Lyrics
I've been wearin' my fingers down to the bone,
I have been working very hard, putting in a lot of effort.
Just pushin' your number on the telephone.
I have been persistently calling you on the phone.
I chewed up the rug, knocked a hole in the wall,
I am anxious and frustrated, as indicated by destructive actions like chewing up the rug and knocking a hole in the wall.
But your line was busy everytime I call.
Your phone line is always busy when I try to call.
Remember the shots that we took last night?
Recalling shared experiences, possibly intimate moments or photos taken the night before.
Polaroid Woman sure treat me right.
A reference to a woman captured in a Polaroid photo who treated the speaker well.
But right now I'm down on my knees,
The speaker is in a vulnerable position, possibly emotionally or metaphorically.
I need your nervous release,
The speaker seeks a release from nervous tension.
Your nervous release.
Reiterating the need for a release from tension.
I had a long hard day and now my nerves are on edge,
After a difficult day, the speaker is highly stressed and on edge.
Like I just stepped back from a window ledge.
A simile describing the speaker's heightened nervous state, like stepping back from a window ledge.
I smoked too many straights, too much caffeine,
The speaker has consumed too many cigarettes and caffeine.
Feel like I'm burnin' bad gasoline.
Feeling internally distressed, likened to burning bad gasoline.
IBM Woman, now I've got a hunch,
Referring to a woman associated with IBM, suggesting a professional or tech-related connection.
You're too wound up from operating that punch
Suspecting that the woman is stressed from operating a punch or a machine.
I'll hang up the phone, grab the keys,
The speaker decides to disconnect from the situation and take action.
I need your nervous release, ah yeah.
Reiterating the need for a release from nervous tension.
I woke up at noon, I should've stayed in bed.
The speaker had a troubled morning, regretting not staying in bed.
I checked my level, it was in the red.
The speaker's stress is at a critical level, represented by a red indicator.
I swear I heard voices, there was no one around,
The speaker experiences a hallucination or hears imaginary voices.
An ice-cold shower couldn't cool me down.
An attempt to cool down with a shower fails.
I used to brag about my nerves of steel,
The speaker used to boast about being emotionally strong.
Heavy Metal Woman just can't be real!
A woman associated with heavy metal is seen as unreal or unattainable.
Cool me down by degrees,
Seeking relief and calming down gradually.
I need your nervous release.
Reiterating the need for a release from nervous tension.
N-n..n- n- ...
I'm as nervous as a man could be,
The speaker expresses extreme nervousness and emotional turmoil.
Full of guilt and insecurity.
Feeling guilty and insecure, possibly due to personal or professional reasons.
Too much work, man it's killing me!,
Excessive work is causing great distress.
Like a mad dog howling through the trees,
A metaphor describing the overwhelming feeling, akin to a howling mad dog.
I need your nervous release, your nervous release.
Reiterating the need for a release from nervous tension.
N-n..n-n..n-n..n-nervous release.
N-n, n-n, n-n, n-nervous release.
-Oh baby, oh baby
An exclamation expressing intensity and urgency.
Alright!
A declaration, possibly of satisfaction or relief.
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