I'm drunk and I'm tired,
And the city I walk in, the city I walk in,
It feels like it swallows,
With my hand in my pocket,
I feel like a shadow, I feel like a shadow.
Afraid that I have made mistakes.
Now there's nothing here for me.
The things you once told me,
The thoughts you once gave me,
Sound like the wind in my ears
That blows out the knots I've got in my long brown hair.
What did you whisper in my ear?
What did you tell me that I wanted to hear?
What was the answer you wanted me to find out?
There's no lies, the lies, the lies, the lies...
A bit for you, a bit for everyone.
You and all your pieces,
You and all your pieces made me come,
And all that love you gave was strong enough to make me stay and now it will be alright.
I feel like the shadows I don't even bother for anymore than that.
What was the answer you wanted me to find out?
There's no lies, the lies, the lies, the lies...
I really love this song.
I know I'm afraid, I know I'm afraid, I'm drunk and I'm tired, And the city I walk in, the city I walk in, It feels like it swallows, With my hand in my pocket, I feel like a shadow, I feel like a shadow.
That's the key - feel like a shadow - isolated by a massive city which 'swallows' her individuality, her importance. For me, this song encapsulates the crudeness of modern globalised life. Like Ai Weiwei's exhibition at the Tate Modern where each unique stone from hundreds of thousands was displayed, what is the significance of one single person in such a vast city, or, even, world? The only importance the world gives her is through 'my long brown hair' - a symbol of her being objectified, society is only interested in her looks, whereas any meaningful thoughts go astray: 'What did you whisper in my ear? What was the answer you wanted me to find out?'
This life does not feel real to her, it is second-rate and one-dimensional, like the shadows. That's why she curses everything as 'the lies' repeatedly at the end.
A beautiful song from a reaaaaally magnificent album. Love @Warpaint!
It's nothing to do with Scarlett Johannsen lol. It's an autobiographical song by Theresa.
“Shadows, which I wrote, is about Los Angeles and feeling closed in by it. A lot of negative things started happening — muggings and shootings. I saw somebody get killed a few days after another friend had killed themselves"
minor corrections from the lyric book: "with my hand in my pocket" "knots in my long brown hair" "there's no lies"
Thanks kittenchowmein! Sorry it took me a while to amend it, but hey, I got there.
Thanks kittenchowmein! Sorry it took me a while to amend it, but hey, I got there.
Did you buy the vinyl? I bought the cd and I didn't get a lyric book :(
that i did. i misspoke though. it's not a book. the lyrics are printed on the back of the record sleeves.
that i did. i misspoke though. it's not a book. the lyrics are printed on the back of the record sleeves.
you know, i would say this song is about scarlet johansen's character in Lost in Translation. I think the song's lyrics pretty much portray how she felt in the film, in my opinion.
the "What did you whisper in my ear?" refers to Bill Murray whispering in her ear, at the end of the film. The audience never gets to know... although I remember reading him saying, that he said something like "always remember to tell the truth".
warpaint... email me !
'the lies'.. in the film, being her marriage, the social customs she sees around her... like the way her husband and that female acctress interact, and even herself (?). She feels like she doesn't know who she is, or anyone else.
'the lies'.. in the film, being her marriage, the social customs she sees around her... like the way her husband and that female acctress interact, and even herself (?). She feels like she doesn't know who she is, or anyone else.
I think that she sees some authenticity in what she sees around her in Japan. Hence her crying at the temple in kyoto. and that flower arranging scene. yet the funny thing is, she also feels alienated at the same time... in a foreign land, not speaking the language, or knowing the customs. Japan is perhaps a place where...
I think that she sees some authenticity in what she sees around her in Japan. Hence her crying at the temple in kyoto. and that flower arranging scene. yet the funny thing is, she also feels alienated at the same time... in a foreign land, not speaking the language, or knowing the customs. Japan is perhaps a place where english speaking westerners may feel the most estranged. Yet if she feels a closer authenticity in this land, than she does at home, maybe she feels then, that she is surrounded by lies at home.
and if bill murray did say "always remember to tell the truth", and this song refers to that film, it may explain the continuity of this verse :
and if bill murray did say "always remember to tell the truth", and this song refers to that film, it may explain the continuity of this verse :
What did you whisper in my ear? What was the answer you wanted me to find out? There's no lies, the lies, the lies, the lies...
What did you whisper in my ear? What was the answer you wanted me to find out? There's no lies, the lies, the lies, the lies...
i'm a fan of the film, and this song.
i'm a fan of the film, and this song.
I really related to this song after i broke up with my boyf lol Being afraid at first, but then when i found about all the lies....
I love the phrase "I feel like the shadows I don't even bother for anymore than that." It's like, "I feel like the shadows, and I don't even want to explain why, I just do."