Harder Now That It's Over

it's quite strange that so many of you can say it's 'obviously' not about REALLY being arrested, and that you're all looking for the cuffs to be a metaphor... who's to say it isn't a real arrest? seems to correlate well with the lyrics to '29', which is (according to Adams) very autobiographical...

'I got arrested down south for hitting a clerk I spit in his face, the bastard knocked me out He leered at my lady and then he touched her face Thank God she had the money to bail me out'

seems to be the same incident.

I think the verses are about a girl getting arrested because of some bust up in a bar after he threw a drink in some blokes face. She might have been flirting with him - we all know how evil women are.

The chorus is more metaphor about their relationships.

People can do that you know... mix idea's and perspective.

Why has no one commented on this masterpiece by Mr. Adams? hehe, well i will then :)! The first verse really emphasises what the whole song is about:"they slapped 'em on you where that bracelet used to be">>>means she was getting arrested, cos they were putting handcuffs on her, the next two lines: "you know the one i bought in phoenix where they sell old jewlery " shows the personal relationship between the two. The line:"when i threw that drink in that guy's face it was just to piss you off ">>shows how he doesn't like other lads chatting her up, due to his feelings for her. My favourite lines are in the second verse:"and i'm nothing now without you yeah, i'm less than nothing now i'm the one between the bars and lost forever now 'cause honey it's over " meaning, that he's nothing without her, his arrest signifies his loss, he can't live without her, so he may as well be locked up. I know that this is more than likely wrong, but it's just the way i interpreted it. He's a very talented artist is our Ryan :)!!! xXx

ya she went to jail, but he's saying that it wasn't his fault, although she may have interpreted it that way, because by him throwing the drink at that guy, the police found out something about her and she thinks of it as his fault. i think that that is sorta at lest in her mind where the relationship went wrong. then the line "you're free with a history" i mean is that even possible is what he's trying to get at, will she ever really be free. and then the line "i'm the one between the bars and lost forever now" so although she may be in prision, he is figuratively trapped while she is literally trapped and neither will ever be free

This song isnt about being arrested. The cuffs signify the relationship that they felt trapped in. The guy is most likely another guy that she was with and he got jealous. He now regrets that the relationship is over and this is obviously conveyed through the words.

yeah, its obviously not about being put into jail. "the cuffs are off" mean that the handcuffs that she must've felt as being put on her by him are gone now, because they've split up, and still he needs her and feels alone and sad without her and wants to have her back.

do you think this is about winona ryder?

i think it's about a relationship ending and he uses the ideas of jail, handcuffs etc to also express the relationship he still loves her she has left him. "free with a history" meaning she is now free and she has a history with him and that will never go. she is free from jail and has a history is another look at it. but this title explains it all it's always harder now that it's over. a sad song that i can relate to and i'm sure many others can as well.

lol jail. - yeah, seems like one of ryan's exes got a new boyfriend and ryan had a bit of a hard time coping with it. --- or maybe we're all wrong, and he's talking about his wiener... think about it: "harder now that it's over"...

classic outro on this song...the phone has disconnected and you can hear the operator's voice on the other line as it fades out. what a finishing touch.