Until the bath water went cold around me"
That's such an evocative and sad line. My mate got me into Billy Bragg about 20 years ago and, while I haven't got everything he's ever done, I still think he's easily the best lyricist ever. The last line of this song is just brilliant, the stark realisation that she isn't something special!
I think this song pretty much speaks for itself. So I just have 2 say I like it
I love the way he compares things in this song. And all the metaphors. I think he loved this girl more than any others. And the lines: " I said, "I’m the most illegible bachelor in town."And she said, "Yea, that's why I can never understand Any of those silly letters you send me." It kinda means she didn't believe his love or his words to her because he was a player/lusted by other women. And so she decided to go for someone else.
"She began going out with Mr Potato Head" -He's calling him "Mr. Potato Head" because his face/appearance is easily changed by other people, much like a Mr. Potato Head doll.
"I said, 'I’m the most illegible bachelor in town.' And she said, 'Yea, that's why I can never understand Any of those silly letters you send me.'" -You can take this two ways, and I think that's how it was supposed to be meant, as a pun. One, he's saying he's illegible in the sense of dating. Two, illegible with his hand writing. Her response backs both of them up, and it made me laugh when I first figured it out.
"And then one day it happened She cut 'er hair and I stopped lovin' 'er" -At first I didn't get this at all, but I kind of understand now. When he was in love with her, she had longer hair, a certain appearance. He fell out of love with her before she cut her hair (when she had changed), but he didn't see the change in her initially and didn't realize that she wasn't the person he was previously in love with. Her appearance made the change in her not as noticeable, so when she cut her hair that vision of the girl he was in love with was gone, and the change was seen. Then he was able to stop loving her.
He's not in love in the soulful, rest of your life sense. It's that awkward teenage crush/obsession thing. He fancies her something rotten so to get to know her becomes her friend. But then he's using the excuse of not ruining their friendship to prevent him from acting upon it and as a mask for his own inhibitions and low self esteem. She knows all this of course and is flattered. She flirts with him because she knows he'll never do anything. She likes having him around - it's good for her ego. When she goes out with someone else, he's gutted but it's just a matter of time. Then he realises that it was just a crush. Like when someone says something that lets you down and you see them in a different light. When her hair's cut, she's no longer the girl of his desires and has changed for good. This is funny. And true.
I think the final line is atypical of the fickleness of love sometimes. It can change so suddenly.