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Heart It Races Lyrics
And we're slow to acknowledge the knots in our laces
Heart it races
And we go back to where we moved out to the places
Heart it races
I bought it in a can and stirred it with my fingers
Singin' boom da da da da da da boom dat dat dat da da
Threw it out the window
Lately you've been tan, suspicious for the winter
With your boom da da da da da da boom dat dat dat da da
Legs like little splinters
Legs like little splinters
And we're slow to acknowledge the knots in our laces
Heart it races
And we go back to where we moved out to the places
Heart it races
I sold it to a man and threw him out that window
He went boom da da da da da da boom dat dat dat da da
Made his wife a widow
Heart it races alone
Heart it races alone
Heart it races alone...[repeats]
Made his wife a widow
Heart it races alone
Heart it races alone
Heart it races aloooooone
Legs like little spiders
Legs like little spiders
Boom da da da da da da boom dat dat dat da da
Boom da da da da da da boom dat dat dat da da
Boom da da da da da da boom dat dat dat da da
[repeats]
Heart it races
Heart it races
Singin' boom da da da da da da boom dat dat dat da da
Threw it out the window
Lately you've been tan, suspicious for the winter
With your boom da da da da da da boom dat dat dat da da
Legs like little splinters
Heart it races
Heart it races
He went boom da da da da da da boom dat dat dat da da
Made his wife a widow
Heart it races alone
Heart it races alone...[repeats]
Made his wife a widow
Heart it races alone
Heart it races alone
Heart it races aloooooone
Legs like little spiders
Boom da da da da da da boom dat dat dat da da
Boom da da da da da da boom dat dat dat da da
Boom da da da da da da boom dat dat dat da da
[repeats]
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NO COMMENTS?!?!!? I want to drive in hot lazy weather to this song
I love this cover more than the original!
The first fun version's musical style did not match up to the lyrics. The Dr. Dog version forced me to listen to the lyrics, allowing me to see how they actually are enough to rip your heart out.
At first, I thought that it was just a mix of poignant moments in life that make's the heart race: sex, drinking to forget, murder, and going back to the town you moved out. Then I read, reread, and read the above. As it came into focus, I see, NOOOOO, there IS only one correct interpretation: It is a song about the singer's EX WIFE! Also, the imagery doesn't need to be metaphorized. It is quite simple and litereral-for the most part.
First, verse: Poignant memory of making love. Second verse: He goes back to "THE PLACE HE MOVED OUT": aka, his ex wife's. Third verse: He is drinking ALONE wine from a can, stirring with his finger. Doesn't get more debased and depressed than that. He throws it out the window in anger, thinking back. Forth: She looked tan, during winter; her legs looked so good, like splinters in his heart.
Fifth verse: He sold it to a man and threw him out the window. He got out of the alimony, letting the guy marry her and take over the payments and insurance on her. In this verse, he imagines throwing the new husband out the window, likely as he throws the cheap wine out the window.
Important phrase: legs like tiny spider's. Likely a reference to her sexy legs, being like a black widow spider's.
Important phrase: heart it races alone.... This underscores that the above lines, he is alone, thinking back and imagining.
Simple, literal, surprisingly the only interpretation that perfectly fits.
Sadly, I will no longer be able to apply these lines directly to my life by broad interpretation. But still, very powerful.
@degarb Actually, looking more closely, "And we're slow to acknowledge the knots in our laces" is likely more referring to the early courtship, before & leading up to their "first time". More, than as a direct reference to foreplay. This is equally powerful and perhaps not that important.
@degarb Actually, looking more closely, "And we're slow to acknowledge the knots in our laces" is likely more referring to the early courtship, before & leading up to their "first time". More, than as a direct reference to foreplay. This is equally powerful and perhaps not that important.
@degarb Also, I should point out he doesn't need to be stalking his ex wife: he may have kids with her, etc. Also, would explain the "we" in this line. Though, I would be shocked that the writer of a song would get that specific with a line that must fit a specific meter..
@degarb Also, I should point out he doesn't need to be stalking his ex wife: he may have kids with her, etc. Also, would explain the "we" in this line. Though, I would be shocked that the writer of a song would get that specific with a line that must fit a specific meter..
AMAZING! Boom da da da da da da boom dat dat dat da da!! HWOntoFire..I'm sooo with you on that one! my fav!!! <33333
Slow to acknowledge the knots in our laces - the problems. Probably the parties mentioned are blinded by lust, and well as they say "love" is sometimes blind, lust making people sleep with people without really knowing them, choosing to be blind to their faults that would hurt them.
The "stirring in the can" relates to drugs or some type of sexual addiction... Buying is mentioned, similar to prostitution - something must be given for something in return, to lose something to gain something, probably to lose love to gain an object of lust.
To make the wife a widow is to crush her soul by cheating, like giving her an early death before her time by falling for games of lust.
Legs like splinters - denotes crushing or sexual imagery, lady on top sitting the man down, crushing his legs which is a vital part of a person's existence, and movement, so basically he is throwing his life away by laying with this strange woman...imagine she "riding" the man and crushing him beneath because he let's her be in control of his life.
The "winter tan" symbol has to do with something being out of season, let's say real love happens in season where real mates meet and mate to begin families or a life... This is like some freak accident that should have never happened, it is out of season... And looking kinda tan, means getting BURNED for it... Doing things contrary to nature or God's will, not being with the partner God intended for you and getting punished for it and getting wasted because of it... Like splinters being crushed into small pieces not knowing who you are any more etc.
Legs like spiders - well it is a spider that catched lethal prey sex act imagery...killing itself that is if the man is seen as the spider, otherwise the woman can be the spider too - catching him like a fly in her web of deceit destroying him, eating him and bleeding him dry.
totally agree on this version being better than the original. i put this song on when i'm feeling down and for whatever reason it changes my mood almost instantly with its awesome. it's probably all the "Boom da da da da da da boom dat dat dat da da's" can't get enough of it.
its about a love gone wrong..from a girls point of view
My ex posted this on his FB wall shortly after our breakup, heh, (never heard of it before then) and I'm pretty sure we were both in love (long distance brought too much pressure, though). So I'm interpreting the lyrics through that lens, if you will, but...
I look at this as a song about reflection, depression, giving up and jealousy, I suppose, among other things:
"And we're slow to acknowledge the knots in our laces, Heart it races."
People don't realize the mistakes they've made until it's (seemingly) too late--a realization that stirs his heart (though not enough to inspire action, revealed later on).
"And we go back to where we moved out to the places, Heart it races."
He (the narrator) goes back to reminisce on his former relationship with a girl he loved, which also stirs his heart. Could even be in his car physically revisiting places he went to with his ex.
"I bought it in a can and stirred it with my fingers Singin'... Threw it out the window."
Maybe he's literally eating or drinking something specific (yet unmentioned) from a can--a particular delight he once shared with his ex--but it no longer holds the same appeal and lacks taste. Could be an obscure reference to something else, though.
"Lately you've been tan, suspicious for the winter, With your... Legs like little splinters."
It's obvious to him now (since he's apparently stalking now, haha) that his ex has been out and about since they've went their separate ways, moving forward with her life. Maybe she's even grown more physically fit and he's jealous of her new form, heh.
"I sold it to a man and threw him out that window, He went... Made his wife a widow."
He could be imagining himself "selling" the canned drink/food to the guy he assumes his ex is now married to (though he hasn't seen this man yet) and is using the figure of speech "threw him out the window" as what he'd like to do to the lucky guy (get rid of him), leaving his (assumed-to-be) married ex a widow out of spite.
"Heart it races alone..."
Now he's, well, alone--bitterly stalking his ex in his car because of his own mistake: not going after her and fighting for what they once had. (That's the real tragedy, I think.)
But, in his twisted mind, so is she now (alone).
You mad much, bro?
~
Also, I went and listened to the original...and I definitely prefer this one much more. (Maybe because its chill, kind of "que sera sera" mood reminds me of my ex's own very chill, sometimes "que sera sera" vibe and attitude about life? le sigh Bless his soul...)
I think it's about being in denial about your relationship until you finally figure it out, usually too late. She's either cheating on him or they seperated, he moved out and she's moving on. He's seeing her in a different light now, so even though she may be physically attractive he's seeing her for how she really is so he describes her legs like little spiders and little splinters. At first i thought the part about buying it in a can was probably something with a prostitute like in Sublime's Wrong way "I am only a man so I take her to the can" it means nothing to him, he throws it out the window doesn't think about it again. Or maybe that's something to do with her because he bought in a can and threw his better judgement out the window and had a relationship with her even though he knew it wasnt going to work. He sold it to a man and threw him out the window could be that now she's with a new guy maybe someone he knew so he lost that relationship too, out the window or maybe the new guy left his own relationship, making his wife a widow. I don't know but it's a good song about love gone bad. Maybe a theme in a lot of songs but more creatively expressed in this one for sure.
I would have to say that this version just lacks in comparison to the original. The original has so much spunk and creativity within it, while this one is just bland. Dr. Dog has really turned it into just another song, sadly. Disappointing.