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

Elephant
Damien Rice Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

This has got to die
I said, this has got to stop
This has got to lie down
With someone else on top

You can keep me pinned
'Cause it's easier to tease
But you can't paint an elephant
Quite as good as she

And she may cry
Like a baby
And she may drive
Me crazy
'Cause I
Am lately
Lonely

So why'd you have to lie?
I take it I'm your crutch
The pillow in your pillow case
Is easier to touch

When you think you've sinned
Do you fall upon your knees?
Or just sit within your picture?
Do you still forget the breeze?

And she may rise
If I sing you down
And she may wisely
Cling to the ground

'Cause I
Am lately
Horny
So why
Would she take me
Horny?

Ah-ah-ah-ah

What's the point of this song?
Or even singing?
You've already gone
Why am I clinging?

Well I could throw it out
And I could live without
And I could do it all for you
I could be strong

Tell me, if you want me to lie
Because this has got to die
I said, this has got to stop
This has got to lie down, down
With someone else on top

You can both keep me pinned
'Cause it's easier to tease
But you can't make me happy
Quite as good as me
You know that's a lie

Overall Meaning

The song Elephant by Damien Rice is a melancholic reflection on a broken relationship where one partner is left feeling disposable and used. The chorus is the most poignant part of the song and is repeated throughout the track, a lament for the singer's feelings of loneliness, emptiness, and desire. The elephant is a metaphor for the problems in the relationship that are too big to ignore, too obvious to conceal. The song is introspective, exploring the emotions one feels when they are forced to come to terms with the end of a relationship that they didn't want to let go of.


The song opens with the singer acknowledging that the relationship needs to end. They are clearly hurting, and the metaphor of the pillow in the pillowcase being easier to touch than their partner speaks to the sense of emptiness they feel. Since their partner uses them as a crutch, the singer must come to terms with their own loneliness. They crave physical intimacy as a way of overcoming emotional pain, but they know that it won't solve their problems. The chorus is a plea for the other person to recognise the magnitude of the issue and deal with it honestly.


Line by Line Meaning

Well, this has got to die
I can't continue living like this; something has to change


I said, this has got to stop
I've already made up my mind that things can't continue like this


This has got to lie down
Things need to calm down and take a rest


With someone else on top
I can't be the one in charge anymore; someone else needs to take control


You can keep me pinned
You have the power to hold me back from moving forward


'Cause it's easier to tease
It's easier to have control and play games with me rather than facing the truth


But you can't paint an elephant
You can't hide the truth forever or paint over the problems


Quite as good as she
Someone else can see through the lies better than I can


And she may cry like a baby
Someone else may be more emotional about this situation


And she may drive me crazy
Someone else may push me to my limits


'Cause I am lately Lonely
I've been feeling lonely lately


So why'd you have to lie?
Why couldn't you tell me the truth?


I take it I'm your crutch
I'm the one you rely on to keep you standing


The pillow in your pillow case
You go to bed with another person every night


Is easier to touch
It's easier to have a physical connection than to deal with emotional issues


When you think you've sinned
When you feel guilty for what you've done


Do you fall upon your knees?
Do you pray for forgiveness?


Or just sit within your picture
Do you try to ignore what you've done and pretend everything is normal?


You still forget the breeze
You're so focused on the problems that you're forgetting to enjoy life's little pleasures


And she may rise
Someone else may be able to overcome this situation


If I sing you down
If I bring you back down to reality


And she may wisely
Someone else may be smarter about what to do next


Cling to the ground
They may choose to stay grounded and deal with the situation head on


'Cause I am lately Horny
I've been feeling sexually frustrated lately


So why would she take me horny?
Why would someone else want to be with me when I'm feeling this way?


What's the point of this song?
What's the purpose of even expressing these feelings in a song?


Or even singing?
Why am I even bothering to express myself this way?


You've already gone
You're not even here to hear this


Why am I clinging?
Why am I still holding on to this relationship?


Well, I could throw it out
I could just end this relationship right now


And I could live without
I could move on and live my life without you


And I could do it all for you
I could sacrifice everything for this relationship


I could be strong
I could be strong enough to walk away from this relationship


Tell me, do you want me to lie?
Do you want me to pretend everything is okay?


Because this has got to die
This relationship needs to end


This has got to stop
This toxic cycle of lies and deceit needs to come to an end


This has got to lie down, down
Everything needs to calm down and find a sense of peace


With someone else on top
I need to step back and let someone else take control


You can both keep me pinned
Both you and someone else have the power to hold me back


'Cause it's easier to tease
It's easier to play games and avoid the truth


But you can't make me happy
No one else can make me happy; I need to find my own happiness


Quite as good as me...
I know I'm lying to myself about this, but I don't want to face the truth




Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Damien George Rice

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Comments from YouTube:

@dokuhuynh7883

How much pain has this man suffered to sing like this?
I mean, he uses his pain and his voice to paint a picture of sadness and sorrow and i can see it with my eyes and feel it in my skin.
Just brilliant.

@zvejkal2

This guitar has great sound.
And this guitar player has great fingers.
And this singer has great voice.
And this artist has great soul.

@OlafDuits

Oh my God, he killed me. This was already one of my favourites of him, but this version is so real. Amazing. Damien is a legend!

@xX9Lizzy9Xx

This is my favourite song ever. I actually cannot believe how amazing it is; how much emotion he portrays through his voice alone. What I love about this is that it's so raw and this song is all about his voice.... that's what a true musician is. Someone who can be amazing without any editing or too many instruments drowning out their voice. This is just as amazing live as the recorded version is, but actually seeing him when he sings it is just phenomenal.

@macfan545

There's no other singer that can touch my soul quite as good as he

@Rheinmeister09

He's just one of the very best artists our little old country has ever produced!!!! Now if I could have only gotten my hands on a ticket for any one of the 5 sold out concerts here in NYC.

@greggdallas

Love how damien sings thge words as if hes at heavens gates and he has one last chance to say what he really feels,...absolutely amazing vocal performance!!!!

@rafaelferreira07

muito bom ,,,,realmente o Damien coloca seu coração nos versos e em cada palavra cantada

@carolep6912

Cette version m'a profondément ému. Il la chante avec tant d'intensité que ça en est bouleversant.
Absolument magnifique.

@annietk

he gives me chills, so much emotion - absolutely one of a kind

More Comments

More Versions