So many weird interpretations of this song here, I can't see it as anything about other than how Candy Darling felt alienated from being a poor trans woman in the 1960's and 70's.
"Candy says I've come to hate my body
And all that it requires in this world"
I interpret this as relating to her dysphoria regarding her body, and becoming detached from physicality as a result, many trans women suffer from anorexia due to this, which may be another angle to look at it from.
"Candy says I'd like to know completely
What others so discretely talk about"
I see this as being unable to relate to others, due to feeling so different and lost. There wasn't much terminology regarding or understanding of transsexuality at that time, and I can understand the impact of this on how an individual then relates to, communicates with, and interprets information from others. I think the word "completely" is key to this as it conveys uncertainty of reality.
The chorus is fairly clear, hoping that things will improve for herself as time passes, 'maybe when I'm older'.
"What do you think I'd see
If I could walk away from me"
Candy was intensely self loathing, which is understandable, as you can easily become like that if you are continually treated with contempt, suspicion, and disgust. These lines also strike me as optimistic, in that deep down she is certain of her identity, but the attitudes of others toward her have cause her to doubt this. If she could abandon the image of herself that others have imposed on her then what could she achieve?
"Candy says I hate the quiet places
That cause the smallest taste of what will be
Candy says I hate the big decisions
That cause endless revisions in my mind"
I see this verse as relating to loneliness and uncertainty. Candy wrote often about how lonely she felt, that she felt she would forever be unlovable, and was unable to relate to people.
The last two lines of the verse could conceivably relate to sex reassignment surgery, which Candy expressed concerns about, but I think that ultimately relates to her poor perception of self, brought on by the attitudes of others.
I think this song is about how Candy Darling could have flourished given love and support, but she was continually exploited and lived a short, unlucky life, and thus came to dislike and doubt herself. In the letter she wrote just before she passed away, she says "Did you know I couldn't last? I always knew it."
So many weird interpretations of this song here, I can't see it as anything about other than how Candy Darling felt alienated from being a poor trans woman in the 1960's and 70's.
"Candy says I've come to hate my body And all that it requires in this world"
I interpret this as relating to her dysphoria regarding her body, and becoming detached from physicality as a result, many trans women suffer from anorexia due to this, which may be another angle to look at it from.
"Candy says I'd like to know completely What others so discretely talk about"
I see this as being unable to relate to others, due to feeling so different and lost. There wasn't much terminology regarding or understanding of transsexuality at that time, and I can understand the impact of this on how an individual then relates to, communicates with, and interprets information from others. I think the word "completely" is key to this as it conveys uncertainty of reality.
The chorus is fairly clear, hoping that things will improve for herself as time passes, 'maybe when I'm older'.
"What do you think I'd see If I could walk away from me"
Candy was intensely self loathing, which is understandable, as you can easily become like that if you are continually treated with contempt, suspicion, and disgust. These lines also strike me as optimistic, in that deep down she is certain of her identity, but the attitudes of others toward her have cause her to doubt this. If she could abandon the image of herself that others have imposed on her then what could she achieve?
"Candy says I hate the quiet places That cause the smallest taste of what will be Candy says I hate the big decisions That cause endless revisions in my mind"
I see this verse as relating to loneliness and uncertainty. Candy wrote often about how lonely she felt, that she felt she would forever be unlovable, and was unable to relate to people.
The last two lines of the verse could conceivably relate to sex reassignment surgery, which Candy expressed concerns about, but I think that ultimately relates to her poor perception of self, brought on by the attitudes of others.
I think this song is about how Candy Darling could have flourished given love and support, but she was continually exploited and lived a short, unlucky life, and thus came to dislike and doubt herself. In the letter she wrote just before she passed away, she says "Did you know I couldn't last? I always knew it."