Nobody Puts Baby in the Corner

hmmm….I think I have a slightly different take on this song… l try to break this down by verse as the repetition makes it a bit confusing Drink down that gin and kerosene, and come spit on bridges with me. Just to keep us warm. A new way of saying an old phrase. Here, unlike others who have posted, I believe the speaker intended this verse NOT to be taken literally. Though the “getting drunk and playing with fire” I guess makes sense, I think it makes more sense if taken figuratively. I think the speaker is saying that he is burning down his bridges with this girl. For those who are not familiar with what “burning bridges” is, it is a common metaphor that means to eliminate the possibility of return or retreat. So in this case, he is purposely taking action to ensure that there will be no way to regress back to his relationship with this certain someone. Which leads to the next verse…

Then light a match to leave me be. Light a match to leave, me be. And I keep my jealousy close, 'cause it's all mine. And if you say this makes you happy, then I'm not the only lying. This verse seems to hold some contradictions. The speaker is clearly in some conflict with his feelings for this girl. In the first two lines he says he wants be left alone. Then he goes on to say “he keeps his jealously close”, his jealousy concerning this girl, because “its all mine”…this one I’m not sure on but could be interpreted as the girl has cheated on him and now that it’s over and she moves on to another guy all he is left with is jealousy, something that he feels is ALL his, which the girl wasn’t. He then says that all that he has done to get away from this girl hasn’t made him happy, and he thinks that she isn’t happy about it either. Keep quiet, nothing comes as easy as you. Can I lay in your bed all day? I'll be your best kept secret and your biggest mistake. The hand behind this pen relives a failure everyday. Not entirely sure on this one either. But my best guess is that despite his further statements of being left alone he now wants to be “her best kept secret and biggest mistake.” He realizes he hates the way things are and wants her back in a way as his attempts to forget her proves useless. So wear me like a locket around your throat. I'll weigh you down; I'll watch you sulk. You look so good in blue. You look so good in blue. Probably without a doubt the most powerful and memorable lines. Another one meant to be taken figuratively. Basically the guy asking the girl to take him back knowing that he’ll weigh her down and eventually end up choking her. If you read between the lines you’ll get it. “I’ll wear you down, I’ll watch you choke”=he’ll only bring her down. “you look so good in blue”=here I think “blue” is not to be taken as “sad” or wearing the color. But is more a play on words. This phrase is usually taken literally as a compliment, but in context-he’s emotionally/mentally choking her and she’s “turning blue” and he doesn’t care. In all I think this song is basically a post relationship. The whole love-hate inner conflicts- for that person we once loved who fucked us over and we now love to hate. I’m not sure if what I have just written has made sense to anyone, hopefully it has. It was hard to put into words.