Old Habits
Breaking the Chains of Love: Unraveling John Hiatt's 'Old Habits'
Lyrics
When the snake of love
When the captivating force of love begins to entangle you
Starts pulling you under
Dragging you into its depths
And it won't let go
Refusing to release its grip
'til it starts to thunder
Until it intensifies like a storm
And there's not a cloud in the sky
Even when the sky is clear
Gonna make him shake
It will still make you tremble
I guess old habits are hard to break
Indicating that ingrained behaviors are challenging to overcome
Cause even the good ones
Because even positive habits can turn negative
Just seem to go bad
Even the most wonderful love can sour
Might be the sweetest love
Describing a potentially sweet love experience
That you ever had
That becomes difficult to relinquish
You just can't let em go
Emphasizing the challenge of letting go
For goodness sake
Expressing the difficulty in breaking old patterns
I guess old habits are hard to break
Reiterating that ingrained habits are hard to overcome
The trouble with sainthood, darlin'
Highlighting the difficulties associated with saintly behavior
You know it's tough comin down
Acknowledging the challenges of returning to reality
But you've been doin it, doin it, doin it, doin it, doin it
Describing a continuous struggle since leaving one's hometown
Since you left your hometown
Referencing a metaphorical burning at the stake
A regular joan of arc
Comparing to the historical figure Joan of Arc
Burnin at the stake
Symbolizing the persistence of old habits
I guess old habits are hard to break
Maybe the first time he kissed you
Recalling a powerful and memorable first kiss
The fireworks flew in the back of your mind
Expressing the desire for that initial euphoria
And you been lookin just to
Seeking to recapture the same level of satisfaction
Feel this good ever since
Noting a gradual decline in kindness over time
But now every time he makes love to ya
Every act of lovemaking becomes less gentle
He's just a little bit more unkind
Leading to a defensive mindset in relationships
Until it feels like every move you make is in self defense
That ain't the facts of life
Challenging the perception of life's realities
Its just bad fiction
Labeling it as untrue storytelling
Honey that sure ain't love
Clarifying that such behavior is not love
You know it's just an addiction
Recognizing it as an addictive pattern
Now how much more abuse are you gonna take
Questioning the endurance of enduring mistreatment
I guess old habits are hard to break
Reaffirming the difficulty in breaking old habits
Could be your father
Identifying potential sources of these habits
Could be your mother
Suggesting familial influences
Might be your sister
Expanding the scope to various relationships
Or maybe even your brother
Highlighting the possibility of self-destructive patterns
Or is it your own self baby
Questioning personal responsibility
You've been tryin to shake
Attempting to rid oneself of ingrained behaviors
Well I guess old habits are hard to break
Reiterating the persistent challenge of breaking old habits
I guess old habits are hard to break
I guess old habits are hard to break
-I guess old habits are hard to break
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