Elephant Lyrics

Lyric discussion by Top Cat 

Cover art for Elephant lyrics by Damien Rice

I got it! I think i know what the "cant paint an elephant quite as good as she bit" could mean. Well elephants never forget; well they symbolise a memory....like a moment so special that it's memorable. He's saying that his new gf can't make moments so good that it paints a memory in his head that he CANNOT forget. So to paint an elephant is to make a moment so special that it is unforgetable. -sorry if this is confusing, it's hard to explain what i mean =[

The title of the song could mean "unforgetable" cos elephants dont forget.

Okay, there is this different meaning of the song that hasnt been said yet and im quite surprised no one has mentioned it yet. There are a lot of sexual innuendoes in this song. Take the last bit for example:

"but you can't make me happy quite as good as me.. well, you know that's a lie"

He's sort of saying "so what if you leave me u can't sexually satisfy me better than i can satisfy myself (in a sexual way) then he says well "u know that's a lie" - so she satisfies him better obv.

"and she may rise if i sing you down and she may wisely cling to the ground" ^This bit here could be describing a sexual act, I won't explain it, but if u think about it, you'll eventually get there.

and this bit "u can keep me pinned cos it's easier to tease" ^sexual act again, whereby girl on top.....and 'teasing' it.....i'll leave u to think about that bit