It's cold outside
And the paint's peeling off of my walls
There's a man outside
In a long coat, grey hat, smoking a cigarette
[He's in a crappy hotel or motel room]
Now the light fades out
And I'm wondering what I'm doing in a room like this
There's a knock on the door
And just for a second I thought I remembered you
[It's turning night time, he's unsure if he should be here.
Someone knocks on his door, it's the girl, Gail.
His memory of that night stops as soon as he thinks of her.]
So I open the door
It's the 'friend' that I'd left in the hallway
Please sit down
A candle lit a shadow on a wall near the bed
[It's Gail, he has sex with her (shadow near the bed, candle light)]
You know I hate to ask
But, are `friends' electric?
Mine's broke down
And now I've no one to love
[Are friends something you can just turn off and on? Do they break down or go haywire at times?
Gary's machine has broken down (paranoia, cynicism and mistrust), he can't be a friend to anybody anymore.]
So now I'm alone
Now I can think for myself
About little deals
And issues
And things that I just don't understand
Like a white lie that night
Or a slight touch at times
I don't think it meant anything to you
[He's reflecting on what happened, by himself; she's gone.
A white lie that night, a slight touch.
She's only having sex with him to get him to date her friend, Su.
She doesn't love him.]
So I find out your reason
For the phone calls and smiles
And it hurts
And I'm lonely
And I should never have tried
And I missed you tonight
So it's time to leave
You see this means everything to me.
[He finds out the real reason behind the event.
He misses her, that night of sex meant everything to him.
"I should never have tried" also indicates depression]
By the way, the Sugababes' cover of Adina Howard's "Freak Like Me" samples the verse's synth track of this song.
It's cold outside And the paint's peeling off of my walls There's a man outside In a long coat, grey hat, smoking a cigarette
[He's in a crappy hotel or motel room]
Now the light fades out And I'm wondering what I'm doing in a room like this There's a knock on the door And just for a second I thought I remembered you
[It's turning night time, he's unsure if he should be here. Someone knocks on his door, it's the girl, Gail. His memory of that night stops as soon as he thinks of her.]
So I open the door It's the 'friend' that I'd left in the hallway Please sit down A candle lit a shadow on a wall near the bed
[It's Gail, he has sex with her (shadow near the bed, candle light)]
You know I hate to ask But, are `friends' electric? Mine's broke down And now I've no one to love
[Are friends something you can just turn off and on? Do they break down or go haywire at times? Gary's machine has broken down (paranoia, cynicism and mistrust), he can't be a friend to anybody anymore.]
So now I'm alone Now I can think for myself About little deals And issues And things that I just don't understand Like a white lie that night Or a slight touch at times I don't think it meant anything to you
[He's reflecting on what happened, by himself; she's gone. A white lie that night, a slight touch. She's only having sex with him to get him to date her friend, Su. She doesn't love him.]
So I find out your reason For the phone calls and smiles And it hurts And I'm lonely And I should never have tried And I missed you tonight So it's time to leave You see this means everything to me.
[He finds out the real reason behind the event. He misses her, that night of sex meant everything to him. "I should never have tried" also indicates depression]
By the way, the Sugababes' cover of Adina Howard's "Freak Like Me" samples the verse's synth track of this song.