Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

The Rat
The Walkmen Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

You've got a nerve to be asking a favor
You've got a nerve to be calling my number
I know we've been through this before
Can't you hear me? I'm calling out your name
Can't you see me? I'm pounding on your door

You've got a nerve to be asking a favor
You've got a nerve to be calling my number
Can't you hear me? I'm bleeding on the wall
Can't you see me? I'm pounding on your door




Can't you hear me when I'm calling out your name?

When I used to go out, I would know everyone that I saw
Now I go out alone if I go out at all

When I used to go out I'd know everyone I saw
Now I go out alone if I go out at all

When I used to go out I'd know everyone I saw
Now I go out alone if I go out at all

You've got a nerve to be asking a favor
You've got a nerve to be calling my number
I'm sure we've been through this before
Can't you hear me? I'm beating on your wall
Can't you see me? I'm pounding on your door

Overall Meaning

The Walkmen's "The Rat" is a song about betrayal and the aftermath of a failed relationship. The lyrics paint a picture of a person who has been wronged by someone they trusted, and who is now seeking some form of retribution or closure.


The opening lines, "You've got a nerve to be asking a favor / You've got a nerve to be calling my number," suggest that the singer has already been wronged by the person they're addressing. Despite this, their former partner is now reaching out to them, likely asking for something they don't deserve after causing the singer pain.


As the song progresses, the singer becomes increasingly frustrated and angry, demanding that their former partner hear them and see them now. The repeated lines "Can't you hear me? I'm calling out your name / Can't you see me? I'm pounding on your door" express the singer's desperation to be heard and acknowledged.


The second half of the song shifts to a reflection on the singer's current state of loneliness. The lines "When I used to go out I'd know everyone I saw / Now I go out alone if I go out at all" express a sense of isolation and disconnection from the world around them. It's possible that this loneliness is a result of the betrayal that inspired the song, or it may be a consequence of the singer's attempts to distance themselves from their former partner.


Overall, "The Rat" is a raw and emotional song about the pain of betrayal and the struggle to move on from a failed relationship.


Line by Line Meaning

You've got a nerve to be asking a favor
You're being audacious asking for something from me


You've got a nerve to be calling my number
You're being bold calling me after everything that's happened


I know we've been through this before
I'm familiar with this pattern and history between us


Can't you hear me? I'm calling out your name
Can't you understand how much I need your attention and care?


Can't you see me? I'm pounding on your door
Can't you realize how desperate I am to get your attention and affection?


Can't you hear me when I'm calling out your name?
Can't you listen to my desperate pleas and cry for help?


When I used to go out, I would know everyone that I saw
I was once well-known and had many friends


Now I go out alone if I go out at all
Now I'm isolated and alone because of everything that's happened


Can't you hear me? I'm bleeding on the wall
Can't you see how much pain and suffering I'm going through?


I'm sure we've been through this before
I'm certain we've gone through this cycle of pain before


Can't you hear me? I'm beating on your wall
Can't you sense how much anger and frustration I'm feeling?


Can't you see me? I'm pounding on your door
Can't you understand how much I want to be with you and fix everything?




Lyrics © WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: James Leithauser, Matthew Barrick, Paul C. Maroon, Peter M. Bauer, Walter Martin

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

More Versions