This song seems to be a reflection on the songwriting process. Robertson seems to be talking specifically about writing targeted lyrics for someone within the context of a damaged relationship, and about how the words in a song can help frame past events, clear up ambiguity, and impact the thoughts and feelings of the other party involved.
It seems to me that other parts of the Grinning Streak album seem to allude to song lyrics as a way to communicate and help to repair a relationship. For example, in "Best Damn Friend": "...it's not weak to re-make amends the way I've chose to."
A BNL fan might wonder if this song (like the numerous other songs on the new album about past mistakes and damaged friendships/relationships) is in any way related to the Steven Page split and the way both sides wrote raw, emotional songs in the immediate aftermath and spun their breakup stories to the media. The third verse in particular could easily be about this jostling to define the past and whether it matters in the long run.
This song seems to be a reflection on the songwriting process. Robertson seems to be talking specifically about writing targeted lyrics for someone within the context of a damaged relationship, and about how the words in a song can help frame past events, clear up ambiguity, and impact the thoughts and feelings of the other party involved.
It seems to me that other parts of the Grinning Streak album seem to allude to song lyrics as a way to communicate and help to repair a relationship. For example, in "Best Damn Friend": "...it's not weak to re-make amends the way I've chose to."
A BNL fan might wonder if this song (like the numerous other songs on the new album about past mistakes and damaged friendships/relationships) is in any way related to the Steven Page split and the way both sides wrote raw, emotional songs in the immediate aftermath and spun their breakup stories to the media. The third verse in particular could easily be about this jostling to define the past and whether it matters in the long run.