You "used," to is repeated throughout the first verse. It directly implies that you do not anymore. These small things, sliding down the bannister, making gingerbread houses, they're these quaint, lovely things you notice when you're in love, particularly in childhood. But, again, these are things that are no longer so.
The entire first verse is a depiction of childhood romance, the wonder, innocence and beauty of it. It's a shame that as you get older romance is not so innocent as it is in childhood, and Stevin Merritt knows so. The first chorus is kind of shocking; from this world of childhood love, Merritt now demands taking ectacy, only its not so much a demand as it is the admission of a last resort.
Obviously, Merritt being gay is important to note. I think in this song the subject is a childhood friendship that has emerged into love. Unfortunatly this kind of love is unacceptable, but neither was willing to give it up. To get beat up just for holding hands is horrible, but I don't think either of them was destroyed by this. I can imagine it only making the relationship stronger, because the answer to this violent reaction is obviously compassion for eachother.
I think the black snowmobile is a venture probably taken quite often in childhood. I imagine this song emerging after a reaquintance with eachother after a very long parting. I think these two find that whatever passion was strong enough to risk injury, and endure struggle throughout growing up, whatever magic was there as they shared taffy pulls is gone. And as I said, they go to great lengths to reignite it. The black snowmobile is desperation, and of course, snowmobiles are always destined to be headed somewhere cold and icy, and so are Merritt and lover.
They drink vodka, but drinking only makes them realize just how distant they've become. As Merritt enters into the final chorus it's apparent that this has failed him, that he believes its going to take some kind of miracle to reanimate what was worth any risk to feel when he was younger. And that miracle is, he hopes, this tiny little pill. Not an answer, as he's certainly acknowledged by now, vodka bottle drained and departed, that what he has will never be what he had. A pill is a temporary fix, and he knows it, but its not an answer, because he doesn't have one. It's a suggestion, a desperate hope for feeling again.
It's all in the tense.
You "used," to is repeated throughout the first verse. It directly implies that you do not anymore. These small things, sliding down the bannister, making gingerbread houses, they're these quaint, lovely things you notice when you're in love, particularly in childhood. But, again, these are things that are no longer so.
The entire first verse is a depiction of childhood romance, the wonder, innocence and beauty of it. It's a shame that as you get older romance is not so innocent as it is in childhood, and Stevin Merritt knows so. The first chorus is kind of shocking; from this world of childhood love, Merritt now demands taking ectacy, only its not so much a demand as it is the admission of a last resort.
Obviously, Merritt being gay is important to note. I think in this song the subject is a childhood friendship that has emerged into love. Unfortunatly this kind of love is unacceptable, but neither was willing to give it up. To get beat up just for holding hands is horrible, but I don't think either of them was destroyed by this. I can imagine it only making the relationship stronger, because the answer to this violent reaction is obviously compassion for eachother.
I think the black snowmobile is a venture probably taken quite often in childhood. I imagine this song emerging after a reaquintance with eachother after a very long parting. I think these two find that whatever passion was strong enough to risk injury, and endure struggle throughout growing up, whatever magic was there as they shared taffy pulls is gone. And as I said, they go to great lengths to reignite it. The black snowmobile is desperation, and of course, snowmobiles are always destined to be headed somewhere cold and icy, and so are Merritt and lover.
They drink vodka, but drinking only makes them realize just how distant they've become. As Merritt enters into the final chorus it's apparent that this has failed him, that he believes its going to take some kind of miracle to reanimate what was worth any risk to feel when he was younger. And that miracle is, he hopes, this tiny little pill. Not an answer, as he's certainly acknowledged by now, vodka bottle drained and departed, that what he has will never be what he had. A pill is a temporary fix, and he knows it, but its not an answer, because he doesn't have one. It's a suggestion, a desperate hope for feeling again.
@Joelhughes2006 very well said
@Joelhughes2006 very well said