I think it is about 'indie kids', those long faced people, and their seemingly elitist society. The speaker's sister is trying to be a part of this attractive society, - she listens to the right music ('play indie rock if that's what you want') and watches the right movies ('quote Mike Leigh films'), - and she may as well succeed, but she is still sad and lonely. still depressed and feels phoney and hypocrite, because it's not her life, it's not what she loves truly.
Her older sister sees and understands all of this (perhaps she too did the same thing when she was younger) and she gives her younger sister advices and tips about being her own person: 'try your best not to disguise'.
The younger sister is a delicate girl ('you bruise like a cherry') and the snide remarks of her so called friends offend her ('words they mean nothing to some in this world'). The older sister cries for her sister, and yet she can't save her. It's up to the young sister to understand what she is doing wrong and to fix it herself.
One can understand this lovely song as a declaration of intent from the band. Camera Obscura are an indie band, but they were never a majot part of the indie scene, nor they wish to be.
I think it is about 'indie kids', those long faced people, and their seemingly elitist society. The speaker's sister is trying to be a part of this attractive society, - she listens to the right music ('play indie rock if that's what you want') and watches the right movies ('quote Mike Leigh films'), - and she may as well succeed, but she is still sad and lonely. still depressed and feels phoney and hypocrite, because it's not her life, it's not what she loves truly.
Her older sister sees and understands all of this (perhaps she too did the same thing when she was younger) and she gives her younger sister advices and tips about being her own person: 'try your best not to disguise'.
The younger sister is a delicate girl ('you bruise like a cherry') and the snide remarks of her so called friends offend her ('words they mean nothing to some in this world'). The older sister cries for her sister, and yet she can't save her. It's up to the young sister to understand what she is doing wrong and to fix it herself.
One can understand this lovely song as a declaration of intent from the band. Camera Obscura are an indie band, but they were never a majot part of the indie scene, nor they wish to be.