If You See the One
Love's Dangerous Twist in Lower Manhattan
Lyrics
As I walked out in lower Manhattan
Setting the scene in lower Manhattan where the narrator is walking.
A girl I chanced to pass by
The narrator notices a girl while walking.
Something about her caught my attention
Something about the girl grabs the narrator's attention.
Something hard to identify
The quality that caught the narrator's attention is hard to identify.
She carried a suitcase through the streets of the city
The girl is carrying a suitcase through the city streets.
And shivered with cold in the thin coat she wore
The girl is cold and shivering in a thin coat.
She said, "Look at my face - it used to be pretty
The girl reflects on her lost beauty, indicating a difficult life.
Now I'm old and I'm twenty-four."
The girl reveals her age (24) and expresses a sense of premature aging.
If you see the one who put the tears in my eyes
The narrator addresses someone who caused them emotional pain.
He's got a gold-tipped cane and a rose tattoo
Description of the person who caused the pain, having distinctive features.
Tell him I love him - Tell him goodbye
The narrator sends conflicting messages of love and goodbye.
I would stay, but I'd be crazy to
The narrator acknowledges the difficulty but chooses to leave for sanity.
At first it was romance just like in a movie
Initially, the relationship had a romantic and idealized start.
Romeo and Juliet when we began
A reference to the classic love story of Romeo and Juliet.
But then it got dark and then it got ugly
The relationship turns dark and ugly, indicating a troubled dynamic.
He showed me affection with the back of his hand
Physical abuse is hinted at with affection shown through violence.
He liked to mix his powders and potions
The person in question is involved in illicit activities, buying substances.
Bought in the alleys away from the light
The activities take place in hidden alleys away from public view.
He'd say, "I'll fix you up - name your poison"
The person offers substances with a nonchalant attitude, suggesting danger.
I watched him age ten years overnight
The narrator observes a rapid deterioration in the person's appearance.
Blowing smoke rings that gave him a halo
Symbolic imagery of the person having a tainted, halo-like presence.
He'd talk about his criminal mind
The person talks about their criminal activities, revealing a troubled past.
He'd say, "Well, I guess it's just your fate to go
The person fatalistically accepts the narrator's fate of falling for danger.
Falling in love with the dangerous kind."
The narrator reflects on the inevitability of falling in love with a dangerous person.
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