Come Talk To Me
Bon Iver Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The jackal proud and tight
In search of you I feel my way
Through slowest heaving night
Whatever fear invents
I swear it makes no sense
I reach out through the border fence
Come down, come talk to me
In the swirling curling storm of desire
Unuttered words hold fast
With reptile tongue, the lightning lashes
Towers built to last
Darkness creeps in like a thief
And offers no relief
Why are you shaking like a leaf?
Come on, come talk to me
Oh please talk to me
Won't you please talk to me
We can unlock this misery
Come on, come talk to me
I did not come to steal
This all is so unreal
Can't you show me how you feel?
Now come on, come talk to me
Come talk to me
Come talk to me
The earthly power sucks shadowed milk
From sleepy tears undone
From nippled skin as smooth as silk
The bugles blow as one
You lie there with your eyes half closed
Like there's no-one there at all
There's a tension pulling on your face
Come on, come talk to me
Won't you please talk to me?
If you'd just talk to me
Unblock this misery
If you'd only talk to me
Don't you ever change your mind
Now your future's so defined
And you act so deaf, so blind
Come on, come talk to me
Come talk to me
Come talk to me
I can imagine the moment
Breaking out through the silence
All the things that we both might say
And the heart, it will not be denied
'Til we're both on the same damn side
All the barriers blown away
I said please talk to me
Won't you please come talk to me?
Just like it used to be
Come on, come talk to me
I did not come to steal
This all is so unreal
Can you show me how you feel?
Now come on, come talk to me
Come talk to me
Come talk to me
The song "Come Talk To Me" is about a person who is trying to reach out to someone they care about deeply, but the other person seems hesitant to communicate. The lyrics describe a sense of desperation and frustration as the singer tries to break through the barrier that the other person has put up. The desert, jackals, lightning and storm are all metaphors for the emotional turmoil that the singer is experiencing. The singer begs the other person to open up to them so that they can alleviate the misery that both are experiencing.
The line "The earthly power sucks shadowed milk from sleepy tears undone" seems to be a reference to the idea that our physicality is directly connected to our emotions. The singer is trying to get the other person to open up and show their vulnerable side.
The lyrics of "Come Talk To Me" are particularly poignant because they are relatable to almost everyone. Most people at some point in their lives have reached out to someone they loved, only to feel that their efforts were in vain. The song encapsulates the sense of frustration one feels when someone they love is emotionally unavailable.
Line by Line Meaning
The wretched desert takes its form
The harsh, unforgiving environment shapes itself before me
The jackal proud and tight
The cunning predator is bold and confident in its territory
In search of you I feel my way
Navigating blindly, I grope towards my soulmate
Through slowest heaving night
Enduring the long, agonizing darkness of my loneliness
Whatever fear invents
All the anxieties and worries my mind conjures up
I swear it makes no sense
None of it seems rational or logical
I reach out through the border fence
Reaching through the barriers that keep us apart
Come down, come talk to me
Please come to me and communicate with me
In the swirling curling storm of desire
Caught up in the tumultuous whirlwind of passion
Unuttered words hold fast
Unspoken thoughts linger and weigh heavily on the mind
With reptile tongue, the lightning lashes
The fierce lightning strikes like a serpent's tongue
Towers built to last
The impressive structures that withstand the test of time
Darkness creeps in like a thief
The darkness slowly covers everything like a thief approaching unnoticed
And offers no relief
Unfortunately, it provides no comfort or succor
Why are you shaking like a leaf?
I am concerned about your nervousness and trembling
Come on, come talk to me
Please, let us talk
Oh please talk to me
My desire for communication with you is deep and urgent
Won't you please talk to me
Please, open up and speak with me
We can unlock this misery
Together we can escape this unhappiness
Come on, come talk to me
Please make the effort and come to me to converse
I did not come to steal
I have no intention of taking anything from you
This all is so unreal
Everything feels surreal, almost dreamlike
Can't you show me how you feel?
Please demonstrate your emotions to me
Now come on, come talk to me
Let's talk right now
The earthly power sucks shadowed milk
The corrupt powers that be extract the essence of our existence
From sleepy tears undone
From the tears shed during our vulnerable moments
From nippled skin as smooth as silk
From the soft, sensitive skin of our bodies
The bugles blow as one
The horns sound together in unison
You lie there with your eyes half closed
You appear half asleep with your eyes barely open
Like there's no-one there at all
As if you're completely alone and abandoned
There's a tension pulling on your face
I can see the tension and stress written all over your face
Come on, come talk to me
Please come to me and speak with me
Won't you please talk to me?
Please communicate with me
If you'd just talk to me
If only you would open up and express yourself
Unblock this misery
Together let us escape this despair
If you'd only talk to me
If you would only communicate with me
Don't you ever change your mind
Please do not have a change of heart
Now your future's so defined
Your prospects for the future are clearly defined
And you act so deaf, so blind
You seem to ignore and disregard everything
Come on, come talk to me
Please come communicate with me now
I can imagine the moment
I can picture the exact moment in my mind
Breaking out through the silence
Breaking through the silence that hangs between us
All the things that we both might say
The things we might express to each other when we finally communicate
And the heart, it will not be denied
Our hearts will not be silenced or ignored
'Til we're both on the same damn side
Until we both find ourselves on the same page
All the barriers blown away
Breaking through the barriers that keep us apart
I said please talk to me
I beg you, open up and communicate with me
Won't you please come talk to me?
Please come and speak with me
Just like it used to be
Just like we did in the past
Come on, come talk to me
Come and communicate with me now
I did not come to steal
I have no intent to steal anything from you
This all is so unreal
Everything seems so surreal
Can you show me how you feel?
Can you express your emotions to me?
Now come on, come talk to me
Please, let us talk right now
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Peter Gabriel
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Clizia Russotto
LYRIC
The wretched desert takes its form
The jackal proud and tight
In search of you I feel my way
Through slowest heaving night
Whatever fear invents
I swear it makes no sense
I reach out through the border fence
Come down, come talk to me
In the swirling curling storm of desire
Unuttered words hold fast
With reptile tongue, the lightning lashes
Towers built to last
Darkness creeps in like a thief
And offers no relief
Why are you shaking like a leaf?
Come on, come talk to me
Oh please talk to me
Won't you please talk to me
We can unlock this misery
Come on, come talk to me
I did not come to steal
This all is so unreal
Can't you show me how you feel?
Now come on, come talk to me
Come talk to me
Come talk to me
The earthly power sucks shadowed milk
From sleepy tears undone
From nippled skin as smooth as silk
The bugles blow as one
You lie there with your eyes half closed
Like there's no-one there at all
There's a tension pulling on your face
Come on, come talk to me
Won't you please talk to me?
If you'd just talk to me
Unblock this misery
If you'd only talk to me
Don't you ever change your mind
Now your future's so defined
And you act so deaf, so blind
Come on, come talk to me
Come talk to me
Come talk to me
I can imagine the moment
Breaking out through the silence
All the things that we both might say
And the heart, it will not be denied
'Til we're both on the same damn side
All the barriers blown away
I said please talk to me
Won't you please come talk to me?
Just like it used to be
Come on, come talk to me
I did not come to steal
This all is so unreal
Can you show me how you feel?
Now come on, come talk to me
Come talk to me
Come talk to me
n0rwegianwo0d
Come on, come talk to me
I did not come to steal
This all is so unreal
Can't you show me how you feel?
Now come on, come talk to me
You lie there with your eyes half closed
Like there's no-one there at all
There's a tension pulling on your face
Come on, come talk to me
I can imagine the moment
Breaking out through the silence
All the things that we both might say
And the heart, it will not be denied
'Til we're both on the same damn side
All the barriers blown away
I said please talk to me
Won't you please come talk to me?
Just like it used to be
Come on, come talk to me
Nuit étoilée
Struggling with anxiety and depression for a year. This song helps me a lot. When I listen to this, I imagine myself laughting and being delivered from pain, with my family, my future husband and all the ones I love. Sounds kind off cheesy, but this helps me not to give up through these dark times. Thank you to save my life, Bon Iver.
Leavemealoneabout Usingmyname
This is absolutely glorious. Peter Gabriel is a genius and Bon Iver is a genius and this is one of my favorite covers of all time.
everitt0808
Bon Iver's music...there is nothing to compare it to except the whisper of a voice you've known your whole life and loved even before it danced across your ears. My heart understands this music and my ears love it.
Daina Imperiale
Perfectly said. Peace ♥️
Grace
His music is so euphoric, nostalgic. Takes you to a place of this odd happiness. It's like I'm high of of happiness, and life when I listen to Iver. He is pure, his music comes from a beautiful soul.
Max Comeau
A gorgeous cover of one of Peter Gabriel's finest. Fantastic arrangement!
Clizia Russotto
LYRIC
The wretched desert takes its form
The jackal proud and tight
In search of you I feel my way
Through slowest heaving night
Whatever fear invents
I swear it makes no sense
I reach out through the border fence
Come down, come talk to me
In the swirling curling storm of desire
Unuttered words hold fast
With reptile tongue, the lightning lashes
Towers built to last
Darkness creeps in like a thief
And offers no relief
Why are you shaking like a leaf?
Come on, come talk to me
Oh please talk to me
Won't you please talk to me
We can unlock this misery
Come on, come talk to me
I did not come to steal
This all is so unreal
Can't you show me how you feel?
Now come on, come talk to me
Come talk to me
Come talk to me
The earthly power sucks shadowed milk
From sleepy tears undone
From nippled skin as smooth as silk
The bugles blow as one
You lie there with your eyes half closed
Like there's no-one there at all
There's a tension pulling on your face
Come on, come talk to me
Won't you please talk to me?
If you'd just talk to me
Unblock this misery
If you'd only talk to me
Don't you ever change your mind
Now your future's so defined
And you act so deaf, so blind
Come on, come talk to me
Come talk to me
Come talk to me
I can imagine the moment
Breaking out through the silence
All the things that we both might say
And the heart, it will not be denied
'Til we're both on the same damn side
All the barriers blown away
I said please talk to me
Won't you please come talk to me?
Just like it used to be
Come on, come talk to me
I did not come to steal
This all is so unreal
Can you show me how you feel?
Now come on, come talk to me
Come talk to me
Come talk to me
Vincent Peeters
Yes, a song from Peter Gabriel
potroastpictures
I am a huge Peter Gabriel fan. This song has been a favorite of mine for years. I would have never thought someone would cover this song let alone give it new life! Your own twist and edge to the song is refreshing.
mctrikster
Very few bands make me feel as happy as Bon Iver. They're a gateway into the real feeling of music. An emotion that can't be described in any way possible.