I'll warn you, if cornered, I'll scratch my way out of the pen
Wired, an animal
The claustrophobia begins
You think I'm scared of girls
Well maybe
But I'm not afraid of you
You want to scare me then you'll cling to me no matter what I do
Tell you a secret
They shared a needle once or twice
I loved her, she loved me
We slept together a couple of times
You think I'm proud of this
Well maybe
But the shame you never lose
Infatuated with a lunatic and cornered by the muse
And it goes down every might
This must be what jail is really like
And I will scratch my way out of this pen, again
Lonely?
Maybe
Or maybe not
It all depends
Your ideal, your image
Your definition of a friend
If what you're shoveling is company
Then I'd rather be alone
Resentment always goes much further than it was supposed to go


Lyrics submitted by typo

What Jail Is Like Lyrics as written by Greg Dulli

Lyrics © WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC

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What Jail Is Like song meanings
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5 Comments

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  • +1
    General CommentI can't believe that I'm the only one who's heard this song. Actually, nevermind. This was one of the good examples of bands that were good but never went mainstream.

    I don't know what this song is about, but it feels like being trapped by your shame and felling lonely. Thus, this must be what jail is like. Loneliness, regret, and entrapment.
    fatcatx2lon June 23, 2005   Link
  • +1
    General CommentIf heroin inspired this music, then I gotta be crass and suggest that somehow their heroin use was a good thing! This song changed my life, the video as I saw it when it was out back in the early 90's. I'm glad for many songs/videos heroin addicts.. somehow we have to survive the screwed up world and sometimes the best way is through access to 'art'. Yes that makes sense.
    caucasianon July 03, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General CommentThere are drug references yes but I don't see this as a drug song. Remember drugs and sex/love are easily interchangeable. It's about his fear of domesticity and how that lifestyle feels like prison. What scares him more is one who allows him to indulge in his vices. Enabling or worse encouraging his internal demons and that's a frightening partner/cell mate for a person attempting any kind of reform. .
    blackarthuron July 04, 2020   Link
  • 0
    General Commentafraid of commitment, maybe?
    pedromitoon August 31, 2012   Link
  • -1
    General CommentThis song is about Greg's addiction to heroin. Period.
    dbtheathenon October 09, 2006   Link

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