The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
He bit your lip
And on the tip
Of your tongue
Was your view
The heavy belt
With how you felt
In ways
That tilted you
The paper cuts
From the love letter
You never gave him
Could not meet
Your new found meat
A misbehaving lie
Why
Why would you say sorry
Oh, why would you say
Why would you say
You said there
Was a nagging lack of smiles
Went dancing on your back
Tenderness a plenty book
That wasn't what you craved
His whole thin heart desire
Start to make demands
And he adored you
Would be a fool
To make your plans with her
Why would you say sorry
Oh, why would you
Why would you say sorry
Oh, why would you say sorry
Oh, why would you
When it's just one
Of many bullets
You will bite
While waiting
For a ray of light
Waiting
For a ray of light
Waiting
For a ray of light
The paper cuts
From the love letter
You never gave him
Could not meet
Your new found meat
A misbehaving lie
Why
Why would you say sorry
Oh, why would you
Why would you say sorry
Oh, why would you say sorry
Oh, why would you
Why would you say sorry
And on the tip
Of your tongue
Was your view
The heavy belt
With how you felt
In ways
That tilted you
The paper cuts
From the love letter
You never gave him
Could not meet
Your new found meat
A misbehaving lie
Why
Why would you say sorry
Oh, why would you say
Why would you say
You said there
Was a nagging lack of smiles
Went dancing on your back
Tenderness a plenty book
That wasn't what you craved
His whole thin heart desire
Start to make demands
And he adored you
Would be a fool
To make your plans with her
Why would you say sorry
Oh, why would you
Why would you say sorry
Oh, why would you say sorry
Oh, why would you
When it's just one
Of many bullets
You will bite
While waiting
For a ray of light
Waiting
For a ray of light
Waiting
For a ray of light
The paper cuts
From the love letter
You never gave him
Could not meet
Your new found meat
A misbehaving lie
Why
Why would you say sorry
Oh, why would you
Why would you say sorry
Oh, why would you say sorry
Oh, why would you
Why would you say sorry
Lyrics submitted by olliemilton7, edited by cluelessalpaca
Black Plant Lyrics as written by Miles Kane Alex Turner
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I haven't entirely figured out why I think this song is about two different stories of adultery or cheating, but that's my theory..
In the first verse, it seems like a girl cheated on her guy (she's been misbehaving), she told him and he is extremely pissed and probably told her to get lost (he hadn't deal with how you felt with ways that suited you). She wants to apologize to him by writing him a love letter, but she knows that letter is probably not going to work because she cheated, and that's that.
The second verse is a man who is probably not feeling satisfied in his current relationship situation, hence, "tenderness aplenty, but that wasn't what you craved."
So then temptation greets him like a naughty friend ("desire starts to make demands") and he strays, even thought he narrator warns him, "you'd be a fool to make your plans with her."
So that's why the chorus says "why would you say sorry?" Can you really apologize after you've cheated and have your significant other understand where you're coming from? It's why the girl never sent the love letter; it wouldn't have made the guy feel any better! It's one of those few things you can honestly control and to do it is just wrong, so an apology after cheating is kind of worthless because you had a choice over what you were doing.
I think "when it's just one of many bullets you will bite while waiting for a ray of light," means that after the guilt of cheating sets in, and they've apologized, they will sit there (in pain from the guilt) trying to justify their behavior.
...And I guess after all of that, I still have no clue why the song is called "Black Plant."