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Horrible Qualities/Stuck to You Lyrics

There's one thing, mama,
I think you should know:
It is not love
That makes the flowers grow,
But a complex electron transfer process
Known as photosynthesis when chlorophyll
Reacts with the light of day.
Since you're gone,
The light has gone away.

There's another thing, mama,
I think that you'll find:
It is not love
That makes the stars shine,
But the spontaneous combustion
Of superheated super condensed gases
And the process known as fusion
That creates new elements when the time is right.
Since you're gone,
The stars don't shine so bright.

Oh, there's another thing, mama,
I think I should confide:
It is not love
That'll turn the tide,
But the net difference in the gravitational pull
Between the Earth and the Moon as it is acted out upon the waves.
Since you're gone,
I feel washed away.

I could have been a planetician, studied rockets for a living,
Would have worked out better in the end.
But to get more specific, I'd break every law of physics
To bring you back to me again

But there's one more thing, mama,
I'll tell you if I can:
It is not love
That makes a non-stick frying pan,
But a top secret, trademarked, conglomerated,
Most likely carcinogenic polyurethane compound
Spread in a micro-thin substance over
A negatively charged layer of aluminum,
Copper, iron, lead,
V-H-S, F-Y-I, apple pie, F-B-I,
And some other elements too.
Since you're gone,
I wish I'd stuck to you.
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Cover art for Horrible Qualities/Stuck to You lyrics by Josh Ritter

Great song. When I saw him in Westport, CT a couple years ago, he introduced it as the song he wrote to explain to his mother why he decided to pursue a career in music instead of neuroscience at Oberlin College. He also changed the verses a bit, improvising new lyrics, especially in the acronyms explaining the non-stick frying pan. Magical.

The message I take from this song is this: While everything has a scientific explanation, none of it matters without the person you love.

 
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