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Getting Ready
Patty Griffin Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Oh, baby, I'm getting ready
I'm getting ready to let you go
My hands shake, my heart's unsteady
Oh, how I once loved you so

I know all the magic's gone
Wish I had a magic wand
I would put a spell on you
You would see it as I do

Oh, I'm getting ready to let you go
Oh, I'm getting ready to let you go

Oh, baby, you were my drug
And I was just your cigarette
I was nothing you could be proud of
I have lost my self respect
My self respect, my self respect

I have lost my self respect
Oh, I'm getting ready to let you go
Oh, I'm getting ready to let you go
I'm getting ready to let you go

Baby, baby, we got no traction
I'm just waiting and waiting for your reaction
So I try a new direction

I'm gonna give myself a resurrection
I'm getting ready, I'm getting ready
I'm getting ready to let you go

Oh, I'm getting ready to let you go
Oh, I'm getting ready to let you go

I'm getting ready to let you go
I'm getting ready to let you go
I'm getting ready to let you go

Overall Meaning

The song "Getting Ready" by Patty Griffin is a powerful ballad that touches on the universal theme of letting go of someone you once loved. The lyrics express a sense of longing, sadness, and regret that comes with the end of a relationship. The singer is getting ready to move on from her lover, but she is struggling with the process.


The first verse describes the singer's emotional state as she prepares to say goodbye. Her hands shake and her heart is unsteady, highlighting the physical and emotional turmoil she is experiencing. She acknowledges that the magic of their relationship is gone and wishes she could cast a spell on her lover to make him see things from her perspective.


In the second verse, the singer compares her love for her lover to a drug, while she was just a cigarette to him. She admits that she has lost her self-respect because of her attachment to him. However, she is determined to put herself back together and gain her sense of worth back. The chorus echoes her sentiment of readiness to move on and let go of her lover.


Overall, the song is a beautiful and poignant expression of the pain and growth that can come with love lost. It speaks to the human experience of heartbreak and the ultimately empowering decision to move on from toxic relationships.


Line by Line Meaning

Oh, baby, I'm getting ready
The singer is acknowledging their current state of mind that they are mentally preparing themselves for what is to come.


I'm getting ready to let you go
The singer is coming to terms with the fact that their relationship is coming to an end, and they are mentally preparing themselves for the breakup.


My hands shake, my heart's unsteady
The singer is experiencing emotional turmoil as they prepare themselves for the difficult decision of letting go of their significant other.


Oh, how I once loved you so
The artist reminisces about their past love and how intense it once was.


I know all the magic's gone
The artist acknowledges that the love they once had has faded away.


Wish I had a magic wand
The singer expresses a desire to have the power to make their significant other see the truth about their relationship.


I would put a spell on you
The singer would cast a spell on their significant other if they could, in order to make them realize the truth of their relationship.


You would see it as I do
The artist desires that their significant other saw their relationship from their point of view.


Baby, baby, we got no traction
The artist acknowledges that their relationship is not moving forward, and there is a lack of growth or change.


I'm just waiting and waiting for your reaction
The artist is waiting for their significant other to respond to their current state of mind.


So I try a new direction
The singer is attempting to redirect their focus and energy towards something new.


I'm gonna give myself a resurrection
The artist is going to give themselves new life, and start fresh without their significant other.


I'm getting ready, I'm getting ready
The singer is repeating their earlier statement to reinforce their resolve and strength.


I have lost my self respect
The singer acknowledges that by staying in their current relationship, they have lost respect for themselves.


I'm getting ready to let you go
The singer is reaffirming that they are mentally preparing themselves to end their current relationship.


I'm getting ready to let you go
The artist is repeating their previous statement to emphasize the decision they have made to let go of their current relationship.


I'm getting ready to let you go
The artist is repeating their earlier statement to reassure themselves that they have the strength and resolve to follow through with ending their current relationship.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Patricia J. Griffin

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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