It's All I Can Do

The songwriter is bummed out because he's been lusting over this girl who he lusted after. he wanted to be in a relationship with her. she jsut wanted a one night stand and now she's gone, but he wishes she'd come back and he is having a hard time getting over her.

I would add a slightly different bend to the 1st interpretation; she, the subject of the song, might as well be named "Candy-O"; the real issue is that no matter what he does, she is never truly satisfied: it's all about her. He always has to prove himself and put work into the relationship, but she just keeps wanting "something new", can't settle down. It sounds like they might have had several get-together's, at least (perhaps just enough to keep stringing him along?), but she continues to disappoint him w/her lack of commitment and follow-through. Candy O was more about the aspect of being a pre-Madonna - always looking for that shiny new toy to keep her happy...impossibly ungrateful, insatiable! Very close, I would gamble to bet these 2 songs are about the same lover...

One of my favorite Cars songs, if not perhaps my all time favorite (along with Let's Go, Best Friends Girl, and Dangerous Type) ...

Gotta add this tidbit: The first responder missed it a bit here. Let me tell you why I think this is so. He was not involved in a one-night-stand with this lady. How do I know, you ask ... Well, consider the line about keeping her renditions (photos) up on the wall .. where Holiday Romance means nothing at all ... I think he spent the holidays with this woman ... he took her to some classy island chain for a majorly expensive and classy vacation. Lots of photos were taken (which he he has up on his wall --- in hopes she'll come back to him --- its all that he can do is keep hoping she will one day return. But they must have had something a little more serious than just a one-night-stand, now, wouldn't you agree?

I honestly think the whole Candy-O Album is sort of a concept-album of sorts....

It starts off with a lovely night on the town with his lover, and ends with one of those more ironic type songs ala. "You're All I've Got Tonight"...

AT this point in the story, our guy is still missing his woman from the "fling" in "Let's Go" that should have been requited in "Since I Held You" but she's been stringing him along thus far.

He was probably spending some time on the holiday with this woman in Let's Go, started missing her on "Since", and now is really missing her and wishing she'd come back while he stares at his "Renditions of Her On the Wall".

I get the feeling at the end of this song, this lady is likely well-to-do and travels a lot, and because of this she "waits in the wing like a Saturday flirt, protecting the judge you don't want to get hurt" ie. she's with another man now, and then realizes with him, yet again, she wants yet another new "boy toy" to play with.

One too many times I fell over you He has reached the point where he can't take the "hoping" / "see things as they are" rollercoaster anymore Once in a shadow I finally grew Once during a "see things as they are" sad time he got wise; decided to break the cycle; decided to try to pull away And once in a night I dreamed you were there Had a dream of her and even though he realized it the "real" feeling was unshakable I cancelled my flight from going nowhere Changed the day's plans because they'd suddenly become utterly unimportant, due to his depression.

It's all I can do To keep waiting for you It's all I can do It's all I can do He's waiting for her to commit.

One too many times I twisted the gate Made too many exceptions for her. When I was crazy I thought you were great Self explanatory. Love is blind. I kept my renditions of you on the wall Kept choosing to see her the way he wanted to see her ("my" renditions). Where holiday romance is nothing at all I am stumped on this one. Could be filler / nonsense lyric.

It's all I can do To keep waiting for you It's all I can do It's all I can do The strain of suffering through the lows is "all he can do"

You wait in the wing like a Saturday flirt She's non committal Protecting the judge, you don't want to get hurt He presumes she doesn't commit due to fear Once in a moment it all comes to you He has the realization / finally comes to terms As soon as you get it you want something new She's only in it for the thrill of the kill

I think that this song is supposed to be about unrequited love, but the guy in the song doesn't love the woman or what she presents to him (really). It's more about what she represents to him. He keeps his renditions of her on the wall. He's in love with his fantasy version of her. He's the one that wants what he can never have. He's in love with Hope. The guy in the song = like me.