Drink up, baby, stay up all night
With the things you could do, you won't but you might
The potential you'll be that you'll never see
The promises you'll only make
Drink up with me now and forget all about
The pressure of days, do what I say
And I'll make you okay and drive them away
The images stuck in your head
People you've been before
That you don't want around anymore
They push and shove and won't bend to your will
I'll keep them still
Drink up, baby, look at the stars
I'll kiss you again, between the bars
Where I'm seeing you there, with your hands in the air
Waiting to finally be caught
Drink up one more time and I'll make you mine
Keep you apart, deep in my heart
Separate from the rest, where I like you the best
And keep the things you forgot
The people you've been before
That you don't want around anymore
They push and shove and won't bend to your will
I'll keep them still
With the things you could do, you won't but you might
The potential you'll be that you'll never see
The promises you'll only make
Drink up with me now and forget all about
The pressure of days, do what I say
And I'll make you okay and drive them away
The images stuck in your head
People you've been before
That you don't want around anymore
They push and shove and won't bend to your will
I'll keep them still
Drink up, baby, look at the stars
I'll kiss you again, between the bars
Where I'm seeing you there, with your hands in the air
Waiting to finally be caught
Drink up one more time and I'll make you mine
Keep you apart, deep in my heart
Separate from the rest, where I like you the best
And keep the things you forgot
The people you've been before
That you don't want around anymore
They push and shove and won't bend to your will
I'll keep them still
Lyrics submitted by EnjOy IncUbus
Between the Bars Lyrics as written by Steven Paul Smith
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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A few people have hypothesised that the song is a dialogue with a previous lover struggling with alcoholism, (which I also find really compelling) and personally, I see the first signal of that in the first line, where Elliott uses the word 'baby'. Now, that's a totally normal thing to call a lover, but in the context of the interpretation above, I think it's adding quite a subtle layer of emotion.
For me, it brings to mind the image of a baby pining for a bottle of milk, a metaphor which I think works beautifully with the song's themes of vulnerability and dependency. Most would agree that a baby is a bit of a symbol of innocence, so it makes sense if the singer is speaking to a former version of himself, as yet untainted by drugs and alcoholism.
Tragically, in the present day, the only way he can find his way back to that state of wide-eyed adolescence is via the comfort and warmth of the bottle.
Reading that back, it seems pretty tenuous to base so much analysis on one word and I'm sure I'm just going off on a bit of a ramble. Even still, I love the way it links in with the rest of the song as a little detail and hope you do too.
There's a literary theory that I believe applies to music... once the song is out, it's meaning no longer belongs to the author but to the reader (listener in this case) . The song is now yours to interpret based on your life & experiences. Great interpretation in my humble opinion
THIS IS A SONG ABOUT ALCOHOLISM. The NARRATOR IS ALCOHOL ADDICTION (or any addiction, really) personified as an warm and comforting intimate partner (aka girlfriend), who also happens to be emotionally manipulative, abusive, and possibly even a sociopath. If you're still having a hard time seeing it, allow me to walk you through...
First verse: "Drink up baby, stay up all night..."
She's seducing him by exploiting his insecurities (the "potential...he'll never see"). She says it with a smile and gentle touch (calls him "baby"), knowing he has left her before and the only way she'll win him back is by breaking his spirit first ("the promises you'll only make"... to himself, to stay away from this toxic relationship).
Second verse: "Drink up with me now..."
She's offering him company while he's lonely and vulnerable. She's basically saying wouldn't it be nice to "forget all...pressure" and to "drive away" those ugly "images stuck in your head"?? Of course it would be nice, let me "make you okay". ...but you gotta "do what I say", cause I'm a controlling bitch. haha.
Chorus: "The people you've been before..."
"the people you've been before" is referring to all the mistakes and bad decisions he has made throughout his life. (his memory of the dumb teenager that sipped booze for the first time, the jerk who broke a former gf's heart with his selfish drinking, etc). He doesn't want them "around anymore", cause he's a good person and the memory torments his conscious ("push and shove and won't bend"). But as painful as they are, that is how you become a better person...by learning from your mistakes. This bitch knows better, but she offers him a shortcut, an easy way out, by offering to "keep them still"
Third verse: "Drink up baby, look at the stars..."
Isn't it nice to just forget about your problems, and just stare "at the stars"? Now Elliott brilliantly throws in a metaphor on a metaphor... alcoholism as a manipulative yet seductive ex-gf is also like a cop. Elliott is a fugitive on the run... he's escaped her grasp before but being a fugitive takes its toll. She (the cop) knows he's tired of running, and soon will be "waiting to finally be caught" with his "hands in the air". When a fugitive is caught, they go back to jail. But she is saying its okay, jail won't be so bad because "I'll kiss you again between the bars", (even though she's the one who keeps him locked up). Alcoholism is jail but at least your girl will still come and visit so it's not so bad, right?...brilliant.
Fourth verse: "Drink up one more time and I'll make you mine..."
He's drinking again, she kept her promise to "make you mine." She is jealous and possessive, "keeping him apart" from family and friends, "separate from the rest". She really does love him "deep in my heart", but for her love is all about control and dominance. She insists upon being in control of every aspect of his life. Now that she has won him back, the last thing she wants is for him to remember all the reasons why he originally left. That is why she'll "keep the things you forgot"... those things are the "people you've been before" (from the chorus). The only way we improve as humans is by remembering our mistakes. She knows that if she keeps those "things" from him, he will be her pawn forever.
I have loved many addicts.
I would ALWAYS help a friend through
their troubles if they asked me to.
But, sometimes they want to pull away
and go through things by themselves.
I hope it helps for them to know that they
have people around who care about them
and who would be willing to do almost
anything for them.
Drink up with me now and forget all about
The pressure of days, do what I say
And I'll make you okay and drive them away
The images stuck in your head
Those lines only make sense if the 'two people' are him and alcohol.
If that makes any sense.
why not this is just as great
Man, I am honestly, very surprised to find that people actually listen to such level of music and actual attempt to interpret this low-level charade. Not quite fond of this particular type of music, I find it rather repititive and it also gives the music industry the vibe as a means to increase capital.
umm, am i the only one on here to notice what a rediculous statement this is? Why are you posting on an elliott song if you think its a low level charade?? why would you bother to look up his song, so you can tell us that it surprises you that people actually listen to such a level of music in an attempt to insult us as well as the work of a brilliant artist. Any time elliott used repitition it was very necessary and only added to the song, but a lot of his songs where just poety, no repetitve choruses like most music. Not to mention increasing capitol? Umm, he was not an artist that made a lot of money if thats what youre getting at. Fool.