"Poke" as written by and Scott John Hutchison Grant David Hutchison....
Poke at my iris
Why can't I cry about this?
Maybe there is something that you know that I don't
We adopt brand new language
Communicate through pursed lips
And you try not to put on any sexy clothes or graces
I might never catch a mouse
And present it in my mouth
To make you feel you're with someone who deserves to be with you
But there's one thing we've got going
And it's the only thing worth knowing
It's got lots to do with magnets and the pull of the moon
Why won't our love keel over as it chokes on a bone?
And we can mourn its passing
And then bury it in snow
Or should we kick its cunt in
And watch as it dies from bleeding?
If you don't want to be with me just say and I will go
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Well we can change our partners
This is a progressive dance but
Remember it was me who dragged you up to the sweaty floor
Well this has been a reel
I've got shin-splints and a stitch from wee
But like a drunken night it's the best bits that are colored in
You should look through some old photos
I adored you in every one of those
If someone took a picture of us now they'd need to be told
That we had ever clung and tied
A navy knot with arms at night
I'd say she was his sister but she doesn't have his nose
And now we're unrelated and rid of all the shit we hated
But I hate when I feel like this
And I never hated you
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Why can't I cry about this?
Maybe there is something that you know that I don't
We adopt brand new language
Communicate through pursed lips
And you try not to put on any sexy clothes or graces
I might never catch a mouse
And present it in my mouth
To make you feel you're with someone who deserves to be with you
But there's one thing we've got going
And it's the only thing worth knowing
It's got lots to do with magnets and the pull of the moon
Why won't our love keel over as it chokes on a bone?
And we can mourn its passing
And then bury it in snow
Or should we kick its cunt in
And watch as it dies from bleeding?
If you don't want to be with me just say and I will go
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Well we can change our partners
This is a progressive dance but
Remember it was me who dragged you up to the sweaty floor
Well this has been a reel
I've got shin-splints and a stitch from wee
But like a drunken night it's the best bits that are colored in
You should look through some old photos
I adored you in every one of those
If someone took a picture of us now they'd need to be told
That we had ever clung and tied
A navy knot with arms at night
I'd say she was his sister but she doesn't have his nose
And now we're unrelated and rid of all the shit we hated
But I hate when I feel like this
And I never hated you
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
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i think that could be a reference to an animal, or a metaphor
for the relationship.
Cat's bring their loved ones/owners presents (dead mice)
which are usually rejected and thrown away.
Human's don't appreciate them, because their needs are not compatible
just a thought.
still hearing "stitch" rather than "stench" in the 2 versions i have, though.
i love the lines:
Well we can change our partners this is a progressive dance,
But remember it was me who dragged you up to the sweaty floor.
I think they mean that he pulled the girl out into the world of love and dating and that while she will meet others, he hopes she will always remember that he was the 1st.
It tells me that people may not know that they were in an intimate relationship ("navy knot with arms at night"), but they still can pick up that they are somehow connected.
May as well explain this by just going through the song -
He's not upset about it, he can't cry & she doesn't want him to fancy her (sexy clothes reference.) They don't really talk anymore (language) and pursed lips makes it seem as though they are sort of bored and frustrated with each other.
In the lines about the mouse I think he's trying to say he doesn't always try to show her how great he is (the way a cat does when it brings a mouse to its owner) or always prove that he's the person she should be with - maybe because they're so right for each other or he just can't be bothered.
I like the lines
But there's one thing we've got going and it's the only thing worth knowing.
It's got lots to do with magnets and the pull of the moon.
They are still attracted to each other - which makes it even tougher to break up.
They don't know what to do about their love...to destroy it or let it destroy itself. "Why won't our love keel over...." etc. He's saying that they can let it fizzle out and get over it or they could get angry with it and each other.
Either he is referring to a night they were at a dance with each other and using it as a metaphor for their relationship or he just uses the dance as a metaphor. These lines suggest they're a partying couple, get drunk and stoned all the time and maybe they've split up lots of times before and gone out with other people or cheated on each other? (changing partners?) But they forget about the bad bits and remember the good bits - like a drunken night, you only ever remember the good bits.
The photo chorus is pretty clear I think (you would never know to look at them that they even loved each other at one point) and it seems as though they talk but aren't on great terms (like a sister). This annoys him because even though all the shit between them that they didn't like is gone, he never hated her and he never will.
Just my opinion!!!
To remain germane, this is also my favorite Frightened Rabbit song. Absolutely beautiful. Possibly the most relatable song for anyone who is having trouble letting go of their first/most significant relationship.
"I hate when I feel like this, and I never hated you" is when the song finally drops all metaphor and just calls this terribly sad spade exactly that... and oh man, I just lost it. Thanks, FR for keeping songwriting intimate.
If someone took a picture of us now they'd need to be told that we had ever clung and tied a navy knot with arms at night
I'd say she was his sister but she doesn't have his nose.
And now we're unrelated and rid of all the shit we hated,
But I hate when I feel like this and I never hated you. '
This last bit breaks my heart. They've come apart and he feels the strong emotion against her, but he doesn't like it, and even though they have fought/are fighting, he never hated her.