You have loved
You were not alone
You have braved the weather
When the storm cut you to the bone
There was always shelter

My secred friend
I'll take you to the river
My secred friend
We can swim forever

In your skin
To die a little death
This time there's no code word
When everyday frays in hollow ends
Dream sweet love submersive


Lyrics submitted by thirstyone, edited by stereoparty, chalkie

My Secret Friend Lyrics as written by Christopher Anthony Corner Imogen Jennifer Jane Heap

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

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My Secret Friend song meanings
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8 Comments

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  • +2
    My Interpretation

    There's definitely an element of sex and control in this one. Uninhibited.

    Maybe they're having sex in/by the river. Or it's all metaphorical. They're "submersing" themselves in a very secret liaison, suspended in time where they can sin ["swim"] forever [die a little death in your skin = 'petit mort' slang for orgasm in French]; "there's no code word" = S&M kinkiness. Well.

    Love the slight eerie quality in this one... If you're submerged in water in the dark, with your lover it would be like going back to the womb. I think in some cultural tale/myth/belief [Japanese maybe?] that if two star-crossed lovers cannot bear to be apart and commit suicide, they will reincarnate as twins in their next life together.

    pragmaticon October 18, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    You have loved You were not alone (He reciprocates this feeling) You have braved the weather (His lover has braved all what people will say about their relationship) When the storm cut you to the bone ('Storm' being maybe the shunning of people, the disapproval) There was always shelter (Chris is her/his shelter)

    My secred friend I'll take you to the river My secred friend We can swim forever (Will take him/her away from the scrutiny and they shall love)

    etc

    So basically, a relationship that would be deemed as unacceptable (Chris immagined an insestuous relationship).

    electrogirl94on July 22, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    It's sooo beautiful and soft and oohhh I have no words... take me to the river....

    thirstyoneon March 20, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    It's a very beautiful song, that kinda takes you away, and brings you into this musical koma.

    I think it's about two people, who are very lonely, and unhappy, but then they find each other. I think the Take me to the river part is maybe about them wanting to commit suicide, so they can be forever united in death. They've gone insane of their loneliness.

    Or maybe there is just one person, who has an imaginary friend. But I'm pretty sure there's some suicide involved.

    ImAvampireon May 23, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    "When I wrote it, I imagined some kind of psychotic brother/sister relationship, perhaps romantic, dependent, incestuous. I imagine her as the boy and me as the girl." -Chris Corner

    hardrockchick.com/2009/05/14/interview-with-chris-corner-of-iamx/

    PunksterPhorckon August 16, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Ok, HERE is the interview I read where he talks about dressing up Imogen as a guy and doing weird things with her. That is so horribly strange out of context that I had to track it down. blurt-online.com/features/view/398/

    And this song is so eerie, I love it.

    exitmouldon September 04, 2009   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation

    to me, the song seems almost to be about gender dysphoria; mostly because of how the music video looked: you have a man, who is feeling confusion and wants to be with this female figure whom he only has contact with through desperate touches and whispers through a barrier.

    'You have loved/You were not alone/You have braved the weather/When the storm cut you to the bone/There was always shelter'- this person has faced scorn for their secret, but still hold strong and find comfort in the thought of what could be.

    'My secret friend I'll take you to the river My secret friend We can swim forever' - someday, they will be able to turn into this person that they wants so badly to be, and be able to do it without scorn.

    'In your skin To die a little death This time there's no code word When everyday frays in hollow ends Dream sweet love submersive' -everyday that they have to live in a body that feels wrong to them, they die a little, and they can't escape it as it slowly eats away at them.

    i dunno, this is just my take on the song.

    LucaIsACaton January 11, 2013   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    The meaning of the song to me is that maybe he has a 'secret friend' as an imaginary friend, that he/she has to kep secret, and that the secret friend wants to take him/her to the river to drown them so they can swim forever as to be together forever in death.

    Maybe, also, that the secret friend is already dead and is a ghost who is friends with the other, and is also why the secret friend wants to 'swim forever, as in death.

    But I'm not sure, it could be about two people who want to take care of each other but it's hard since they are far apart.

    I'm not sure, I really like this song and it is one of my favorite music videos by IAMX

    Uuranusson October 18, 2015   Link

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