I think this song is about a deeply unhealthy relationship. Polly's character has fallen in love with someone monstrous and/or evil.
"Please don't reproach me
For how empty my life has become."
-Her life is empty except for her lover, but he's bored with her and wants her to entertain herself rather than relying on her
"I don't know what really happened"
-She "doesn't know what really happened" because she can't keep track of the awful things she's done for him out of love.
"I watched your disappointment
At being misunderstood.
I forgive you."
-Because she loves him, she forgives him his horrible traits; he isn't bad, just "misunderstood."
"Oh something metal
Tearing my stomach out
If you think ill of me."
-This is a metaphor; she's so infatuated with him that the thought of disappointing him is like "something metal tearing [her] stomach out."
"Can you forgive me, too?"
-She did disappoint him and begs for his forgiveness, reminding him of how she has forgiven him.
"I tried to learn your language,
But fell asleep,
Half-undressed,
Unrecognisable to myself."
She tried to live his life with him ("learn [his] language") but at some point she lost track of her own morality ("fell asleep") and had her identity stripped from her ("half-undressed") to the point where she doesn't even recognize herself anymore.
This is just the way I read the song, and it's heavily colored by my watching both Let the Right One In and Let Me In recently; the song could perfectly summarize the way Eli/Abby's older "companion" feels about her.
-Her life is empty except for her lover, but he's bored with her and wants her to entertain herself rather than solely living off her relationship with him
-Her life is empty except for her lover, but he's bored with her and wants her to entertain herself rather than solely living off her relationship with him
I think this song is about a deeply unhealthy relationship. Polly's character has fallen in love with someone monstrous and/or evil.
"Please don't reproach me For how empty my life has become."
-Her life is empty except for her lover, but he's bored with her and wants her to entertain herself rather than relying on her
"I don't know what really happened"
-She "doesn't know what really happened" because she can't keep track of the awful things she's done for him out of love.
"I watched your disappointment At being misunderstood. I forgive you."
-Because she loves him, she forgives him his horrible traits; he isn't bad, just "misunderstood."
"Oh something metal Tearing my stomach out If you think ill of me."
-This is a metaphor; she's so infatuated with him that the thought of disappointing him is like "something metal tearing [her] stomach out."
"Can you forgive me, too?"
-She did disappoint him and begs for his forgiveness, reminding him of how she has forgiven him.
"I tried to learn your language, But fell asleep, Half-undressed, Unrecognisable to myself."
She tried to live his life with him ("learn [his] language") but at some point she lost track of her own morality ("fell asleep") and had her identity stripped from her ("half-undressed") to the point where she doesn't even recognize herself anymore.
This is just the way I read the song, and it's heavily colored by my watching both Let the Right One In and Let Me In recently; the song could perfectly summarize the way Eli/Abby's older "companion" feels about her.
Correction: The first point should say this:
Correction: The first point should say this:
-Her life is empty except for her lover, but he's bored with her and wants her to entertain herself rather than solely living off her relationship with him
-Her life is empty except for her lover, but he's bored with her and wants her to entertain herself rather than solely living off her relationship with him