I think yeah, I guess we can say I
> but didn't think to ask her why
He was so shocked/ upset at her rejection that he's having a hard time collecting his thoughts ("I think - yeah I guess...") and it hits him that it didn't occur to ask her why not. Why doesn't she want to be with him? He thinks he's perfect for her. Some people have been confused by the "but" in that line, but I think that's just a lyrical embellishment. The line really means:
"I guess I didn't think to ask her why."
> she blocked her eyes
She doesn't want to see what he's proposing, that they'd be good together.
>and drew the curtains
>with knots I've got yet to untie
She rejected him for reasons he still can't figure out.
>(Chorus)
> what if I were Romeo in black jeans
I think it's distracting to focus on the tragedy aspect of "Romeo and Juliet." He names famous romantic figures. What if he's Romeo and she's his Juliet? Why didn't she stop to think about that?
> what if I was Heathcliff, its no myth
He believes that they, like Heathcliff and Romeo and their respective lady loves, could have epic love - REAL epic love. He believes this - it's no myth.
But alas:
> maybe she's just looking for
> someone to dance with
Maybe she isn't into epic right now.
> See, it was just too soon to tell
He feels like her decision was rash. She rejected the idea of a relationship a priori (she shut her eyes and tied the curtains up in knots) when she hadn't even given them a chance to tell if it would work out between them.
> and looking for some parallel
> can be an endless game
He's realizing that he could easily torture himself by trying to figure out the whys and wherefores.
> We said goodbye before hello
Again, a reiteration of the sentiment that their relationship was nipped in the bud too soon.
> my secrets she will never know
Now she'll never get a chance to get to know him and find out that he could be her Romeo in black jeans.
> and if I dig a hole to China
> I'll catch the first junk to Soho
Soho is a neighborhood in LA, where Michael Penn lived at the time, if I recall correctly. I'm not entirely sure what this line means, to be honest. It could mean that even though he has dug himself into a hole so deep that it goes all the way to China, he thinks he'll be okay and get back to himself (home, aka Soho). It could mean that maybe now he may be harder to pin down if she changes her mind. It may be an extremely obtuse way of saying, "you know where to find me, no matter what happens."
> Sometime from now you'll bow to pressure
He believes that the pull between them is so strong that eventually she's going to see she made a mistake.
> some things in life you cannot measure by degrees
In this case, "degrees" means "increments," not college degrees. =) Some things have no shades of grey and are an either/or situation. This is his response to the events of the first verse. He doesn't WANT to be friends. He wants all or nothing.
It has to be understood that this song is a little bit of a tongue in cheek ego thing. He's saying, you turned me down, but you don't know what you're missing out on! So he's saying, eventually, you're gonna realize that being just friends with me is a loss for you.
> I'm between the poles and the equator
> don't send no private investigator to find me please
Again, he's saying, "I'm not going to wait around for you, you don't know what you're missing out on, I'm still looking for that great love, like Romeo and Heathcliff. If you want me," he says, "don't be discrete and quiet about it - I want all or nothing, I want big epic romances and grand overtures. Don't send a private investigator. Fess up and tell me yourself." =)
> 'less he speaks Chinese
> and can dance like Astaire overseas
Again, another great romantic figure - Fred Astaire - and exotic far off places like China are invoked here. He doesn't want an ordinary love, and once she realizes she's made a mistake in rejecting him, which in this song he's confident she will, she shouldn't re-approach him unless she's ready to "dance like Astaire." He'll be "someone to dance with" like she wants, but he thinks they have a lot more potential than that.
This is really a terrific song, about dealing with rejection with hope and humor. Hopefully this has been helpful to others. :)">
No Myth (Romeo in Black Jeans) Meanings & Lyrics Discussion by andrea1975 | SongMeanings
I think yeah, I guess we can say I
> but didn't think to ask her why
He was so shocked/ upset at her rejection that he's having a hard time collecting his thoughts ("I think - yeah I guess...") and it hits him that it didn't occur to ask her why not. Why doesn't she want to be with him? He thinks he's perfect for her. Some people have been confused by the "but" in that line, but I think that's just a lyrical embellishment. The line really means:
"I guess I didn't think to ask her why."
> she blocked her eyes
She doesn't want to see what he's proposing, that they'd be good together.
>and drew the curtains
>with knots I've got yet to untie
She rejected him for reasons he still can't figure out.
>(Chorus)
> what if I were Romeo in black jeans
I think it's distracting to focus on the tragedy aspect of "Romeo and Juliet." He names famous romantic figures. What if he's Romeo and she's his Juliet? Why didn't she stop to think about that?
> what if I was Heathcliff, its no myth
He believes that they, like Heathcliff and Romeo and their respective lady loves, could have epic love - REAL epic love. He believes this - it's no myth.
But alas:
> maybe she's just looking for
> someone to dance with
Maybe she isn't into epic right now.
> See, it was just too soon to tell
He feels like her decision was rash. She rejected the idea of a relationship a priori (she shut her eyes and tied the curtains up in knots) when she hadn't even given them a chance to tell if it would work out between them.
> and looking for some parallel
> can be an endless game
He's realizing that he could easily torture himself by trying to figure out the whys and wherefores.
> We said goodbye before hello
Again, a reiteration of the sentiment that their relationship was nipped in the bud too soon.
> my secrets she will never know
Now she'll never get a chance to get to know him and find out that he could be her Romeo in black jeans.
> and if I dig a hole to China
> I'll catch the first junk to Soho
Soho is a neighborhood in LA, where Michael Penn lived at the time, if I recall correctly. I'm not entirely sure what this line means, to be honest. It could mean that even though he has dug himself into a hole so deep that it goes all the way to China, he thinks he'll be okay and get back to himself (home, aka Soho). It could mean that maybe now he may be harder to pin down if she changes her mind. It may be an extremely obtuse way of saying, "you know where to find me, no matter what happens."
> Sometime from now you'll bow to pressure
He believes that the pull between them is so strong that eventually she's going to see she made a mistake.
> some things in life you cannot measure by degrees
In this case, "degrees" means "increments," not college degrees. =) Some things have no shades of grey and are an either/or situation. This is his response to the events of the first verse. He doesn't WANT to be friends. He wants all or nothing.
It has to be understood that this song is a little bit of a tongue in cheek ego thing. He's saying, you turned me down, but you don't know what you're missing out on! So he's saying, eventually, you're gonna realize that being just friends with me is a loss for you.
> I'm between the poles and the equator
> don't send no private investigator to find me please
Again, he's saying, "I'm not going to wait around for you, you don't know what you're missing out on, I'm still looking for that great love, like Romeo and Heathcliff. If you want me," he says, "don't be discrete and quiet about it - I want all or nothing, I want big epic romances and grand overtures. Don't send a private investigator. Fess up and tell me yourself." =)
> 'less he speaks Chinese
> and can dance like Astaire overseas
Again, another great romantic figure - Fred Astaire - and exotic far off places like China are invoked here. He doesn't want an ordinary love, and once she realizes she's made a mistake in rejecting him, which in this song he's confident she will, she shouldn't re-approach him unless she's ready to "dance like Astaire." He'll be "someone to dance with" like she wants, but he thinks they have a lot more potential than that.
This is really a terrific song, about dealing with rejection with hope and humor. Hopefully this has been helpful to others. :)" />
This song is about a man who has been rejected by a woman he believes he could make very happy, but she doesn't give him the chance to do so. It's one of my favorite songs of all time; Michael Penn is one of the most underrated lyricists of his generation and the wordplay here is really cute.
Some of the interpretations above are right, but others misunderstood what the words meant. I'll try to provide my understanding of this song here.
So, she says its time she goes
but wanted to be sure I know
she hopes we can be friends
It's implied here that a man has approached a woman about entering into a relationship with him. She cares about him, taking the time to "make sure [he] knows she hopes we can be friends" but doesn't see him as more than that. But "it's time she goes," so she leaves him to his thoughts by himself. Then he realizes:
I think yeah, I guess we can say I
but didn't think to ask her why
He was so shocked/ upset at her rejection that he's having a hard time collecting his thoughts ("I think - yeah I guess...") and it hits him that it didn't occur to ask her why not. Why doesn't she want to be with him? He thinks he's perfect for her. Some people have been confused by the "but" in that line, but I think that's just a lyrical embellishment. The line really means:
"I guess I didn't think to ask her why."
she blocked her eyes
She doesn't want to see what he's proposing, that they'd be good together.
and drew the curtains
with knots I've got yet to untie
She rejected him for reasons he still can't figure out.
(Chorus)
what if I were Romeo in black jeans
I think it's distracting to focus on the tragedy aspect of "Romeo and Juliet." He names famous romantic figures. What if he's Romeo and she's his Juliet? Why didn't she stop to think about that?
what if I was Heathcliff, its no myth
He believes that they, like Heathcliff and Romeo and their respective lady loves, could have epic love - REAL epic love. He believes this - it's no myth.
But alas:
maybe she's just looking for
someone to dance with
Maybe she isn't into epic right now.
See, it was just too soon to tell
He feels like her decision was rash. She rejected the idea of a relationship a priori (she shut her eyes and tied the curtains up in knots) when she hadn't even given them a chance to tell if it would work out between them.
and looking for some parallel
can be an endless game
He's realizing that he could easily torture himself by trying to figure out the whys and wherefores.
We said goodbye before hello
Again, a reiteration of the sentiment that their relationship was nipped in the bud too soon.
my secrets she will never know
Now she'll never get a chance to get to know him and find out that he could be her Romeo in black jeans.
and if I dig a hole to China
I'll catch the first junk to Soho
Soho is a neighborhood in LA, where Michael Penn lived at the time, if I recall correctly. I'm not entirely sure what this line means, to be honest. It could mean that even though he has dug himself into a hole so deep that it goes all the way to China, he thinks he'll be okay and get back to himself (home, aka Soho). It could mean that maybe now he may be harder to pin down if she changes her mind. It may be an extremely obtuse way of saying, "you know where to find me, no matter what happens."
Sometime from now you'll bow to pressure
He believes that the pull between them is so strong that eventually she's going to see she made a mistake.
some things in life you cannot measure by degrees
In this case, "degrees" means "increments," not college degrees. =) Some things have no shades of grey and are an either/or situation. This is his response to the events of the first verse. He doesn't WANT to be friends. He wants all or nothing.
It has to be understood that this song is a little bit of a tongue in cheek ego thing. He's saying, you turned me down, but you don't know what you're missing out on! So he's saying, eventually, you're gonna realize that being just friends with me is a loss for you.
I'm between the poles and the equator
don't send no private investigator to find me please
Again, he's saying, "I'm not going to wait around for you, you don't know what you're missing out on, I'm still looking for that great love, like Romeo and Heathcliff. If you want me," he says, "don't be discrete and quiet about it - I want all or nothing, I want big epic romances and grand overtures. Don't send a private investigator. Fess up and tell me yourself." =)
'less he speaks Chinese
and can dance like Astaire overseas
Again, another great romantic figure - Fred Astaire - and exotic far off places like China are invoked here. He doesn't want an ordinary love, and once she realizes she's made a mistake in rejecting him, which in this song he's confident she will, she shouldn't re-approach him unless she's ready to "dance like Astaire." He'll be "someone to dance with" like she wants, but he thinks they have a lot more potential than that.
This is really a terrific song, about dealing with rejection with hope and humor. Hopefully this has been helpful to others. :)
Andrea1975, you might be long gone from here, but I joined this site just to respond to your post, which I think you did a bang-up job with. I heard the song a little while ago on WFUV-FM (N.Y.C.) and it got me thinking again about the lyrics (all this time and I didn't even know the name of the song).
Andrea1975, you might be long gone from here, but I joined this site just to respond to your post, which I think you did a bang-up job with. I heard the song a little while ago on WFUV-FM (N.Y.C.) and it got me thinking again about the lyrics (all this time and I didn't even know the name of the song).
So
She says it's time she goes
But wanted to be sure I know
She hopes we can be friends.
So
She says it's time she goes
But wanted to be sure I know
She hopes we can be friends.
I think
Yeah, guess we can say I
But didn't think to ask her why;
She blocked her eyes and...
I think
Yeah, guess we can say I
But didn't think to ask her why;
She blocked her eyes and drew the curtains
With knots I've got yet to untie.
What if I were Romeo in black jeans?
What if I was Heathcliff?--it's no myth.
Maybe she's just looking for
Someone to dance with.
See
It was just too soon to tell
And looking for some parallel
Can be an endless game.
We
We said goodbye before hello
My secrets she will never know
And if I dig a hole to China
I'll catch the first junk to Soho.
What if I were Romeo in black jeans?
What if I was Heathcliff?--it's no myth.
Maybe she's just looking for
Someone to dance with.
Sometime from now you'll bow to pressures.
Some things in life you cannot measure by degrees.
I'm between the poles and the equator.
Don't send no private investigator to find me please
'Less he speaks Chinese
And can dance like Astaire overseas.
(Okay.)
What if I was?
So what if I was?
Maybe she's just looking for
Someone to dance with.
What if I was Romeo in black jeans?
What if I was Heathcliff?--it's no myth.
Maybe she's just looking for
Someone to dance with.
...All of the above was going to be posted two days ago, but I had a couple of computer foul-ups, so it has had to wait until now to be sent.
>
The woman wants to be friends, but this obviously doesn't sit well with the man.
I think he rejected that proposal, because what happened before somehow registered strongly within him. He didn't handle negotiations well with her and basically regretted not just asking her "why?"
In trying to convince her, he tried to suggest that it was possible he could be/have been the love of her life--a soul mate kind of love, something he believes is true and not mythical despite only having great fictional characters to depict it, but then again, maybe he's wrong about her and she's just looking for something casual (he clearly is seeking something serious).
They said goodbye before really getting to know each other, before finding out what they might have meant to each other, and he seems, at this point, to have resigned himself to this, though he believes he's right about the possibilities for true love with her. He doesn't have examples of it outside of classic fiction, but to try to come up with "precedents" could be problematic and ultimately unproductive (you kind of have that with Romeo and Heathcliff as examples: two tragic loves).
-AND-
4a. He's resolved that she won't ever know him--he's ready to go to the opposite end of the world and back before he'll have anything to do with her (taking the first "boat" back to Soho--most likely in London, perhaps New York City).
-OR-
4b. The woman is of Chinese descent and he's suggesting that if he should do something of note that might be relevant to her, he'll be back to make another effort with/on her in Soho in London, or N.Y.C.
Eventually the woman will give in to the attentions of some suitor, and this epic love that he thinks is possible between them is not a myth, nor can it be measured by traditional standards, nor is it subject to rational consideration. Also, playing on the meaning of the word "degrees," he may be suggesting that the woman, who may be of Chinese descent, is rejecting him because he's not educated enough for her, and also because he's too much of a romantic (believing in the "myth" of true love).
He's lost--apparently he already feels something strong for the woman--and even though he's resigned to the relationship being over before it really got started, he's willing to be found if she's serious about rekindling the relationship. I think here he's being fanciful with his imagery about the investigator being able to speak Chinese and dance like Astaire in his prime. Basically she has to really want to have a go at it before he'll be willing to really try again. Again, making reference to Chinese culture suggests to me that the woman is of Chinese descent. I love how he says "Okay" in the song--almost as if he wants to take it back (again he may feel he's too much of the romantic with his imagery for her).
Something tells me it ultimately didn't work out between these two. The way Penn emphasizes the names "Romeo" and "Heathcliff" (he hits his highest notes on the names), seems to say to me that somehow he thought his relationship with the woman would be awe-inspiring and consuming and now it will never be. He then consoles himself with the rationalization that she's not interested in being swept off her feet, though he thinks it's inevitable (if not with him).
I never read "Wuthering Heights," so I don't know if when Penn sings immediately after "Heathcliff," "it's no myth," it's a reference to something in the novel. It could very well be, but I'm comfortable with the idea that he's a believer in true love. I am.
I wonder why he uses "were" with Romeo, but "was" with Heathcliff? A matter of expression? Grammatically correct for what he's trying to suggest?
@andrea1975 i think you are spot on. this is a real love song the way they are intended to be. . with one person not getting what they want.. and feelings coursing through their veins. thats why its better to be a cold hearted assasin when it comes to the opposite sex. like me. but that doesnt make good love song material. More the stuff of rock n roll.
@andrea1975 i think you are spot on. this is a real love song the way they are intended to be. . with one person not getting what they want.. and feelings coursing through their veins. thats why its better to be a cold hearted assasin when it comes to the opposite sex. like me. but that doesnt make good love song material. More the stuff of rock n roll.
This song is about a man who has been rejected by a woman he believes he could make very happy, but she doesn't give him the chance to do so. It's one of my favorite songs of all time; Michael Penn is one of the most underrated lyricists of his generation and the wordplay here is really cute.
Some of the interpretations above are right, but others misunderstood what the words meant. I'll try to provide my understanding of this song here.
It's implied here that a man has approached a woman about entering into a relationship with him. She cares about him, taking the time to "make sure [he] knows she hopes we can be friends" but doesn't see him as more than that. But "it's time she goes," so she leaves him to his thoughts by himself. Then he realizes:
He was so shocked/ upset at her rejection that he's having a hard time collecting his thoughts ("I think - yeah I guess...") and it hits him that it didn't occur to ask her why not. Why doesn't she want to be with him? He thinks he's perfect for her. Some people have been confused by the "but" in that line, but I think that's just a lyrical embellishment. The line really means:
"I guess I didn't think to ask her why."
She doesn't want to see what he's proposing, that they'd be good together.
She rejected him for reasons he still can't figure out.
I think it's distracting to focus on the tragedy aspect of "Romeo and Juliet." He names famous romantic figures. What if he's Romeo and she's his Juliet? Why didn't she stop to think about that?
He believes that they, like Heathcliff and Romeo and their respective lady loves, could have epic love - REAL epic love. He believes this - it's no myth.
But alas:
Maybe she isn't into epic right now.
He feels like her decision was rash. She rejected the idea of a relationship a priori (she shut her eyes and tied the curtains up in knots) when she hadn't even given them a chance to tell if it would work out between them.
He's realizing that he could easily torture himself by trying to figure out the whys and wherefores.
Again, a reiteration of the sentiment that their relationship was nipped in the bud too soon.
Now she'll never get a chance to get to know him and find out that he could be her Romeo in black jeans.
Soho is a neighborhood in LA, where Michael Penn lived at the time, if I recall correctly. I'm not entirely sure what this line means, to be honest. It could mean that even though he has dug himself into a hole so deep that it goes all the way to China, he thinks he'll be okay and get back to himself (home, aka Soho). It could mean that maybe now he may be harder to pin down if she changes her mind. It may be an extremely obtuse way of saying, "you know where to find me, no matter what happens."
He believes that the pull between them is so strong that eventually she's going to see she made a mistake.
In this case, "degrees" means "increments," not college degrees. =) Some things have no shades of grey and are an either/or situation. This is his response to the events of the first verse. He doesn't WANT to be friends. He wants all or nothing.
It has to be understood that this song is a little bit of a tongue in cheek ego thing. He's saying, you turned me down, but you don't know what you're missing out on! So he's saying, eventually, you're gonna realize that being just friends with me is a loss for you.
Again, he's saying, "I'm not going to wait around for you, you don't know what you're missing out on, I'm still looking for that great love, like Romeo and Heathcliff. If you want me," he says, "don't be discrete and quiet about it - I want all or nothing, I want big epic romances and grand overtures. Don't send a private investigator. Fess up and tell me yourself." =)
Again, another great romantic figure - Fred Astaire - and exotic far off places like China are invoked here. He doesn't want an ordinary love, and once she realizes she's made a mistake in rejecting him, which in this song he's confident she will, she shouldn't re-approach him unless she's ready to "dance like Astaire." He'll be "someone to dance with" like she wants, but he thinks they have a lot more potential than that.
This is really a terrific song, about dealing with rejection with hope and humor. Hopefully this has been helpful to others. :)
Andrea1975, you might be long gone from here, but I joined this site just to respond to your post, which I think you did a bang-up job with. I heard the song a little while ago on WFUV-FM (N.Y.C.) and it got me thinking again about the lyrics (all this time and I didn't even know the name of the song).
Andrea1975, you might be long gone from here, but I joined this site just to respond to your post, which I think you did a bang-up job with. I heard the song a little while ago on WFUV-FM (N.Y.C.) and it got me thinking again about the lyrics (all this time and I didn't even know the name of the song).
So She says it's time she goes But wanted to be sure I know She hopes we can be friends.
So She says it's time she goes But wanted to be sure I know She hopes we can be friends.
I think Yeah, guess we can say I But didn't think to ask her why; She blocked her eyes and...
I think Yeah, guess we can say I But didn't think to ask her why; She blocked her eyes and drew the curtains With knots I've got yet to untie.
What if I were Romeo in black jeans? What if I was Heathcliff?--it's no myth. Maybe she's just looking for Someone to dance with.
See It was just too soon to tell And looking for some parallel Can be an endless game.
We We said goodbye before hello My secrets she will never know And if I dig a hole to China I'll catch the first junk to Soho.
What if I were Romeo in black jeans? What if I was Heathcliff?--it's no myth. Maybe she's just looking for Someone to dance with.
Sometime from now you'll bow to pressures. Some things in life you cannot measure by degrees.
I'm between the poles and the equator. Don't send no private investigator to find me please 'Less he speaks Chinese And can dance like Astaire overseas. (Okay.)
What if I was? So what if I was? Maybe she's just looking for Someone to dance with.
What if I was Romeo in black jeans? What if I was Heathcliff?--it's no myth. Maybe she's just looking for Someone to dance with.
...All of the above was going to be posted two days ago, but I had a couple of computer foul-ups, so it has had to wait until now to be sent.
>
@andrea1975 i think you are spot on. this is a real love song the way they are intended to be. . with one person not getting what they want.. and feelings coursing through their veins. thats why its better to be a cold hearted assasin when it comes to the opposite sex. like me. but that doesnt make good love song material. More the stuff of rock n roll.
@andrea1975 i think you are spot on. this is a real love song the way they are intended to be. . with one person not getting what they want.. and feelings coursing through their veins. thats why its better to be a cold hearted assasin when it comes to the opposite sex. like me. but that doesnt make good love song material. More the stuff of rock n roll.
@andrea1975 great interpretation
@andrea1975 great interpretation