To Be the One
Chasing Shadows of Heartbreak: Ryan Adams' Melodic Reflections
Lyrics
Well the pills I got they ask me lets go out for a while
The pills I have are inviting me to go out for some time.
And the knives up in the kitchen are all too dull to smile
The knives in the kitchen aren't sharp enough to express joy.
Yeah and the sun it tries to warn me
The sun seems to give a warning.
Boy those wings are made of wax
It's like warning that ambitions might fail (wings of wax reference).
While the things I do to kill me
The self-destructive actions I take don't discourage me.
They just tell me to relax
They advise me to relax despite being harmful.
But oh Cinderella
Calling out to someone like Cinderella, possibly addressing a figure longing for escape or transformation.
All dressed up in all your boots and all your charms
Referring to Cinderella's appearance, acknowledging external beauty.
I'm not the fellow
Admitting an inability to protect or shield Cinderella from harm.
To protect you or to keep you from all your harm
Uncertain which is worse: facing reality ('wake up and see the sun') or being absent.
And I don't know which is worse
The internal struggle between two difficult situations.
To wake up and see the sun
Questioning whether waking up to reality is harder.
Or to be the one be the one
Or being absent and missed ('be the one that's gone').
Be the one that's gone
Being the one who has departed.
And the empty bottle it misses you
An empty bottle represents longing or loss.
Yeah and I'm the one that its talking to
Feeling like talking to the empty bottle, perhaps seeking solace or understanding.
And with you and I just barely strangers
Despite closeness once shared, now feeling like strangers.
I'm pretty much just left the fool
Feeling foolish or regretful about the situation.
Damn don't the streets look empty though
Observing how desolate the streets seem without a certain person.
Just wandering round here without you
Wandering aimlessly without the mentioned person.
Oh the empty bottle it misses you and I'm the one its talking to
Reiteration of missing someone through the symbolism of the empty bottle.
And I don't know which is worse
Reiterating the uncertainty about what's harder: facing reality or absence.
To wake up and see the sun
Similar to line 10, pondering the difficulty of facing the truth.
Or to be the one be the one that's gone
Continuation of contemplating the challenge of being absent or missed.
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