This song is about a guy dating a woman way out of his league but he slowly learns that she is not so great. It's hard to clearly lay out the quotes that prove it but read on and try to the big picture.
First off he says "I used to be your biggest fan" so clearly he is fond of her. But he also says "used to" and "Now I find that you are slipping in my estimations" so now he has come to realize that she is not all she is cracked up to be.
The line "I want to be the toast of the shanty-town" shows he is dating out of his league by saying that a lowly shanty-boy is receiving commendations for scoring such a great woman
All his talk about being confident comes from his scoring such a hottie.
"Cut your teeth" is an expression for making a vicious person more tame. So, I guess she can be cruel sometimes.
“For a moment you looked tender and I know / That I could never ever ever ever ever touch you / Because you might touch back" This is where he realizes that can never be with her, no matter how much he may want to, because if he doesn't leave now than he never will.
"But now I know that you could never love someone like me" shows that she is too good for him.
"That I would measure everybody against you Yes I would measure everybody against you" Even despite her flaws on the simplest level she was to good for him and she will be the yard stick for which he measures all future lovers.
This is a really interesting song...I agree with atjones except that I think it involves a guy romantically desiring another guy. IMO the author takes the role of either being gay or in the closet in this song, and he's fallen in love with another guy. The problem is that he's not sure if the one he desires loves him back, let alone if he prefers guys over girls in the first place. Obviously he (Ramesh) is not going to explicitly make this obvious, but read between the lines and you might be able to...
This is a really interesting song...I agree with atjones except that I think it involves a guy romantically desiring another guy. IMO the author takes the role of either being gay or in the closet in this song, and he's fallen in love with another guy. The problem is that he's not sure if the one he desires loves him back, let alone if he prefers guys over girls in the first place. Obviously he (Ramesh) is not going to explicitly make this obvious, but read between the lines and you might be able to see where I"m coming from...
"Life on the margins
Little looks we have to steal
I want to run like vagrants hand in hand across this field"
In our society, it's not 'correct' for two guys to romantically like each other. Therefore, the author has to take what he can get, even if it's those 'little looks' or comments that are made between the two in a public, normal setting. It's not much, but it keeps his dream alive. This is tough to contain because he's fallen in love with him, and dreams about "running like vagrants hand in hand across this field." However, it's too dangerous to tell him this/let others know.
"The city walls are reigning perilous and tall over dark chilling streets
It's not weakness when you fall
Oh it's just too much too fast
Crash that column into the wall
Don't let them tell you that there's a right way to fall in love"
The author is commenting on how tough the circumstances and expectations of the world and society are for his/their situation. It's not easy to fall in love with the 'wrong' sex in a society that doesn't really accept stuff like that yet. He's trying to tell and hopes that his lover does not wilt to these expectations.
If you follow this school of thought then smaller stanzas/lines from this song can be incorporated into this but they are pretty self explanitory. One more is pretty important though:
"I used to be your biggest fan
And then I saw you in a doorway
For a moment you looked tender and I knew
That I could never ever ever ever ever touch you
Because you might touch back
Oh yes, you might, oh you might touch back"
This is the line that struck me...the double edged sword for a gay guy that is either in the closet or does not know the sexual desires of the other guy. If he's right and the guy he likes is gay/likes him back, then "Oh you might touch back." This is great, but it opens a big can of worms because they would have to work this out yet still function in the straight, normal world. And as mentioned previously, if he "touches" him then he might not ever be able to let go and live without him...which makes it worse if he's wrong in interpreting the desires of the other guy (I.E. the other guy isn't gay). Being wrong in this situation would really suck!
Regardless of whether it is about a straight or gay relationship, it's still one of my favorite Voxtrot songs.
I agree with MBplayer that it is most likely a gay relationship. I'm surprised how heterocentric all these responses are. If the whole song is from his own perspective why would "I want a man who makes me feel like a woman" be from his lover?
I agree with MBplayer that it is most likely a gay relationship. I'm surprised how heterocentric all these responses are. If the whole song is from his own perspective why would "I want a man who makes me feel like a woman" be from his lover?
Also "cut your teeth" means to gain experience and move up, in reference to babies losing their teeth. ex. "The Beatles cut their teeth playing shows in Hamburg before signing with Brian Epstein."
Also "cut your teeth" means to gain experience and move up, in reference to babies losing their teeth. ex. "The Beatles cut their teeth playing shows in Hamburg before signing with Brian Epstein."
Now I don't see clear evidence that this is a gay relationship at all. I mean, the line "And she says" should probably negate this, but regarding the opening lines, "Life on the margins/Little looks we have to steal/I want to run like vagrants hand in hand across this field" their relationship could still be seen as taboo from her perspective as he is that far out of her league.
Now I don't see clear evidence that this is a gay relationship at all. I mean, the line "And she says" should probably negate this, but regarding the opening lines, "Life on the margins/Little looks we have to steal/I want to run like vagrants hand in hand across this field" their relationship could still be seen as taboo from her perspective as he is that far out of her league.
This song is about a guy dating a woman way out of his league but he slowly learns that she is not so great. It's hard to clearly lay out the quotes that prove it but read on and try to the big picture.
First off he says "I used to be your biggest fan" so clearly he is fond of her. But he also says "used to" and "Now I find that you are slipping in my estimations" so now he has come to realize that she is not all she is cracked up to be.
The line "I want to be the toast of the shanty-town" shows he is dating out of his league by saying that a lowly shanty-boy is receiving commendations for scoring such a great woman
All his talk about being confident comes from his scoring such a hottie.
"Cut your teeth" is an expression for making a vicious person more tame. So, I guess she can be cruel sometimes.
“For a moment you looked tender and I know / That I could never ever ever ever ever touch you / Because you might touch back" This is where he realizes that can never be with her, no matter how much he may want to, because if he doesn't leave now than he never will.
"But now I know that you could never love someone like me" shows that she is too good for him.
"That I would measure everybody against you Yes I would measure everybody against you" Even despite her flaws on the simplest level she was to good for him and she will be the yard stick for which he measures all future lovers.
This is a really interesting song...I agree with atjones except that I think it involves a guy romantically desiring another guy. IMO the author takes the role of either being gay or in the closet in this song, and he's fallen in love with another guy. The problem is that he's not sure if the one he desires loves him back, let alone if he prefers guys over girls in the first place. Obviously he (Ramesh) is not going to explicitly make this obvious, but read between the lines and you might be able to...
This is a really interesting song...I agree with atjones except that I think it involves a guy romantically desiring another guy. IMO the author takes the role of either being gay or in the closet in this song, and he's fallen in love with another guy. The problem is that he's not sure if the one he desires loves him back, let alone if he prefers guys over girls in the first place. Obviously he (Ramesh) is not going to explicitly make this obvious, but read between the lines and you might be able to see where I"m coming from...
"Life on the margins Little looks we have to steal I want to run like vagrants hand in hand across this field"
In our society, it's not 'correct' for two guys to romantically like each other. Therefore, the author has to take what he can get, even if it's those 'little looks' or comments that are made between the two in a public, normal setting. It's not much, but it keeps his dream alive. This is tough to contain because he's fallen in love with him, and dreams about "running like vagrants hand in hand across this field." However, it's too dangerous to tell him this/let others know.
"The city walls are reigning perilous and tall over dark chilling streets It's not weakness when you fall Oh it's just too much too fast Crash that column into the wall
Don't let them tell you that there's a right way to fall in love"
The author is commenting on how tough the circumstances and expectations of the world and society are for his/their situation. It's not easy to fall in love with the 'wrong' sex in a society that doesn't really accept stuff like that yet. He's trying to tell and hopes that his lover does not wilt to these expectations.
If you follow this school of thought then smaller stanzas/lines from this song can be incorporated into this but they are pretty self explanitory. One more is pretty important though:
"I used to be your biggest fan And then I saw you in a doorway For a moment you looked tender and I knew That I could never ever ever ever ever touch you Because you might touch back
Oh yes, you might, oh you might touch back"
This is the line that struck me...the double edged sword for a gay guy that is either in the closet or does not know the sexual desires of the other guy. If he's right and the guy he likes is gay/likes him back, then "Oh you might touch back." This is great, but it opens a big can of worms because they would have to work this out yet still function in the straight, normal world. And as mentioned previously, if he "touches" him then he might not ever be able to let go and live without him...which makes it worse if he's wrong in interpreting the desires of the other guy (I.E. the other guy isn't gay). Being wrong in this situation would really suck!
Regardless of whether it is about a straight or gay relationship, it's still one of my favorite Voxtrot songs.
I agree with MBplayer that it is most likely a gay relationship. I'm surprised how heterocentric all these responses are. If the whole song is from his own perspective why would "I want a man who makes me feel like a woman" be from his lover?
I agree with MBplayer that it is most likely a gay relationship. I'm surprised how heterocentric all these responses are. If the whole song is from his own perspective why would "I want a man who makes me feel like a woman" be from his lover?
Also "cut your teeth" means to gain experience and move up, in reference to babies losing their teeth. ex. "The Beatles cut their teeth playing shows in Hamburg before signing with Brian Epstein."
Also "cut your teeth" means to gain experience and move up, in reference to babies losing their teeth. ex. "The Beatles cut their teeth playing shows in Hamburg before signing with Brian Epstein."
Now I don't see clear evidence that this is a gay relationship at all. I mean, the line "And she says" should probably negate this, but regarding the opening lines, "Life on the margins/Little looks we have to steal/I want to run like vagrants hand in hand across this field" their relationship could still be seen as taboo from her perspective as he is that far out of her league.
Now I don't see clear evidence that this is a gay relationship at all. I mean, the line "And she says" should probably negate this, but regarding the opening lines, "Life on the margins/Little looks we have to steal/I want to run like vagrants hand in hand across this field" their relationship could still be seen as taboo from her perspective as he is that far out of her league.