Say It to Me Now

I pretty much agree, but i think it has to do with the stage BEFORE the real romantic relationship. That point where you arent sure what the other one is feeling. Should you ask them out should you just keep talking? You think she/he feels the same way about you as you do about them, but they are too afraid to say it. line by line. (I took words out of the lyrics below)

Scratching at the surface trying hard to work it out -almost like testing the waters, trying to see how they feel without coming right out and asking

so much has gone misunderstood and mystery only leads to doubt -you've thrown hints at her/him to let them know how you feel, but they misunderstand what you wanted to say, so now you aren't sure how they feel and that mystery makes you doubt they feel the way you think they do.

i didn't understand reach out and take my hand -reach out to take my hand can be viewed as a metaphor or literally. And its the confusion you face when you see that act. "is she/he a friend, or is this a hint towards the next step"

If you have something to say say it now -being fed up with the games basically, wanted them to just tell you how they feel and stop hiding it

cause this is what you waited for a chance to even up the score -saying the he/she has had heartbreak in the past, but the person singing is the right match, a chance for them to forget the bad relationships and get into a good one.

and as these shadows fall i win some how -notices/realizes that hes had trouble also, hes felt the darkness but hes found some one to help him through, to help him win

cause im picking up the message closer than ever -hes seeing the hints thats shes putting down, he feels so close to being in this real relationship

and if you have something to say -same thing as before

sorry for the lengthy description, just happens to be a song very close to my heart at the moment

amazing song

and i believe 2nd verse line five is

"Cause I'm picking up a message Lord"

i think it has more to do with a relationship that ended badly; he was cheated on, and now is angry and confused ("scratching at the surface now, and i'm trying hard to work it out"). he's daring her to tell him the truth ("so if you have something to say, say it to me now") and is saying that this is her way of getting back at him for something. ("cause this is what you've waiting for, a chance to even up the score") the song's mood turns from anger to despair at the end, when he shows that even though he's depressed ("and as these shadows fall on me now, i win somehow"), he is learning and moving on.

Every time I watch the opening of the movie, I get chills from Glen's singing of this song. Absolutely amazing.

The lyrics is wrong it should be "Cause I'm picking up a message, Lord"

It's a out cry to God at a junction of one's life and probably near death or an emotional death. An act of defiance I think of an unsatisfied and confused soul, demanding an answer from the Lord the meaning of existance and to spare oneself of intense emotional pain. Desperately seeking for an answer for a healing for the soul within. Whatever it may be, he wants to know what the Lord would say, so all the pain may go away.

My 2 cents.

The whole song definitely has a darker yet victorious mood to it. I can see how some interpreted it as a budding relationship song with the line "I didn't understand, when you reached down to take my hand", however the rest of the song is quite indicative of pain and betrayal followed by resolution with or without an explanation of the motivation behind what hurt him. I think the reason he "didn't understand" when the person reached to take his hand was probably because at this point all he expects from this person is anger or excuses, not empathy or sympathy. So, while he's begging for an explanation, it almost comes off as a warning. You get the feel that he's saying "I'm two seconds from stepping away from this completely, so this is your last chance to clarify anything that has "gone misunderstood".

Beautiful song-writing in it's purest.

I have something to observe that may be controversial, but I believe it to be true.

The line: "Cause I'm picking up a message, love"

is INTENTIONALLY slurred and ambiguous, leaving it equally open to being interpreted as:

"Cause I'm picking up a message, lord"

And what's brilliant, is that the song works with either interpretation.

It's the emotional state of the singer that is relevant and comes through passionately, regardless of whether he's singing to a love or a god.

In summary, this is what he's saying:

"I'm here. I'm paying attention. I'm open to learning. I'm open to changing. I'm hopeful and optimistic. I'm alive!"

I think it's a beautiful meaning, in either interpretation of the subject.

My 2 cents.

(NOTE: As an aside, in my opinion, Glen Hansard's intentionally used this because it's a classic celtic/Irish literary device for song lyrics. I believe it's been historically used to satisfy both the religious and less-religious parts of a community so that they can all share in the music and celebration of their culture.)

Considering the Projects Glen has made, and with the fact that this song was incorporated into Once, which has a premise mainly concerning the brief but romantic relationship between two people, I agree with those who think the words are "picking up the message, love."

I take this as a couple that has broken up. Either the relationship is falling apart, and the Guy is saying as a last ditch effort, "here I am, I'm laying everything on the line for you, if you still love me or want anything from me, say it now." OR (and I'm taking this from personal experience) the couple has broken up, and yet somehow the girl keeps returning into the Guy's life through certain circumstances, like offering opportunities to spend time together. Now if the girl instigated the break up, and the guy experienced most of the heartbreak, this would seem confusing for him, since he still loves her and didn't want the break up. He was just trying to get over her, and now he is just "scratching off the surface" of either a life as being single or attempting to understand what the girl is trying to do by attempting to spend with him.

When the song picks up to the chorus, its almost him declaring his feelings to her like shouting, tired of this confusion and the games that are being played. "is this what you've waited for, a chance to even up the score"? Like is this you getting back at me for something? or for you to try to get back in my life after what you did to us? "and as these shadows fall on me now I'll win somehow." The guy has established himself that either he will be vulnerable to her in a time like this and get her back if she's true, or was smart enough not to get back with her if she's not true.

"I'm picking up the message love, and I'm closer than I've been before. So if you have something to say, Say it to me NOW." He has been reading her actions for some time, possibly coming to an understand from just knowing her through the relationship, or by observation. He could be "closer" to achieving happiness on his own, without her in the process of moving on, and this adds urgency and increased demanding from the guy when He asks if there is anything the Girl has to say to him, if so, to say it now, because he is about to start his life again without her, after all this time and heartbreak, and needs to know whether he can live that life with or without her.

I am 19 and a hopeless romantic, and this situation happened to me. I hope eventually I will be able to perform this song and dedicate it to this girl who I was in love with since 12 and was in a realtionship at 15 and have been broken up since, but keeps finding her way back in my life. just MY two cents.

Glen says the following about the song meaning in an interview: "I remember writing the song at the time for my grandmother. My grandmother and my grandfather used to fight continuously. They must have been really deeply in love because they just fought and fought and fought and quite passionately argued all the time. Then my grandmother died and it was one of those strange things where my grandfather just fell apart; but yet you would say they never got on. Do you know what I mean? And yet there must have been all this love. In a way I wrote [the song] for them and, again, just the whole thing about relationships and revenge and the idea that, 'We've split up and you've gone and done the one thing that I would hope you wouldn't have done. You've stuck the knife in and now it's warped.' That's part of the revenge—'Is this what you've waited for? Your chance to even up the score?'—and that's the song. It's in some ways positive; it's like, 'Fuckin' bring it on.' I guess that's what the song says. If you have something to fuckin' say to me, say it now. That's the way I was feeling at the time. 'I can fuckin' take it. I can take the truth but I can't take all the lies.' "

what a beautiful song

it's "even up the score" at the end of verse 2, line 2