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Casanova, Baby! Lyrics

Do you hear that whistle wail?
I think the end is coming in.
Well, I'm a whole lot worse for wear,
But I'm determined to slip this skin
And I know you're dying for a good time
I'm dying to breath again,
Oh my my Virginia

We could run all night
& dance upon the architecture
So come & take my hand
I'll give the very best I can for you...

I still wanna be your man,
I'm still these nervous feet & heart of stone,
Forget this dead man's town
I'll take you home

And you hear me late at night pickin' at the pieces
Sometimes nothing comes out right, and nothing is relieving
And every soul man song is a night I'd like to spend with you
Twisting the night away

But it's past quarter to three
and it's past the midnight hour
Mustang Sally's left the building
and we're so much worse without her

If I could put down this old hammer,
I'd take you somewhere new
Oh my my Virginia
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Cover art for Casanova, Baby! lyrics by Gaslight Anthem, The

this song is so sweet! Fairly self-explanatory. I like that the rhythm sounds a bit like a train, as the first line's a train reference. There are a couple of other references I can pick out right away:

  • Mustang Sally (Wilson Pickett died in 2006, we're worse off without her / him)
  • Quarter to Three is a 1961 song by Gary U.S. Bonds, also covered by Springsteen.
  • the whole "we could run all night" picks up a pretty common Springsteen theme

also I think the lyrics might be "Boy, I still wanna be your man" but could be wrong...

also "In the midnight hour" is a Wilson Pickett song...

also, "slip this skin" is a phrase from a Bruce's Streets of Philadelphia

Quarter to Three is also a Gary U.S. Bonds song

Cover art for Casanova, Baby! lyrics by Gaslight Anthem, The

There's a famous quote that's been attributed to everyone from John Cage to Steve Martin that I think is being referenced here: "Writing [or sometimes "talking"] about music is like dancing about architecture" - meaning that it is ridiculous and basically impossible to adequately express one medium in another. I think that the start of the chorus is a reference to this saying. "We could run all night \ and dance upon the architecture" can easily be interpreted as "We can listen to music [Springsteen is specifically suggested] and analyze it". The rest of the song is full of allusions to other songs and the bridge reveals that analyzing the songs is ultimately futile ("And you hear me late at night pickin' at the pieces / Sometimes nothing comes out right") and unfulfilling ("and nothing is relieving").

Cover art for Casanova, Baby! lyrics by Gaslight Anthem, The

I think this song is pretty self explainitory.

I think it's about a boy who loves a girl, and of course he's not "her man". He really just wants to take her away from where they are and show her a good time, to make her happy. But he also realizes that even if he did that he "still wouldn't be her man". It's a wishful thinking song, I believe. It's a very sweet song, but also sad, you know?

My favorite bit is

"We can run all night and dance upon the architecture come & take my hand I'll be the very best I can"

So catchy. It always puts me in a good mood. :] Probably my favorite off the CD.

Cover art for Casanova, Baby! lyrics by Gaslight Anthem, The

Song melts my heart when the background ohhs come in.

 
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