Lyrics to "Paper Dolls"

[KarenZ]

Folks,

I (mostly) transcribed the lyrics to the new song "Paper Dolls" that was on Ellis' MySpace for a few days......and now that I've really listened tot he lyrics, I must confess they seem incredibly sad....and I'd really like to hear your take on them. There's a couple words I couldn't quite make out....and the song's structure is very unusual although maybe what I am calling "verse", "chorus" and "bridge" aren't how Ellis views it. The lines in brackets (I guess it's Kriatian Bush) are being sung simultaneously with the lines Ellis sings.

First question is why would all the people at a party leave someone sitting all alone?

Paper Dolls

Verse 1
All the people at the party left you sitting at the table all alone
You hear their voices chatter through confetti
You’re alone

Chorus
Life breaks through you
[All the paper dolls, they’re still holding hands]
Give love to you
[Their mouths are speaking language you don’t understand]
You’re alone

Verse 2
The cab ride through the city’s bright with lights
You float above the pavement through the night
You’re gone

Chorus 2
Life breaks through you
[From where you ride the shadow’s dancing on]
Give love to you
[Wraps the sounds it makes when everything goes wrong]
You’re gone

Bridge
Why so why so sad, look at all you have (had?), all you need is the _______to get through
[What if I, what if I were stronger. What if I had stayed a little longer.]

Repeat verse 1
Repeat chorus 1
Repeat bridge

You’re alone, You’re gone, You’re alone – so far gone.

KarenZ

[paddyinthepub]

Is this song still downloadable...? I saw it up on Ellis' myspace and noticed the other day it was gone.

As to why someone would leave someone all alone at a table? All I can say is that in the world that I think this character lived in, it happened all the time. Notice I say lived in....that's past tense.

I think the character had had enough...and ended her life. I believe the party was a New Year's Eve party...the confetti. She seems to have lost touch with reality.....and entered the depths of depression. She's likely been on drugs of a kind...and either took too many...either to help kill the pain....or...purposely to end her life. I do believe she passes away sometime during the cab ride, unbeknownst to the driver, who assumes her to simply be yet another intoxicated reveler on NYE.

Perhaps her last thoughts were of younger happier days, and while she felt like she had no hand to hold.....the paperdolls she cutout as a child represented a bond, a friendship, a connection, of which she felt she had none. The singer of this song is feeling guilt for not having noticed the change in the friend...not being able to help...and ultimately help her get help, thus possibly helping to save her life.

I did not listen to this song on myspace...so I can only go on what the lyrics are saying to me as I read them here for the first time dry.

[wendy]

Interesting. Those aren't the sort of lyrics I'd have expected, given the sound of the song.

I'm one of those people who listens to the SOUND first, then to the lyrics. What I heard of "Paper Dolls" made me think of some old Beatles work, with interesting harmonies and words weaving together. Since I'm NOT one of those people who needs regular infusions of depressing songs, I'd probably choose not to mine the lyrics on this one. The music was very enjoyable on its own. Perhaps it will resurface with a happier story-line?

[KarenZ]

I get it now! Having listened to the song another 10 or 12 times, and finally figuring out who's speaking which lines, I know what it means - to me anyway.

It's about someone who doesn't fit in - or, more importantly, has the perception that she doesn't fit in. She's at a party and because she's not willing or able to join into the conversation, she feels left out. Looking at all the other folks chatting ("paper dolls holding hands" - what a brilliant description - do little girls these days still cut out paper dolls?), in her mind they are "speaking language you don't understand." So she leaves the party early....then later, on the cab ride home, wonders if she should have stayed longer.....

So the people at the party didn't literally leave her sitting alone....but it's still sad cause we've all experienced times and places where we didn't feel we fit in....had trouble joining into conversation.....and felt alone.

KarenZ

[paddyinthepub]

I like Karen's version better......makes perfect sense.

[Lauren]

Spot on, Karen - that is the exact image (at least the first part) that I got in my head when I read through the lyrics. I got a bit confused at the end, but your interpretation makes perfect sense.

And maybe the missing word is "strength?"