I've been listening to this song so long and playing it, beautiful song by Nick....so I guess after all these years, I should share my input...
My interpretation of course..
First verses are, I concur, about taking apart the new guy's true self for what he really is, someone who is not true to her like he was.
"I know I move like an apparition
in a style that’s all ghostwritten"
My interpretation here is that he maybe wasn't always there emotionally or mentally in the relationship and maybe lacked the communication she wanted but that doesn't stop him from picking apart someone who is using her.
"My stereo has blown away
So for now your voice can stay…
But once they all circle me….
… I will rip apart this machine…"
He wants to hear her voice but it drives her crazy bc it doesn't bring her back, the voices can make him destructive, emotionally or physically.
"I am a prince
With paper parts
Made of spit and paper dolls
A killer’s karma has been bound
Uneven seams
a broken bow…"
He knows he's not the role model boyfriend and is maybe being self deprecating. The karma (referencing a ship porting/taking off) is either his karma (her leaving) or her karma that is coming depending on his state of mind when he wrote this.
"She’s got this problem with people flying
One way tickets and a fear of crying
But these are the things she can take apart
These are the things I will take…."
She has a hard time with goodbyes and perhaps and can't take that emotional release with him face to face but she can do it if she really wants, his hope being that she can face him and come back.
"I cut her up and sent all the parts and
They hung them on all the corners and bars"
He's clearly a serial killer and she should run.
OR he cuts up her memories into pieces and tries to forget them...maybe on the corners and at the bars he tries to forget.
Anyway, could be 100% wrong but that's the beauty of art and song writing. It doesn't have to mean exactly what Nick was thinking. What makes the song powerful is how you interpret it
I've been listening to this song so long and playing it, beautiful song by Nick....so I guess after all these years, I should share my input...
My interpretation of course..
First verses are, I concur, about taking apart the new guy's true self for what he really is, someone who is not true to her like he was.
"I know I move like an apparition in a style that’s all ghostwritten"
My interpretation here is that he maybe wasn't always there emotionally or mentally in the relationship and maybe lacked the communication she wanted but that doesn't stop him from picking apart someone who is using her.
"My stereo has blown away So for now your voice can stay… But once they all circle me…. … I will rip apart this machine…"
He wants to hear her voice but it drives her crazy bc it doesn't bring her back, the voices can make him destructive, emotionally or physically.
"I am a prince With paper parts Made of spit and paper dolls A killer’s karma has been bound Uneven seams a broken bow…"
He knows he's not the role model boyfriend and is maybe being self deprecating. The karma (referencing a ship porting/taking off) is either his karma (her leaving) or her karma that is coming depending on his state of mind when he wrote this.
"She’s got this problem with people flying One way tickets and a fear of crying But these are the things she can take apart These are the things I will take…."
She has a hard time with goodbyes and perhaps and can't take that emotional release with him face to face but she can do it if she really wants, his hope being that she can face him and come back.
"I cut her up and sent all the parts and They hung them on all the corners and bars"
He's clearly a serial killer and she should run.
OR he cuts up her memories into pieces and tries to forget them...maybe on the corners and at the bars he tries to forget.
Anyway, could be 100% wrong but that's the beauty of art and song writing. It doesn't have to mean exactly what Nick was thinking. What makes the song powerful is how you interpret it