- Julian Cope
Pristeen
Julian Cope Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How much can you take?
Pristeen. Pristeen
How much can you take?
'Cause your lying to me was you first mistake,
Your trusting in me was your major mistake,
Pristeen. Pristeen
How much can you take?
'Cause your lying to me was your first mistake,
Trusting in me was your major mistake,
Pristeen. Pristeen
How much can you take?
I went down on Pristeen,
Now, how much does it take
To go down on someone - someone that you hate?
'Cause her lying to me was her first mistake,
Trusting in me was her major mistake,
Pristeen. Pristeen, tell me how much can you take?
The song Pristeen by Julian Cope is a powerful and confrontational piece that delves into themes of trust and betrayal within a relationship. The repeated lines of "Pristeen. Pristeen. How much can you take?" seem to be directed at a woman who has wronged the singer in some way. The lyrics suggest that she has lied to him and made a major mistake by placing her trust in him. The line "I went down on Pristeen, now how much does it take to go down on someone - someone that you hate?" is particularly chilling, suggesting that the singer has engaged in a sexual act with this woman even though he despises her.
Overall, the song is a raw and emotionally charged exploration of the darker aspects of human relationships. It is a sharp commentary on the power dynamics at play between men and women, and the often damaging consequences that can result from misguided trust and betrayal.
Line by Line Meaning
Pristeen. Pristeen
The word 'Pristeen' repeated twice, perhaps meaning that the subject of the song is pure and innocent.
How much can you take?
Asking the subject of the song how much they can bear or endure.
'Cause your lying to me was your first mistake,
The subject's deception towards the singer was their initial error.
Your trusting in me was your major mistake,
The subject's misplaced faith in the singer was their biggest blunder.
Pristeen. Pristeen
Repeating the word 'Pristeen' to reiterate the song's theme.
How much can you take?
Further asking how much the subject can endure.
'Cause your lying to me was your first mistake,
Repeating that the subject's first mistake was deceiving the singer.
Trusting in me was your major mistake,
Repeating that the subject's biggest mistake was putting trust in the singer.
Pristeen. Pristeen
Reiterating the song's title.
How much can you take?
Once again, asking how much the subject can bear.
I went down on Pristeen,
The singer may have had sexual intercourse with the subject, named 'Pristeen'.
Now, how much does it take
Asking how much it took to perform a sexual act on someone the singer hates.
To go down on someone - someone that you hate?
Rhetorical question about the difficulty of performing sexual acts on someone you loathe.
'Cause your lying to me was your first mistake,
Repeating the subject's act of deception towards the singer.
Trusting in me was your major mistake,
Reiterating that the subject's biggest mistake was trusting the singer.
Pristeen. Pristeen, tell me how much can you take?
Repeating the song's title as a questioning statement, asking how much the subject can handle.
Contributed by London J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Si Et
on World War Pigs
hey joe,
i've got some bad news to tell you
that jews killed moses late last night
the word's out that Ala
he's been hijacked
they're walking in the dessert without my god
and this song,
this song is freaking me out
and the moon, tonight,
i don't require it's light
petrochemical dollars in my pocket
i feel like i ransomed out of sight
because the world war pigs
defend one another
while the whole world burns
in a third world war
world war pigs
defend one another
while the whole world burns
in a third world war
hey feets,
gotta start walking
but my shoes are way to tired
so i packed my bags,
started driving
because i feel ransomed out of sight
because the world war pigs
defend one another
while the whole world burns
in a third world war
the world war pigs
defend one another
while the whole world burns
in a third world war
world war pigs
defend one another
while the whole world burns
in a third world war
world war pigs
defend one another
while the whole world burns
in a third world war
the world war pigs
defend one another
while the whole world burns
in a third world war
(etc)