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Pleasure Principle Lyrics
I never meant to cause you pain
My burden is the weight of a feather
I never meant to lead you on
I only meant to please me, however
And then you tell me
Boy, we can do much more
Boy, we can do much more
Boy, we can do much more together
Boy, we can do much more together
I'm nothing but a selfish man
I'm nothing but a privileged peddler
And did you think I'd stay the night
And did you think I'd love you forever
And then you tell me
Boy, we can do much more
Boy, we can do much more
Boy, we can do much more together
Boy, we can do much more together
I got to tell you
Girl, I want nothing less
Girl, I want nothing less
Girl, I want nothing less than pleasure
Girl, I want nothing less than pleasure
And then you tell me
Boy, we made such a mess
Boy, we made such a mess
Boy, we made such a mess together
Boy, we made such a mess together
Boy, we made such a mess together
Boy, we made such a mess together
My burden is the weight of a feather
I never meant to lead you on
I only meant to please me, however
Boy, we can do much more
Boy, we can do much more
Boy, we can do much more together
Boy, we can do much more together
I'm nothing but a privileged peddler
And did you think I'd stay the night
And did you think I'd love you forever
Boy, we can do much more
Boy, we can do much more
Boy, we can do much more together
Boy, we can do much more together
Girl, I want nothing less
Girl, I want nothing less
Girl, I want nothing less than pleasure
Girl, I want nothing less than pleasure
Boy, we made such a mess
Boy, we made such a mess
Boy, we made such a mess together
Boy, we made such a mess together
Boy, we made such a mess together
Boy, we made such a mess together
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In the song "Impossible soul" he sings this song, but in the final stanza, there's a small difference, because he sings "I got to tell YOU/ Boy, we made such a mess", it seems he's talking to another man...
This is my favorite Sufjan song. But the lyrics seem so shallow for something he'd usually write. I understand it's about a one-night-stand type of deal. The girl obviously loves him but he just wanted pleasure. But at the same time, he feels bad for her and how he made her feel. He didn't mean to lead her on.
I would say the title reference's Freud's pleasure principle psychoanalytical theory. But to me it's about two desires who collide in each other and make such a mess together.
In the song "Impossible soul" he sings this song, but in the final stanza, there's a small difference, because he sings "I got to tell YOU/ Boy, we made such a mess", it seems he's talking to another man...
A lot of "Impossible Soul" seems to deal with Sufjan's experience in and out of the closet; along those lines, this piece seems to me like an address to a woman that he dated, apologizing for the pain he may have caused her. "Boy, we can do much more together" may be her suggestion that they stay together, with "Girl, I want nothing less than pleasure" being the narrator's denial to accept a relationship that would not please him (eg, a relationship with a woman)