Don't just stare like you never cared
As I wrote in lawgrrl_23's journal, "Selfless, Cold and Composed" is one of my favorite songs of all time. I think it hurts me because I feel like I'm the person he's singing to. I could be that girl.
I said what you wanted to hear
And what I wanted to say
So I will take it back
Are all the dishes in tact
Let them be broken
It's easy to be
Easy and free
When it doesn't mean anything
You remain
Selfless, cold and composed
You've done me no
Favor to call and be nice
Telling me I
Can take anything I like
Your don't owe me to be so polite
You've done no wrong
You've done no wrong
Get out of my sight
It's easy to be
Easy and free
When it doesn't mean anything
To remain
Selfless, cold and composed
Come on baby
Now throw me a right to the chin
Don't just stare like you never cared
I know you did
You just smiled
Like a bank teller
Telling me blankly, have a nice life
Come on baby
Throw me a right to the chin
Just one sign
That could show me that you give a shit
But you just smile politely
And I grow weaker and I ...
Said what you wanted to hear
And what I wanted to say
So I will take it back
It's easy to be
Easy and free
When it doesn't mean anything
When it doesn't mean anything
You can take anything
So selfless, cold and composed
I've always suspected myself of being too aloof, too cold. I turned away potential partners because I was convinced I didn't feel as deeply as other people. I actually believed I was incapable of deeper emotion. I think I'm mostly over that now, since one of them was persistent enough to convince me I was wrong. But this song still evokes that fear in me; that the worst thing I can do is not care but it might come too easily for me.
But damn, I love that song. Many of my favorite songs have that element of masochism in them, that quality that makes me think of sitting in my room when I was 17 and hated my life. Why do I like that? When I was fourteen I'd read the "Counterpoint" section of Susan Kay's Phantom, the Christine/Erik part (yes, I know everyone else hates that part), over and over because it hurt so bad. And you know what? It's that quality of feeling "too much" that I craved; the proof was right there in those pages that I wasn't an automaton. I had feelings. They just weren't excited by anything in my real life. There's still an element of truth to that. I'm frequently much more moved by my imagination than the world; but I'm no longer completely separate from it. And now I have real people (including animals) to love instead of just the ones on paper. (Family, you know, doesn't light that spark no matter how great they are.)
But I still love that reminder that I can be hurt.
PS--The song "Driftwood--A Fairy Tale" by Cursive falls in the above category. I have antidote songs, too, like "Down on the Upside" by Ocean Colour Scene. Or something by Supergrass. Catchy British pop is my happy place.
I said what you wanted to hear
And what I wanted to say
So I will take it back
Are all the dishes in tact
Let them be broken
It's easy to be
Easy and free
When it doesn't mean anything
You remain
Selfless, cold and composed
You've done me no
Favor to call and be nice
Telling me I
Can take anything I like
Your don't owe me to be so polite
You've done no wrong
You've done no wrong
Get out of my sight
It's easy to be
Easy and free
When it doesn't mean anything
To remain
Selfless, cold and composed
Come on baby
Now throw me a right to the chin
Don't just stare like you never cared
I know you did
You just smiled
Like a bank teller
Telling me blankly, have a nice life
Come on baby
Throw me a right to the chin
Just one sign
That could show me that you give a shit
But you just smile politely
And I grow weaker and I ...
Said what you wanted to hear
And what I wanted to say
So I will take it back
It's easy to be
Easy and free
When it doesn't mean anything
When it doesn't mean anything
You can take anything
So selfless, cold and composed
I've always suspected myself of being too aloof, too cold. I turned away potential partners because I was convinced I didn't feel as deeply as other people. I actually believed I was incapable of deeper emotion. I think I'm mostly over that now, since one of them was persistent enough to convince me I was wrong. But this song still evokes that fear in me; that the worst thing I can do is not care but it might come too easily for me.
But damn, I love that song. Many of my favorite songs have that element of masochism in them, that quality that makes me think of sitting in my room when I was 17 and hated my life. Why do I like that? When I was fourteen I'd read the "Counterpoint" section of Susan Kay's Phantom, the Christine/Erik part (yes, I know everyone else hates that part), over and over because it hurt so bad. And you know what? It's that quality of feeling "too much" that I craved; the proof was right there in those pages that I wasn't an automaton. I had feelings. They just weren't excited by anything in my real life. There's still an element of truth to that. I'm frequently much more moved by my imagination than the world; but I'm no longer completely separate from it. And now I have real people (including animals) to love instead of just the ones on paper. (Family, you know, doesn't light that spark no matter how great they are.)
But I still love that reminder that I can be hurt.
PS--The song "Driftwood--A Fairy Tale" by Cursive falls in the above category. I have antidote songs, too, like "Down on the Upside" by Ocean Colour Scene. Or something by Supergrass. Catchy British pop is my happy place.