Masochist

i sort of think that this song is about being unable to love somebody back. it's like, this guy is really into her and she just can't get herself to see it. she doesn't understand because she hasn't been in love, so she can't return what he tells her (i.e. my skin feels like no one else's...but i don't understand, isn't a hand just a hand?). also i think the "she" that ingrid talks about may be sort of like an...inner voice. or like her conscience or something, telling her that he's a masochist for falling for her.

i absolutely love this song. it sounds to me like she doesn't know how to love someone without hurting them, because she has a wall up and she doesn't know how to get it down. like when she says "when will i feel all soft on the inside". and when she says "your a masochist for falling for me so roll up your sleeves", it's kind of saying get ready to get hurt, the rolling up of the sleeves being a metaphor for cuts on your arm. sounds really morbid, but that's what the song means to me. someone who wants to love, but doesn't know how without hurting the other person.

The line "So roll up your sleeves" to me means "Get ready, coz this will involve a lot of work"

i don't think shes talking about a boy. shes talking about a girl/woman.

"And I think that I like her, 'cuz she tells me things I don't want to hear, Medicinal tongue in my ear."

shes talking about the girl. she likes that she tells her things she dosent want to hear. some people like that and its kinda a turn on for them.

she seems to be in love but new at it and unsure of things.

like this line: "You say that my skin feels like no one else's, That it's different somehow. But I don't understand, isn't a hand just a hand? No you don't understand. "

"She says you're a masochist for falling for me, So roll up your sleeves."

meaning be cautious, you must like getting hurt if you decide to be with me. "so roll up your sleeves"is meaning show me your scars

I love this song have been listening to it for days. Ingrid's voice is so soft yet clear and her expressions are full i just love the way she sings. Her lyrics are so beautiful i can relate so perfectly to them ... isn't love an act of masochism painful yet so satisfying

i love everything about this song "you're a masochist for falling for me" to me that sorta feels like shes trying to say - when you let yourself fall for someone or in love you might just be setting yourself up to get hurt.

i think that the 'she' that's referred to is her therapist, hence the "medicinal tongue in her ear", and the saying things that she doesn't want to hear. Also since she is asking in the song, 'when will it stop" that seems like a plea to get better. perhaps she is there because she has intimacy issues and can't feel 'soft' about anyone anymore.

Yep. I agree with jellybean. I think the term masochist here means that girl A (the one singing) is in love with girl B and is constantly pursuing her despite rejection (maybe girl B is straight). The unending pursuance is due to the fact that she is a masochist and she doesn't mind getting hurt, in fact finds it pleasurable. Although that fact hurts girl A she still lover her.. "You're a masochist for falling for me"

I don't know. Some people are like that, they love people who can't reciprocate their love. Don't you people feel that same way, that when you finally get the person you have desired..the interest fades away?

I interpret it as: she says, "you're a masochist...so roll up your sleeves." then it switches to first person for "And I think that I like her..." and the chorus.

then it switches back to dialogue: "you say that my skin...isn't a hand just a hand?" Then "no you don't understand..." is in first person.

and I don't think "medicinal tongue" is supposed to be literal. It's metaphorical, like her words soothe, heal like medicine does.

And the speaker doesn't have to be a girl, which means this doesn't have to be a lesbian relationship (although it could be, and there's nothing wrong with that.)

It's all about how someone feels inadequate or undeserving for another person's love, that's all. And I don't think the love is unrequited; she--not the speaker--says "so roll up your sleeves." That means they'll try to make it work, but it's going to be difficult. And when the speaker says that he/she likes her because she tells him/her things she doesn't want to hear, I interpret that as the speaker enjoying this challenge as he/she waits for love, or the softness on the inside.

I agree with SARAHbellum. I don't think that the singer is in love with the first "she" Ingrid mentions. I think that it is her conscience or inner voice. And the person she's in love with is a third party. Usually we portray ourselves on the outside differently than whats on the inside, like "'cuz she tells me things I don't want to hear". We don't always want to acknowledge the truth about ourselves, so we stow it away in the back of our minds.