No Girl So Sweet

This seems to refer to Flannery O'Connor's short story "The Life You Save May Be Your Own":

The story has a line 'Deep in the sky a storm' (...was preparing very slowly and without thunder as if it meant to drain every drop of air from the earth before it broke.)

Followed shortly by the main character (a man) saying: "My mother was an angel of Gawd..." – "...He took her from heaven and giver to me and I left her."

Also, in the story, a man leaves his newly wed wife (a mentally handicapped woman) sleeping in a small restaurant as they are on a road trip, and drives away fast and alone, as represented by the lines: "He drove it fast to make the night and / Looked down his angel where she lay / Resting her head and closed her eyes"

So yes, interpretations about a bad relationship and an abusive man are spot on. Can't say how much the first part of the song has to do with the story, though. Perhaps it's from the viewpoint of the abandoned bride?

Interesting sidenote: this song is preceded on the album by "The River", which is the name of the short story preceding "The Life You Save May Be Your Own" in O'Connor's novel collection "A Good Man Is Hard to Find" (and THAT is the name of at least two songs, by Tom Waits and Sufjan Stevens).

It's actually "looked down at his angel where she lay" and "outside the heat and the summer fade" (according to the lyrics printed inside the album sleeve).

Great song. Though most of her songs are great, so that's not saying much.

These are not the lyrics at all. Horrible job.

the seed being planted is either the seed of an abusive relationship in which he dominates her. Or, "there ain't nothing, no girl so sweet" and she's about to take her revenge. I like to think of it either way, depending on my mood.

To me it seems more like a song about two people who found each her. She doesn't seem to understand why this guy still wants to be with her since she sees herself as a burden on him. She's almost attacking him for wanting to be with her despite what she perceives as her own flaws.

And yet - if you read the actual lyrics from the sleeve and not the flawed version on this page - you see that as far as he's concerned, she's perfect: "There ain't nothing no girl so sweet, Took her from heaven and gave her to me..."

I think it's about a man who made her happy, then left her... and she's telling him that she doesn't mind he if "takes her down" and then she's asking him how much he can take of her? i think it's a nasty break up

First of all, here are the actual lyrics:

In came the girl with the Saturn eyes and Asked him over again, again "Was I too weak, was I a child, and can't we leave here and start again?" Ooh, oh, oh, oh, oh Said, "I don't mind if you take me down and I don't mind if you break it all, but How much more can you take from me? How much more can you take from me?" I'd like to take you inside of my head I'd like to take you inside of me "You came from Heaven," is all that he said "You came from Heaven and came here to me, and I love you. Love you."

He drove it fast to make the night and Looked down his angel where she lay Resting her head and closed her eyes and Outside the heat and the summer fade Deep in the sky the storm he'd seen, Deep in the sky the storm he'd seen. There ain't nothing, no girl so sweet. Took her from Heaven and gave her to me (x5)

As for my interpretation, I always for some reason assumed it was about her and Nick Cave. They had recently ended their brief relationship, and many of the lyrics in this song remind me of him. The lines "There ain't nothing, no girl so sweet," and "You came from Heaven and came here to me," sound like typical Nick Cave fare. The line "Saturn eyes" I think can be translated to mean "dark" or "sad" eyes, considering Saturn is linked symbolically with darkness, death and, hence, sorrow. I think this song depicts them having a tumultuous relationship. The relationship probably took place during the summertime, hence the "heat and the summer" fading; this also symbolizes their relationship burning out. The interesting thing is that this comes a little after a Nick Cave song referencing "a storm in the form of a girl," which may be connected to Harvey's use of the line "deep in the sky, the storm he'd seen," which may suggest that he knew the end of their relationship was at hand.

I think it's about abuse---here's a guy who is very controlling, possibly violent. He is oblivious to his own nature and believes she was a thing made just for him. His partner feels the need to please him at all costs, although inside she hates it and knows it's wrong. Her hatred of him seethes inside her.

The end of the song seems downright sinister and ominous in its musical tone and lyrics. He can feel there is something terrible coming, but because he is so sure she was "sent from Heaven" he doesn't realize that the terrible thing will be dealt by his "angel" whom he believes he controls completely. Seems implied that she will have her revenge.

So it's a PJ Harvey song.