This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
What did you take? 'Cause that's what I'll take,
and I can't take it without you
When I feel dead, I lay in my bed
I don't want to lay here without you
Now you can't stand, well I understand
You can take my heavy hand
'Cause I can't resist the touch of your lips
I feel the bliss on my fingertips, oh shit
And I'm scared that this could end
face down in the park again
wondering where I left my mind last night
but that's alright, you're my terrible friend
Everyone is pretty and fun, everyone is lovely and young
Everyone is gentle and gone, but everyone's just everyone
And you're the one who's breaking me
And you're the one who just won't leave
Still I don't want it to end, you are my terrible friend
and I can't take it without you
When I feel dead, I lay in my bed
I don't want to lay here without you
Now you can't stand, well I understand
You can take my heavy hand
'Cause I can't resist the touch of your lips
I feel the bliss on my fingertips, oh shit
And I'm scared that this could end
face down in the park again
wondering where I left my mind last night
but that's alright, you're my terrible friend
Everyone is pretty and fun, everyone is lovely and young
Everyone is gentle and gone, but everyone's just everyone
And you're the one who's breaking me
And you're the one who just won't leave
Still I don't want it to end, you are my terrible friend
Lyrics submitted by Aquarius121
My Terrible Friend Lyrics as written by Kip Berman Alexander Arthur Naidus
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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no one has commented yet? unexpected...
well, for me it's the best song on "belong". reminds me of "higher than the stars" and some poppier stuff from the cure. my english is not this good and i think i may not have caught all the "between the lines" of the lyrics, but i can only guess that this song is about having a best friend from the opposite sex. and, not enough, feeling like falling in love with her/him. maybe it's me, because i have gone through a thing like this recently (and i believe most of us, if not yet, will go through this too). in the case of the song, it's clear that, at the same time he has some physical intimacy with her, their relationship is more about complicity. when he sings "everyone's just everyone", and after this "you're the one who's breaking me", it seems that he feels himself inside this dilemma; kind of "you're perfect to me, you make me crazy. but we're just friends. you're so terrible". it's pretty. (but i don't want to be in it again)
and it's funny how this theme is reocurrent in their sound. a lot of songs are about "friends who are so friends they fall in love". twins, this love is fucking right, higher than the stars, belong, everything with you - i interpret them as about this stuff. that's why the pains always sound so familiar to me and to many people.
I may be reading into it what I wish but I always thought of the friend as male-with the song being about same-sex desire.
FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS FOR LIFE
hahaha. actually, it makes more sense indeed...