The song is about a young, sexually inexperienced man who becomes infatuated with a high-end prostitute.
The song is told from the perspective of an unreliable narrator. His infatuation (and her performance) allows him to trick himself into believing that she is in love with him when he’s really just another of her punters.
For clues to her occupation, and our narrator’s relationship with her, look at the following lines:
“Strangers from the city, call my baby’s number and they bring her toys”
-why are (multiple) strangers phoning her? Where are they getting her number? And why are they bringing her toys?
“She has fancy clothes and diamond rings / She has men who give her anything she wants”
-Her fancy clothes and diamond rings are gifts from her ‘clients’ who are bringing her expensive gifts (and money) to pay for her time.
“To get to Candys room, you gotta walk the darkness of Candys hall”
-why is a woman with expensive clothes and diamond rings living in a single room at the end of a dark hallway? Our narrator has to knock to enter.
“They don’t see / that what she wants is me”
-he believes that she is equally infatuated with him.
“She knows that I’d give / all that I got to give, / All that I want, all that I live, / to make Candy mine / Tonight”
-he’ll give all that he has to buy Candy’s time for one night. And - what’s more - she knows it. Everything that’s gone before with her seduction has been a sales pitch. Now that he’s infatuated, he’s just another punter bringing her money, expensive gifts and toys to be with her.
@milominderbinder I think you have perfectly expressed it here my friend!
This is always how I have interpreted these lyrics - with maybe one slight difference but I don't think it matters too much. In my interpretation, Candy is not necessarily high-end, but she's definitely experienced in getting what she wants from these 'strangers from the city', and as you say, the narrator just doesn't see it.
Also, I detect an undertone of maybe she wants to escape this life she is trapped in (is she trapped? It's unclear, but that's the great mystery of this song that makes it brilliant) and...
@milominderbinder I think you have perfectly expressed it here my friend!
This is always how I have interpreted these lyrics - with maybe one slight difference but I don't think it matters too much. In my interpretation, Candy is not necessarily high-end, but she's definitely experienced in getting what she wants from these 'strangers from the city', and as you say, the narrator just doesn't see it.
Also, I detect an undertone of maybe she wants to escape this life she is trapped in (is she trapped? It's unclear, but that's the great mystery of this song that makes it brilliant) and maybe he sees that (or imagines it) and imagines that he is her route out, her knight in shining armour if you like that metaphor.
The song is about a young, sexually inexperienced man who becomes infatuated with a high-end prostitute.
The song is told from the perspective of an unreliable narrator. His infatuation (and her performance) allows him to trick himself into believing that she is in love with him when he’s really just another of her punters.
For clues to her occupation, and our narrator’s relationship with her, look at the following lines:
“Strangers from the city, call my baby’s number and they bring her toys” -why are (multiple) strangers phoning her? Where are they getting her number? And why are they bringing her toys?
“She has fancy clothes and diamond rings / She has men who give her anything she wants” -Her fancy clothes and diamond rings are gifts from her ‘clients’ who are bringing her expensive gifts (and money) to pay for her time.
“To get to Candys room, you gotta walk the darkness of Candys hall” -why is a woman with expensive clothes and diamond rings living in a single room at the end of a dark hallway? Our narrator has to knock to enter.
“They don’t see / that what she wants is me” -he believes that she is equally infatuated with him.
“She knows that I’d give / all that I got to give, / All that I want, all that I live, / to make Candy mine / Tonight” -he’ll give all that he has to buy Candy’s time for one night. And - what’s more - she knows it. Everything that’s gone before with her seduction has been a sales pitch. Now that he’s infatuated, he’s just another punter bringing her money, expensive gifts and toys to be with her.
@milominderbinder I think you have perfectly expressed it here my friend! This is always how I have interpreted these lyrics - with maybe one slight difference but I don't think it matters too much. In my interpretation, Candy is not necessarily high-end, but she's definitely experienced in getting what she wants from these 'strangers from the city', and as you say, the narrator just doesn't see it. Also, I detect an undertone of maybe she wants to escape this life she is trapped in (is she trapped? It's unclear, but that's the great mystery of this song that makes it brilliant) and...
@milominderbinder I think you have perfectly expressed it here my friend! This is always how I have interpreted these lyrics - with maybe one slight difference but I don't think it matters too much. In my interpretation, Candy is not necessarily high-end, but she's definitely experienced in getting what she wants from these 'strangers from the city', and as you say, the narrator just doesn't see it. Also, I detect an undertone of maybe she wants to escape this life she is trapped in (is she trapped? It's unclear, but that's the great mystery of this song that makes it brilliant) and maybe he sees that (or imagines it) and imagines that he is her route out, her knight in shining armour if you like that metaphor.