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When the Pawn... Lyrics

When the pawn hits the conflicts he thinks like a king
What he knows throws the blows when he goes to the fight
And he'll win the whole thing before he enters the ring
There's no body to batter when your mind is your might
So when you go solo, you hold your own hand
And remember that depth is the greatest of heights
And if you know where you stand, then you know where to land
And if you fall it won't matter, because you'll know that you're right
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Cover art for When the Pawn... lyrics by Fiona Apple

Yes, she wrote this in response to a review.

It means, in a nutshell, that if you're aware that you know exactly what the hell you're talking about and what you mean and why you do things, anything that questions the things you're certain of should just bounce right off.

"He'll win the whole thing 'fore he enters the ring"--I know what I'm about--"There's no body to batter when your mind is your might"--so no one can touch me. "So when you go solo, you hold your own hand"--don't look to anyone else to fight your battles when you're capable--"and remember that depth is the greatest of heights"--don't sink to anyone elses level.

"And if you know where you stand, then you know where to land"--You know what you're talking about, and nothing can change that.

"And if you fall, it won't matter, 'cuz you'll know that you're right"--It doesn't matter if no one believes what you're saying; you know you're right, and that's all that counts.

Someone misinterpreted her, or called her pretentious, I believe, if I'm thinking of the right review, and she got upset; to calm herself, she wrote this.

@criminal_incognito last line could also be a double of "right", as in "upright" or "he was upside down but he righted himself". First layer is the chest metaphor of tipping the king over at defeat. There\'s also the layers of height. \r\n\r\nThis just seems like her lion\'s roar for having probably been like her own worst enemy in her own mind and seeing herself as nothing or a pawn, but have found a way to conquer their patterns.\r\n\r\nNot that it needs to be said but it certainly helped finding massive financial success. Of course that has it\'s challenges but...

@criminal_incognito last line could also be a double of "right", as in "upright" or "he was upside down but he righted himself". First layer is the chest metaphor of tipping the king over at defeat. There\'s also the layers of height. \r\n\r\nThis just seems like her lion\'s roar for having probably been like her own worst enemy in her own mind and seeing herself as nothing or a pawn, but have found a way to conquer their patterns.\r\n\r\nNot that it needs to be said but it certainly helped finding massive financial success. Of course that has it\'s challenges but...

Cover art for When the Pawn... lyrics by Fiona Apple

I think this means that if you want to do something, just do it. Don't really think about the consequences if it's your dream. Just go for it. And if it turns out wrong, it's okay, because YOU made the choice so it was the right thing for you at that time. Make sence?

Cover art for When the Pawn... lyrics by Fiona Apple

damn i love this title... the longest one ever lol. hah i love it for the poetry all the same :)... hope yall like it too!

Cover art for When the Pawn... lyrics by Fiona Apple

I agree with what FeyTH said. I hated how everyone gave Fiona so much shit for this title. YES, it is strangly long, but I wish more people would really read it all the way through, because it is SUCH a cool poem.

"And remember that depth is the greatest of heights," is my favorite line. Fiona's not afraid to look inside herself, and she's not afraid to put it out there on the line for us all to see, either.

Cover art for When the Pawn... lyrics by Fiona Apple

wow.

Cover art for When the Pawn... lyrics by Fiona Apple

yeah. fiona is wow. genius.

Cover art for When the Pawn... lyrics by Fiona Apple

I think this is a good poem, but I have to agree with the people who gave her flack for making it the title of the album. I love Fiona, this is a good poem, but it just makes more sense to give a CD a title that people can actually remember.

Cover art for When the Pawn... lyrics by Fiona Apple

i love that she used it as the title.

and if you try you can remember it. so ha.

Cover art for When the Pawn... lyrics by Fiona Apple

This is a poem that she wrote in response to a bad review that she had received.

Cover art for When the Pawn... lyrics by Fiona Apple

great poem!

 
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