You think I'll run, not walk, to you
Why would I want to talk to you?
I want you crawling back to me
Down on your knees, yeah
Like an appendectomy
Sans anesthesia

[Chorus]
If you think you can leave the past behind
You must be out of your mind
If you think you can simply press rewind
You must be out of your mind, son
You must be out of your mind

You want what you've turned off turned on
You call it sunset, now it's dawn
You can't go 'round just saying stuff
Because it's pretty
And I no longer drink enough
To think you're witty

[Chorus]

You want to kindle that old flame
I don't remember your real name
It must be something scandalous
Lurks in your shadows
If you need a Santa Claus
To buy your gallows

[Chorus]


Lyrics submitted by StephinMerrittsLover

You Must Be Out of Your Mind Lyrics as written by Stephin Raymond Merritt

Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING

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You Must Be Out Of Your Mind song meanings
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    General Comment

    As with so many Merritt tunes, this gets deeper with time. I had originally pegged this as one of his witty wordplay songs, because that part is so obvious.

    Instead, it's much more deeply witty, and much more sad.

    What does a song like this mean? It means love is horrible. Pain is forever. There's no rewind button. It actually speaks for itself, because it says all this in its lyrics. And it stabs you in the heart too.

    The incredibly harsh Santa Claus line reminds me of the equally harsh Santa Claus line from Dress Rehearsal Rag by Leonard Cohen.

    muldrakeon September 26, 2013   Link

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