Ribbons and Detours Lyrics

Lyric discussion by arentheunruly 

Cover art for Ribbons and Detours lyrics by Silversun Pickups

I get the feeling that this song is about a couple that just isn't able to make it work.

" I can't believe it, you of all things. It's been a while, memories teem. Some kind of anthem lingering. Images settle internally."

I think this is their first time seeing each other a while after splitting us. She's surprised to see him and the song that's playing in the background immediately takes her back to when they were happy together.

"Ribbons and detours meant nothing to me-- Swaying our sentiments, pulling our strings,"

Here she's describing part of their problem. They're so passionately in love that they're easily influenced and aren't really paying attention to the bigger picture.

"Tempting me softly, but killing our dream. You said it's over, but maybe it's the same old thing."

She desperately want to be with her partner but they both know that they can't be happy together. They keep trying to leave each other but they can't so it just keeps coming back to this.

"Coming in homage, devious needs. Intimate outcries, weakening, Tranquilize slowly inside of me."

Quite frankly I think this part is about their sex life. In mind of this it's pretty self-explanatory.

"I gave the softest parts, trumped by the darkest parts, Whispered the tender parts, made of idealistic things."

Here I think she's saying that she tried to only show him the good in her but it just caused more problems for them. They built their relationship on ideals.

The ends dramatically repeating how things will never change. They'll be stuck with the "Same old thing".

My Opinion