Song to Bobby
Cat Power Lyrics

I wanna tell you
The singer desires to express something to someone they care about.

I've always wanted to tell you
This has been a long-held desire that the singer has harboured.

But, I never had the chance to say
Unforeseen circumstances have conspired against the singer when it comes to speaking to the intended recipient of the message.

What I feel in my heart from the beginning til my dying day
The emotion being felt is true and complete - from the very beginning of the artist's experience, and through to the end of it.

I was fifteen, sixteen maybe
This autobiographical detail serves to situate the artist's memories at a point in time in the past.

In the park I was waving my arms
An image is being painted by the singer to help set the stage for the following lines.

You were waved this way
The singer remembers the recipient of the message from the beginning of the story, and is addressing them directly, allowing for singularity of meaning.

And you sang the song I was screaming
A moment of recognition - the recipient of the message has interacted with the artist in some way, at some point in time.

I wanted you to
A repetition of the artist's desire from the first part of the poem.

Another time was in South Carolina
The narrative moves away from the earlier moment and jumps forward in time to another event.

It's always been the third encore
This detail means that this is a specific concert that both the singer and the recipient of the message were present at.

Whose wind came roaring in
The presence of the wind serves to create an additional emotional backdrop to the events.

Can you tell me who were you singing for
A question that tries to express feelings of confusion about the recipient of the message's actions and attentions.

Oh my God, can you tell me who you were singing to
Repetition of the question, escalating the singer's desperation and emotion.

A phone call from your New York City office
The setting is changed and the narrative jumps again in time and scene.

You were supposedly asking to see me
The recipient of the message is attempting to make a connection with the artist in some way.

And how I wanted to tell you
The artist is voicing an inner feeling again - a strong desire to express something to the recipient of the message.

That I was just only four hundred miles away
Another layer of frustration is added to the narrative - proximity would have allowed the interaction to happen, but geography has conspired to prevent it.

Who could believe that you were calling I was in DC
The singer is expressing disbelief at the heightening of circumstances in the situation.

I was four hundred miles behind
The distance between the artist and the recipient of the message is emphasised again.

Backstage pass in my hand
The artist is detailing a specific event that happened around the phone call.

Giving you my heart was my plan I wish I could tell you
The artist's desires become more desperate and urgently expressed towards the end of the piece.

My chance
The idea of this being the only opportunity comes to the forefront.

In the middle of the stadium in Paris, France
This momentous occasion is meant to evoke a grand sense of scale and epic emotionality.

Can I finally tell you
The singer's desire is made clear again.

Can I finally tell you
Repetition emphasises desire, but also suggests a wavering or hesitant mindset.

To be my man
The exact nature of the desire is finally made clear in this line - and it is quite candid.

April in Paris, can I see you
Another autobiographical detail helps to ground the poem once more in a cohesive setting.

Can you please be my man
The narrative finally comes to a close with an outright request for meaningful connection and communication.