Pretty When You Cry Lyrics
i personally thought it was about the dangerous obsessive nature of relationships..the whole love/hate angle...but then, vasts songs are, i think, deliberately ambigious....
I read an interview with Jon Crosby ( Original member/founder of VAST.. vocals and damn near everything else :) ) and he went into great detail about this song. It was written about a disaterous relationship he had previously. The woman had (i don't remember details) some form of mental issues and so the relationship was very unstable , going from intense bouts of passion to equally intense fits of violence. They were together a while before it finally ended, and a fair bit of damge was done to both sides... needless to say it wasn't a very good time in his life. The lyrics really show the spiteful, hateful things people do to each other when things go bad, eg. 'I didn't want to hurt you but you're pretty when you cry ' etc. You get the idea. Hope you find this helpful.
Yeah, you're thinking of this interview:
Yeah, you're thinking of this interview:
http://www.ink19.com/issues_F/98_06/ink_spots/vast_nf.html
http://www.ink19.com/issues_F/98_06/ink_spots/vast_nf.html
That was from a period of time when we weren't talking. I didn't realize Jon had discussed this so publicly. Yes, the relationship resulted in arrest. I didn't press charges. I also didn't phone the police: some neighbor did because we were shouting. I remember being pissed off that they confiscated my pillowcase - it was an original Herself the Elf (limited edition) pillowcase from when I was a kid. So I guess if he mentioned it, well I should try to set...
That was from a period of time when we weren't talking. I didn't realize Jon had discussed this so publicly. Yes, the relationship resulted in arrest. I didn't press charges. I also didn't phone the police: some neighbor did because we were shouting. I remember being pissed off that they confiscated my pillowcase - it was an original Herself the Elf (limited edition) pillowcase from when I was a kid. So I guess if he mentioned it, well I should try to set that record straight already. I have with him, obviously. But we didn't talk again in person for about 5 years, although we spoke on the phone occasionally.
What a poisonous article.
That was the only incident of violence, however, except once I found him with another woman so I trashed her car in the heat of passion and once I caught him sleeping with a girl and I think I made a scene. I suppose that made him think I was crazy, but he knows I was just human. That sort of thing wasn't an everyday thing. We'd been breaking up back and forth for a few months at the end, and that was the final straw for me, coming to his house at 5 am and finding this other woman there dancing in his window wearing some black lacy thing, mocking me! I didn't get arrested, just cited.
Neither one of us ever had anything put on our records because neither one of us committed crimes.
I don't want to get into the suffocation thing, however, because substances were involved.
It's kind of crazy to think about in retrospect, but ah well, live. Or die.
It sounds so Jerry Springer that I hate talking about it.
Of course, I was like 19 years old.
Both of us were pretty intense back then. That probably still holds true. Most people can probably relate to flip outs during horrible breakups and the inevitable shit talking that comes after all that, not to mention misunderstandings. Good thing none of that happens when you've got a microphone in front of you.
it's about how he took advantage of her love for him to bed her. it's a demonstartion of his sense of objectification and entitlement. perfect example of the profile of an emotional abuser. she was probably intense with him because she sensed his mistreatment of her. also typical in abusive realtionships...he wants to be "crazy makin" and make her think it's her. yet he admits he used her, and finds no problem with it. he goes around whining that he is constantly being mistreated because he sees no fault in himself. they...
it's about how he took advantage of her love for him to bed her. it's a demonstartion of his sense of objectification and entitlement. perfect example of the profile of an emotional abuser. she was probably intense with him because she sensed his mistreatment of her. also typical in abusive realtionships...he wants to be "crazy makin" and make her think it's her. yet he admits he used her, and finds no problem with it. he goes around whining that he is constantly being mistreated because he sees no fault in himself. they want you to focus on what they think they feels, rather on what they think, what their mentality is. bend for me, and don't dare ask for me to for you...and then they punish (hold your love, and don;t let you go, then blame you for when they finally sense their hold slip or get bored, and they leave...they leave a mess of you) and make pop songs that everyone loves, which furthers the mentality. social messages that it is totally ok to use and abuse the "lesser sex", because sex sells
and i'm sorry to you honey, for in your youth you couldn't have known better. lovely how everyone wants to blmae the gal, when he was a philanderer and doing things that caused you unnecessary pain. he got mad at you for being mad at him. he launched a music career, you got trouble and a song forever marking this pain. healing for you. you were not crazy, just passionate. he led you to believe the passion was equal. it was, but in a traumatic way. "male priveledge" is what it's called. and...
and i'm sorry to you honey, for in your youth you couldn't have known better. lovely how everyone wants to blmae the gal, when he was a philanderer and doing things that caused you unnecessary pain. he got mad at you for being mad at him. he launched a music career, you got trouble and a song forever marking this pain. healing for you.
you were not crazy, just passionate. he led you to believe the passion was equal. it was, but in a traumatic way. "male priveledge" is what it's called. and the gal goes down every time, because everyone sides with him..."she's crazy" they say. well yeah, your heart was being tugged in all directions and he couldn't care less, yet made you feel should stay by offering "love" when you caught him or he sensed his hold fail. so you stay. and he laughs about it in a song, like you are an idiot. asshat immature little weasel. this happens far too often in our country. thankgod you never got preggers with him. i'm now losing my kids to an jerk like this. he doesn't even want them, just wants to be on top
If you knew how much I loved you You would run away But when I treat you bad It always makes you want to stay
story of my life
Dark, sensual song about an obsessive sado-masochistic relationship that the partners know is destructive but they cannot help being willing participants anyway. Sounds like the girl plays coy at first and ends up wanting it rough and the guy is struggling to appear to be the one in charge but deep down he knows she is. Amazing musical flow to this song- like a forbidden journey.
yea i think you get the idea... :)
yea i think you get the idea... :)
Yes, this is how I see it too
Yes, this is how I see it too
prettywhenyoucry00- no one "really" wants to know exactly what the song is about. That takes away the magic of poetry- please let him express himself on his own- he doesn't need you clearing things up for him like a school marm. It is very egotistical and taboid-y for you to come here and blab. There is a reason songs are ambiguous. Also, your take on the situation may be somewhat different than his. I am sure all of my ex boyfriends would have a different take than I regarding our relationship and subsequent break ups. He is very talented, let his music speak for itself without your obsessive need to "clarify". Let his fans interpret his lyrics in their own way- that is the point of poetry. If all artists wanted their work to be precisely traced and explained then the arts would be very boring.
Excellently stated!!
Excellently stated!!
While I'm thinking you are right in stating it hurts the affection of the song giving a recipy how you are supposed to understand and feel them, I'm finding it very interesting to discuss how other people receive the song. And like you say he is great in making his songs ambiguous, leading to a interesting spectrum of thoughts. But Jon Crosby clearly decided for himself to give out some background information of the song, which only spices up the discussion in my opinion.
While I'm thinking you are right in stating it hurts the affection of the song giving a recipy how you are supposed to understand and feel them, I'm finding it very interesting to discuss how other people receive the song. And like you say he is great in making his songs ambiguous, leading to a interesting spectrum of thoughts. But Jon Crosby clearly decided for himself to give out some background information of the song, which only spices up the discussion in my opinion.
This is a great song, one of my favorites. If you pay close enough attention to the lyrics you see that the one singing does in fact love the person he's singing about. He says that he doesn't love her and he lies. He treats her badly and says those things because that's what she wants from him. If he let her know how much he really loved and cared for her she would leave. It's a twisted relationship. All of this is apparent in the following lines:
"If you knew how much I loved you, you would run away But when I treat you bad it always makes you want to stay."
i adore this song. it's violent and romantic at the same time. my favourite vast song. it's obsessive. :P
never understand why people came here for say that they like the songs. i mean you can say that in youtube comments if you like, or another site where you can express your love for the song; but in this site it's for post your own interpretation. if you wanna say ''oh i love this song, it's very pretty'' you should go to another site and don't fill this one with trash comments.
never understand why people came here for say that they like the songs. i mean you can say that in youtube comments if you like, or another site where you can express your love for the song; but in this site it's for post your own interpretation. if you wanna say ''oh i love this song, it's very pretty'' you should go to another site and don't fill this one with trash comments.
ShadowOfThePast, your interpretation is great, wonderfully worded. In the background vocals that are scattered throughout the song (they start at about the 2:23 mark).. i think it's "how could you do this to me now" - but if anyone thinks differently please feel free to correct. --i just thought i'd add that in there, for anyone who was wondering.
As many people have said, 'Pretty when You Cry' is about a mutually abusive, co-dependent relationship... This song appears to depict a man who expresses his love by making his lover suffer, and a woman who needs to suffer to feel loved... In a sick sort of way, this is a perfect relationship...
On a side note, Jon Crosby actually released a version of this album with a commentary track... During this song, he explains that he finds it interesting how so many people feel the need to hurt the one they love just to affirm that that person loves them. I don't know about anyone else, but I found this observation to be PAINFULLY accurate...
Am I the only one who loves the first sentence: "You're made of my rib, oh baby"?
I don't love it because it's a bible reference, and yet I do, because it's a very dirty song...
And I like bible references in dirty songs... xD
Also the you're made of my sin thing, I'm thinking may have something to do with the Lilith/Eve thing.
But what do I know?