Personally, I think this song is a metaphor relating her romantic behavior to that of a wild, fighting animal. For instance, "My fighting fame is fabled" could be her telling her new conquest that she really doesn't break as many hearts as they say, and that she can be trusted. "We should shine a light on" could be Joanna saying that they should tell the truth about their pasts. However, at the end this same line could mean that the truth is evident that she really is a heartbreaker; throughout the song there are lines that show her lover begrudgingly accepts this, such as, "And you say that you're okay". "I killed my dinner with karate, kick 'em in the face, taste the body, shallow work is the work that I do" could illustrate the way she has behaved with past lovers. Kicking them in the face and tasting the body shows a tendency to crush their dignity and be more interested in the physical aspects of the relationship. At the end where it says "Even when you touch my face, you know your place" could mean that even though she has told her lover that they are equals in the relationship, they both really know that she has the power. This is a hauntingly beautiful song that creatively describes a situation that many can understand. I love it.
Personally, I think this song is a metaphor relating her romantic behavior to that of a wild, fighting animal. For instance, "My fighting fame is fabled" could be her telling her new conquest that she really doesn't break as many hearts as they say, and that she can be trusted. "We should shine a light on" could be Joanna saying that they should tell the truth about their pasts. However, at the end this same line could mean that the truth is evident that she really is a heartbreaker; throughout the song there are lines that show her lover begrudgingly accepts this, such as, "And you say that you're okay". "I killed my dinner with karate, kick 'em in the face, taste the body, shallow work is the work that I do" could illustrate the way she has behaved with past lovers. Kicking them in the face and tasting the body shows a tendency to crush their dignity and be more interested in the physical aspects of the relationship. At the end where it says "Even when you touch my face, you know your place" could mean that even though she has told her lover that they are equals in the relationship, they both really know that she has the power. This is a hauntingly beautiful song that creatively describes a situation that many can understand. I love it.