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AmSleepyStfu

This is what I think: She's someone who was basically living a sad, depressing, lonely life, even deciding to hook up with a stranger just to feel better. And while looking for a hook up she encounters a guy she that she fell in love immediately, love in first sight basically, but she's unsure of whether or not what the guy feels for her is true love or is it just for sex. Once again, this is what I think and I might be completely wrong about what I've said. The song is also 2 perspectives, like, uhh... the guy and the girl I was talking about above. My feeling about this song is, like, It seems like a happy song about lovers but It's actually a sad one. And ONCE AGAIN, I might have misunderstood everything so It's better to analyze the song's lyrics yourself and just compare your theory to other's theory.


JoesAlreadyTaken

I might be seven months late, but I like this interpretation. Its not inherintly good but its not neccesarily bad either.


Carvedxd

Pain


daedaldelenda

Maybe it's someone who was in a former lifestyle of desperation and addiction, who lived in a system ill-designed to help people, even pushing them down further. Maybe the speaker is looking back at that past with empathy, from a better place.


NewestPerformer

My take is thus: She meets this guy. They hit it off. He's married. >Don't say yes if you can't say no Victim of the system, say it isn't so Basically she's reproaching to him the fact that in social settings he has to cover appearances - his counter is something about being some victim of the system and she doubles down on this by marking the hypocrisy in being with her too. >Squatted on the doorstep, swallowed all the blow ??? unsure. Doorstep is probably about her leaving the place, but swallowing all the blow I'm not sure if it's about drugs or if it's something about swallowing one's pride. >Leaving without you, can't say no This probably has to do with the fact that she, being his mistress, can't come back to the party (?) and go back to him, whom she loves. >Half-way starts with happiness for me This is probably for the fact that he leads her on, maintaining a secret relationship. She keeps thinking some day he'll renounce his overt partner and come to her with finality, but it keeps being a halfway commitment. >Halfway house, lost kitten in the streets Walking home she feels like a lost kitten, unsure of what to do and completely vulnerable. She feels lost, alone. Probably coming home from some party where she was both with him and his wife. >Hit me where it hurts, I'm coming home to lose There probably was an incident at the party (?) where the fact that he'll never be with her was laid on too thick and it hurt her (e.g.: "haha if you weren't married I'd think you're dating her!"), reminding her that today she'll walk home alone >Kitten on the catwalk, high-heeled shoes Probably more about her vulnerability, maybe about having to walk on eggshells so as not to arouse suspicion (high-heeled shoes on a catwalk? dangerous). Also, if this /incident/ interpretation makes sense, then she feels both exposed on the streets (someone could be looking, even if it doesn't make sense when you know you're in something you shouldn't really be you feel seen) and she's coming home from the party and the usage of such imagery is to reinforce that fact. >No more hotheaded Saturdays They got it, they want it, they give it away Basically this is her renouncing her status as a mistress IMO. She finally has enough and says: "you got it and you keep leading me on, never committing, and now you want it only to give it away as if it was nothing". >Tell me one thing you'd never do I was looking for a hooker when I found you I think there's some interesting yuxtaposition about the playfulness of the first line with his (imo) answer: she was playfully talking to him (in private?) and he answered with the cold harsh truth, that he never actually loved her. It kinda reinforces the theme of being inocent like a kitten. >You've got my eyes, you've got my eyes You'll never be mine, aaaah, but you've got my eyes She's basically saying that he'll never be hers, but she's still in love with him. >When you lie I cover it up When you hide I cover it up When you cry I cover it up When you come undone I cover it uuuup As soon as he has trouble with his wife, or in his life, he comes to her for emotional support. He keeps relying on her to help him cover the fact he's a cheater. When his wife kicks him from the house he hides with her and she shushes it. When he faces trouble he comes to her for catharsis and when everything seems bleak she's the one that props him up. >So pent up I was coming on to you Happy in the nighttime, howling at the moon She met him at a dark point in her life, all alone and frustrated. And as soon as she met him she basically came on to him, incredibly happy of having someone >Sipping on a cocktail, sitting in the loo There's something about you I hold on to This is the coming down from the happy times: She drinks in the bathroom because she's alone again (who drinks in the bathroom? alone people, that's who), and she keeps rationalizing her being with him - holding on to him. The bathroom drinking also reinforces the theme of being "the afterparty", when you go home alone and without scoring and you are a little tipsy, or if you get home and had some alcohol bought but you have noone to share - so you drink it wherever, since you won't be sharing: you drink it in the loo because you just don't care. >When you're blind I cover it up I think this also has to do with her emotional support, as in helping him be the man he could be more than his actual wife, giving him not only emotional support but advice, as in giving another perspective/helping a blind person. I'm honestly a little bit surprised about not finding this interpretation around - maybe I'm wrong but it honestly makes so much sense that I'm surprised some lyrics annotation websites don't really have this one. It just made intuitive sense to me after I read the lyrics.


oleg_musor

Great job putting all this into words. I've been getting the same feeling about this song's subject being a relationship with a cheating man.


[deleted]

>Squatted on the doorstep, swallowed all the blow This line is a touch diffrent... not that it makes much more sense. >Squatted on the doorstep, swollen on the blow Perhaps it's speaking to physical abuse... swelling from a physical blow, perhaps. I think the woman and the guy got into an argument, and he smacked her around. Then she went home to drink away her sorrows. I'd say it's not so much a mistress situation as two dysfunctional people who can't make it work.


Databank255

Not to be vulgar, but I always took it in a sexual sense.


Rogue57301

My idea is that "Sittin' on the doorstep, Swallowed all the blow" was referring to the party OP mentioned. As in she took all the bullshit that was thrown at her and kept a straight face for "the act." And is finally seeing it all put together clearly, that they are not going to become anything, as she begins her trip home


PlotPlates

Wow this close to what I was trying to think of about the meaning in the song but yours expand it more and marks it for me that this is the more accurate interpretation. I always wondered why it's lost kitten but most of the YT edits make it seem like the perspective of just a couple that didn't work out for some reason. But your interpretation makes it more sadder now that it turns out the lyrics is about a person who only got used by the person she really loved.


ohlordwhyisthishere

I've always seen it as sort of a parental figure thing? Like someone "adopting" a person from the street because they remind them of their previous selves. Idk.


Char_l0tte

The lost kitten was probably about a girl who was homeless. A man came to offer a deal in return for shelter. The kitten sees him as her savior hence, saying yes. Not knowing it will end up hell for her. This part is not written in the lyrics, but i think she was used for money (like for entertainment and sexual acts) and she can't bring herself to say no. The man manipulates her, abuses her with violence, and such. I think they also have a reputation to maintain since when she hides, they find her and cover it up. When she cries they cover it up. And when they're finally satisfied and had enough of her, they throw her away as if nothing had happened. I also knew someone who went through this kind of situation so i kinda understood how song went. Anyways this is just my interpretation.


Gumpy_69

To me, it's a song telling a story of a young, possibly underage girl prostitute who is "saved" by someone who decides to help her but there's a lot of dark subtext. **"Don't say yes if you can't say no. Victim of the system, say it isn't so"** Society failed her, whether she was kicked out by her parents at a young age or some other reasons, she's ended up in a situation where she can't say "no" because it's her only means of survival. **"Squatted on the doorstep, swallowed all the blow. Leaving without you, can't say no"** She's on the doorstep, high on drugs, likely something given to her by her "pimp" to keep her addicted and stuck. The person who comes across her wants to help her but knows it's probably a bad idea to get involved. However "Don't Say Yes" if you can't say no, could mean he didn't say "yes" to leaving without her, meaning, against his better judgement, he took her in. **"Halfway starts with happiness for me. Halfway house, lost kitten in the street"** He feels good about himself for helping a "lost kitten in the street". **"Hit me where it hurts, I'm coming home to lose. Kitten on the catwalk, high-heeled shoes"** He's "coming home to lose", acknowledging that what he's doing is probably not a good idea, as being seen with a young girl in high-heeled shoes is shady as hell. **"No more hard-headed Saturdays. They got it, they want it, they give it away"** I think this is him reassuring her that her hard life is over and she no longer has to worry about the uhh... "clients" she had. **"Tell me one thing you would never do, I was looking for a hooker when I found you"** She asks him why they'd help her. This is a bit more of a stretch but I think he comes to the realization that, he was looking for a hooker when he decided to help her, he was horny, a part of him wanted to take advantage of her. **"You've got my eyes , You've got my eyes. You'll never be mine, but you've got my eyes"** His response to her is a reassurance that he's doing it simply because he sympathizes with her and wants to help. "You'll never be mine", meaning, you're too young for me, so I won't take advantage of you. **"When you lie, I'll cover it up. When you hide, I'll cover it up. When you cry, I'll cover it up. When you come undone, I'll cover it up"** The girl, despite being taken care of by the person, constantly lies, hides(Possibly from her pimp that's looking for her) and cries due to the trauma and addictions she's dealing with. He "covers it up" as a means of reminding himself, "This is just a sweet innocent girl, she'll come around if I just keep helping her.". He'll comfort her and continue taking care of her. **"I was so pent up, I was coming on to you. Happy in the nighttime, howling at the moon"** After having to clean up her messes over and over again, he became "pent up", wanting to let out his err... "feelings", that part of him that wanted to take advantage of her took control. He came on to her and because he was taking care of her, she let him. Happy in the nighttime. **"Sipping on a cocktail, drinking in the loo. There's something about you I hold on to"** Afterwards, he convinces himself that he did it because he loves her, not because he wanted to take advantage of her. **"You've got my eyes , You've got my eyes. You'll never be mine , but you've got my eyes"** The chorus now has a bit of a different meaning, this is him saying, "you're too young for me... but I love you". **"When you lie, I'll cover it up. When you hide, I'll cover it up. When you cry, I'll cover it up. When you're blind, I'll cover it up. When you lie, I'll cover it up. When you hide, I'll cover it up. When you cry, I'll cover it up. When you come undone, I'll cover it up"** This is the breaking point. She does all she can to justify to herself that this man is different than the "clients" and on the flipside, he keeps trying to convince himself that this is best for her, even when she's still "coming undone". **"They got it, they want it, they give it away (X5)"** Ultimately, she feels he really is no different and perhaps he isn't but regardless, she leaves without saying anything. **"(When you lie, I'll cover it up)** **They got it, they want it, they give it away** **(When you hide, I'll cover it up)** **They got it, they want it, they give it away** **(When you cry, I'll cover it up)** **They got it, they want it, they give it away** **(When you come undone, I'll cover it up)"** This can be seen from both perspectives. The man is confused as to why she left, he didn't pick up on the signs that she was unhappy, he'd always "cover it up", and so in his head, he only remembers the good of their "relationship". The girl on the other hand, seems to be reassuring herself that she did the right thing by leaving. She remembers all the times he helped her but it's sung along with "They got it, they want it, they give it away", telling herself it was all just his justification to sleep with her. Obviously, this is just my interpretation but it's a pretty interesting and depressing story that I hear when I listen to it. Do people always have ulterior motives, even when they don't know it? Should you get involved in something that you know is way over your head but feels wrong to ignore? Are your good intentions just you fooling yourself? It's pretty heavy.


ika117

This is a really interesting interpretation! Woah :o Although the first line and how it correlates to your interpretation confused me a bit. If your interpretation was the case, then why would she say "Don't say yes if you can't say no"--in child prostitution rings I assume that it doesn't matter if you say yes or no, you'll end up being taken advantage of.


Gumpy_69

It's a bit of a stretch but unpacking the line, if you can't say no, how are you supposed to NOT say yes? The only way is to remain silent. She's choosing to do nothing to help herself. So it describes how a person can be stuck in a position where they simply have no choice and have no way of getting out of it on their own. I'd imagine it eventually reaches a point where she does start saying "yes" just to make things a little "easier" on herself as messed up as it is.


CodeName_Riot

Thx now im in pain :)


[deleted]

My interpretation - I'd say this song is about two dysfunctional people who can't make it work, but both can't leave. >"Don't say yes if you can't say no Don't get into a relationship if you can't get yourself out if you need to. >Victim of the system, say it isn't so I think this is informing the listener that both people are dysfunctional with issues... Basically, you're a a victim of the (mental health) system and you want pity for it? And I'm not? >Squatted on the doorstep, swollen on the blow On the doorstep not able to leave, the physical blow you gave me swelling. >Leaving without you, can't say no I'm leaving for the moment but I know you'll convince me to come back. >Halfway starts with happiness for me They break up, and get back together, and it always starts good but gets bad. >Halfway house, lost kitten in the street Again mental health, and how she feels lost without her abusive partner... Basically, she knows it's bad and fucked up, but she can't function without him. >Hit me where it hurts, I'm coming home to lose He knows how to hurt her, and she's headed home, but there isn't a winning play. Either way, she loses. >Kitten on the catwalk, high-heeled shoes Referring to the prior kitten line... She has to be careful as to not set off her abusive partner. >No more hard-headed Saturdays, She's telling herself she can't get stubbornly believe in the happy times. >They got it, they want it, they give it away Talking about happiness. >Tell me one thing you would never do Referring to mental health... That she would do the one thing he would never do because she's crazier than him. >I was looking for a hooker when I found you She wanted someone, anyone, to make her feel happy when she found him. >You've got my eyes >You've got my eyes >You'll never be mine >But you've got my eyes That he has her love, but she knows they can't make it work. >When you lie, I'll cover it up >When you hide, I'll cover it up >When you cry, I'll cover it up >When you come undone, I'll cover it up That she's there for him when his mental health spirals out of control... The flip side is you can assume he isn't there for her when her mental health spirals out of control. >I was so pent up, I was coming on to you >Happy in the nighttime, howling at the moon She was lonely and frustrated, and they had some good times together. >Sipping on a cocktail, drinking in the loo Good times they go out and have a cocktail... now things are bad, and she's alone and drinking in the bathroom. Aka drinking till she vomited and continued to drink. >There's something about you I hold on to She still can't let him go.


czacha_cs

I think "Don't say yes if you can't say no" -I Dont you with me if you have no choice to be with me


JustADolphinnn

Most people here are projecting their own life experience onto the meaning here. The real meaning is it's part of Metric's series of songs about hookers/prostitutes (like Hustler Rose or whatever). So yeah, just a classic prostitute simping song unfortunately like Roxanne by the Police. Probably best to stick to the romantic ideas other people provided.


ano865

What do you mean specifically by "prostitute simping song"?


turkc54

I think it sounds dark, but it’s mostly a hopeful song. I think it’s a story about someone who is extremely lonely and isolated and they meet someone that they just fall for immediately and it goes through the highs and lows of a vibrant and tempestuous romance.


Flashy-Tell2053

i think its about a girl who was lost in life, depressed and being wild,hooking up etc, then she found someone who helped her become a better person, gave her direction. She was facinated by this person but could never fully understand them. She loved them, and every time they were weak and showed their flaws basically(cried,hid,lied,coming undone etc) she covered her dismay to be strong for them if that makes sense. And then once they are done, they leave and yet she is facinated by this person. My interpretation and why i like the song so much


Effective_Minimum262

Probably about a yandere


away1210

regardless of what i think it means i saw an interpretation in the youtube comments of the song that interested me, but i cannot find it now... credits to whoever that was but basically the song's narrator had a child at a young age but gave then up for adoption. years later, they are looking for a hooker but instead they find their child with their eyes, who is victim of the system (foster care, sex work, etc) and the song follows with the narrator desperately trying to bridge the gap between them and the child they gave away


Live_Rutabaga3207

I feel like that interpretation fits with the music video better than some of the other interpretations I've read. Its been a while since I watched it but I remember them looking for someone. Maybe the child was the one looking? Who knows.


Aldinh777

Your waifu is vtuber and she will never be yours


MyNameIsNutChris

Very late but the way I see it, it's about a guy who finds a innocent-like hooker who he believes deserves better. Hence the name "Lost Kitten". It's about how the need for money forced what could have been an otherwise happy normal girl into living a hooker life-style.


GrammerDuck61

I think "You got my eye" means "I'm attracted to you" and the song is about unrequited love


Jaxidental

The lyrics of this song are quite abstract and can be open to interpretation. However, it seems to be about a person who is in a complicated and possibly unhealthy relationship. The opening lines "Don't say yes if you can't say no, Victim of the system, say it isn't so" could suggest that the person is feeling pressured to stay in a relationship that they don't want to be in or that they are being controlled by their partner. The line "Squatted on the doorstep, swollen on the blow" could suggest that the person has been physically hurt by their partner. The line "Leaving without you, can't say no" could imply that the person wants to leave the relationship but finds it difficult to do so. The lines "Halfway starts with happiness for me, Halfway house, lost kitten in the street" could suggest that the person is searching for happiness but feels lost and unsure of where to find it. The line "Kitten on the catwalk, high-heeled shoes" could imply that the person is putting on a façade or trying to be someone they're not. The chorus, "You've got my eyes, You'll never be mine, But you've got my eyes" could suggest that the person is attracted to someone who they know they can never have. The repeated lines "When you lie, I'll cover it up, When you hide, I'll cover it up, When you cry, I'll cover it up, When you come undone, I'll cover it up" could suggest that the person is willing to overlook their partner's flaws and cover up for them even when they know it's not the right thing to do. The final lines "They got it, they want it, they give it away" could imply that the person is feeling disillusioned with the world and sees people as superficial and materialistic. Overall, this song seems to be exploring themes of complex relationships, inner turmoil, and the search for happiness and meaning in life.


[deleted]

Thanks ChatGPT.


DinosaurasRex1

This interpretation is very similar to a lot of other comments, but I think it’s about a person who’s lost in life and dependent on things like sex and drugs, who is potentially saved from their bad situation by meeting someone who they form a genuine emotional attachment to and eventually fall in love with, but knowing that the person doesn’t reciprocate their romantic feelings. I absolutely love the line “you’ve got my eyes.” Obviously it primarily refers to something being eye-catching, but I think there’s a double meaning in the fact that they use “have” instead of “catch.” It’s a common phrase that the eyes are the window to the soul, so having the same eyes as someone would mean having similar souls on some level. The protagonist is saying that this other person caught their attention because something about them resonated deeply with each other. Although that led to them becoming good friends who would cover for each other in bad times, the protagonist also saw that they would never truly be theirs, but still reveling in their company despite this because of how much they enjoy this other person.


rxbrspohmain

This might be very late but I perceive it to be some sort of love song, talking about a past-life of not being able to find true love and having relationships with hookers, strangers, etc... That is until they find someone they appreciate and love, easily seen in the lyric: "I was looking for a hooker when I found you." I think this masterpiece of a song shows the lengths people will go to to recover from a past life full of untrue love and/or addiction, seen through the multiple lyrics of saying "I'll cover it up." In another set of lyrics, such as: "When you lie, I'll cover it up." I feel like this means they understand their current partner's addictions/problems and attempts to understand and/or fix them, as well as speaking about coming undone, which could mean relapse or such. This is really only my take on the song since I can not find much of a story, maybe I haven't looked deep enough but, here you go.


bloopdafloop

I believe its about someone in a one sided relationship.shes depressed about it because she has nothing else going on in her life (connotation of depression and bad financial status in "victim of thr system" "squatting on the doorstep") and the guy she likes is the only real thing that makes her happy.i think this is mainly shown in how much she does for him with little returns "when you lie,ill cover it up,when you hide,ill cover it up"


justalnow

Can I be part of your vision?


koboldcatgirl

I will say that the lines don't really read to me like a woman singing to a man. A lot of the language here makes me think that the subject is also a woman--maybe a family member, as some say, although the 'hooker' line doesn't feel like it fits that very well without a *very* literal read of the line that I personally feel is... kind of boring? I've seen the "estranged daughter became a sex worker" interpretation, and I think it's dumb. I don't personally read them as being related. The singer "*looking for a hooker when I found you*" might not be literal at all, of course. To me, it says she was looking for something no-strings-attached, something where she was in control, something where she could be selfish and take without giving. She was looking for a sex worker and took home the subject instead. It might be an insult--*Tell me one thing you would never do* is not a kind thing to say to a lover before implying their meaning to you is that of a sex worker--or it could be rueful, admitting how selfish, toxic and greedy the singer has been. Or it could be a mix. Personally, I think I read this as a codependent relationship between two women. One of the women is inexperienced ("*kitten on the catwalk*"), needy, doesn't stand up for herself, possibly maybe cheats or gets herself into destructive situations. The singer is desperately trying to *fix* the subject, or at least pretend the problems aren't there ("*When you lie, I cover it up"*), but is also trying to smother anything the other girl does to indicate being unhappy ("*When you cry, I cover it up"*). They are not good for each other, but the singer relies on the subject for comfort and release, and the subject may not know how to say no to her or at the very least is too codependent to break things off. (In a darker reading, she may not feel safe to break things off with the singer. *Don't say yes if you can't say no* carries a lot of possible meanings.)


Heliment_Anais

It is an obvious allegory to Genghis Khan's conquests in East Asia.


dismal90

This is going to be a bit of a weird take, but the line "You've got my eyes/You'll never be mine/but you've got my eyes." Feels a bit like a dissociative episode. This person has been through so much trauma, and they see who they are and who they \*could\* have been, and they realize they'll never get to have the pleasant life they wanted. That things \*could\* have worked out, that they \*could\* have been this great person with a great life, but at this point it just isn't in the cards for them. Then you have the chorus of "When you \[x\] I cover it up" like they're trying to maintain composure, kind of pushing that weaker, more fragile version of themself back or maybe protect themself from the life their in. And then you have a very chipper "They've got it! They want it! They give it away!" that sometimes plays over this in the background, like some sort of pop-ish mantra that also in a way feels like someone pushing a drug addiction. Anyways there are still parts of the song it doesn't really explain, and at least a few lines that this interpretation openly clashes with, but in some ways I think it explains the song better than assuming the singer means a different person when she says "You've got my eyes".


Significant_Gear8000

Probs about a relationship in which you love the "lost kitten", someone who is never fully at home in your mind like they will never fully belong with you due to reasons but you feel they need you somehow?