ok... When I first heard this song I simply enjoyed it's melody.. and I really love this song or I wouldn't have analyzed it.
Just an opinion, but as you read into the lyrics a bit more it sounds like she's speaking to both a male and female.
"You breathed infinity into my world
and time was lost up in a cloud and in a whirl.
We dug a hole in the cool grey earth and lay there for the night."
-As someone mentioned in a previous post, seeing her in concert, she refers to having a a 1-night stand with "someone" -
In the next few verses she talks about someone telling her "you'll grow stronger without him" .. sounds like something a female friend would say to another female friend or a family member to another family member to "comfort/nurture" them.
"I'll be waiting for the world to hear my song...
so they can tell me I was wrong"
-knowing society doesn't look too favorably on homosexuality-
"But they weren't there beneath your stare,
and they weren't stripped 'till they were bare of
any bindings from the world outside that room."
-she's trying to say that she's not homosexual, and that she did deeply love someone (a man), outside that room... but within the room, no one will understand what she went through... maybe an "exception to the rule"? -
"of naked land where any pre-conceived ideas were blown away..."
-there's the kicker, to me. "Pre-conceived ideas"? I can see how this could pertain to a man's intentions (involving sex and whatnot)... but even more plausible, given the delicacy of the song (melody & longing lyrics), could easily be seen as pre-conceived ideas about what she did with someone that was within "that room"... Whoever it was, they relieved her mind about the man she was deeply hurt by and longing for, and at that point, gender was no longer a factor.-
"you're too young to even know,
just don't let it grow and you'll be stronger without him"
-People are telling her she's too young to even know what she wants, don't grow in love again (whether it be with a man, but especially not with another female - because then the world "they can tell" her she "was wrong")-
Finally, the struggle.
"so I couldn't say "no"."
-She is obviously fighting/struggling... yes, this one could relate to sex as well, but considering the previous lines, I think it pertains to her decision. She is telling the world, since they weren't there to experience what she felt within that room... they wouldn't understand.. she "couldn't say, wouldn't say no." even though, in her mind she knew that society would view it as something of a Taboo, something not looked favorably upon. Whoever it was, this new love, would change her mind and effect her in such a way that in her painful state, how could she "say no"?-
This song could easily be abouta bunch of things, as many people mentioned: new love, sex, or curiousity. Given the weight, and harsh judgement she relates to the 3rd party ("They"), however, leads me to believe that the song is primarily fitting of someone who was bi-curious explaining how she had an experience with someone of the same gender, not expecting it, in an attempt to heal the wounds caused by the man she was in love with.
ok... When I first heard this song I simply enjoyed it's melody.. and I really love this song or I wouldn't have analyzed it. Just an opinion, but as you read into the lyrics a bit more it sounds like she's speaking to both a male and female.
"You breathed infinity into my world and time was lost up in a cloud and in a whirl. We dug a hole in the cool grey earth and lay there for the night."
-As someone mentioned in a previous post, seeing her in concert, she refers to having a a 1-night stand with "someone" -
In the next few verses she talks about someone telling her "you'll grow stronger without him" .. sounds like something a female friend would say to another female friend or a family member to another family member to "comfort/nurture" them.
"I'll be waiting for the world to hear my song... so they can tell me I was wrong"
-knowing society doesn't look too favorably on homosexuality-
"But they weren't there beneath your stare, and they weren't stripped 'till they were bare of any bindings from the world outside that room."
-she's trying to say that she's not homosexual, and that she did deeply love someone (a man), outside that room... but within the room, no one will understand what she went through... maybe an "exception to the rule"? -
"of naked land where any pre-conceived ideas were blown away..."
-there's the kicker, to me. "Pre-conceived ideas"? I can see how this could pertain to a man's intentions (involving sex and whatnot)... but even more plausible, given the delicacy of the song (melody & longing lyrics), could easily be seen as pre-conceived ideas about what she did with someone that was within "that room"... Whoever it was, they relieved her mind about the man she was deeply hurt by and longing for, and at that point, gender was no longer a factor.-
"you're too young to even know, just don't let it grow and you'll be stronger without him"
-People are telling her she's too young to even know what she wants, don't grow in love again (whether it be with a man, but especially not with another female - because then the world "they can tell" her she "was wrong")-
Finally, the struggle.
"so I couldn't say "no"."
-She is obviously fighting/struggling... yes, this one could relate to sex as well, but considering the previous lines, I think it pertains to her decision. She is telling the world, since they weren't there to experience what she felt within that room... they wouldn't understand.. she "couldn't say, wouldn't say no." even though, in her mind she knew that society would view it as something of a Taboo, something not looked favorably upon. Whoever it was, this new love, would change her mind and effect her in such a way that in her painful state, how could she "say no"?-
This song could easily be abouta bunch of things, as many people mentioned: new love, sex, or curiousity. Given the weight, and harsh judgement she relates to the 3rd party ("They"), however, leads me to believe that the song is primarily fitting of someone who was bi-curious explaining how she had an experience with someone of the same gender, not expecting it, in an attempt to heal the wounds caused by the man she was in love with.