Secret Girl
Sonic Youth Lyrics
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You're the boy that can enjoy invisibility
I'm the boy that can enjoy invisibility
Close your eyes make a wish
Cross yourself
See yourself
Feel yourself
Scream once more
Move yourself
Across the floor
Burn inside
Between two walls
The advertisements say
The pleasure's ever lasting
Come an' touch me
The advertisements say
The pleasure's ever lasting
Must be dead and gone to heaven
Come and touch me here
So I know
That I'm
Not there
The song "Secret Girl" by Sonic Youth touches on themes of invisibility, desire, and pleasure. The opening lines convey an old saying from the singer's mother - that he is a boy who can enjoy invisibility. This hints at a desire to escape the constraints of society and experience the world in a more liberated way. The repetition of "I'm the boy that can enjoy invisibility" emphasizes this desire.
The chorus then urges the listener to close their eyes and make a wish, cross themselves, and feel themselves. These instructions read like a ritual or a meditative exercise, urging the listener to turn inward and connect with themselves. The line "burn inside/Between two walls" suggests the pressure and turmoil of being stuck in between two worlds or two identities. The advertisements promising "ever-lasting pleasure" serve as a distraction from this inner turmoil and desire, urging the listener to seek pleasure in the external world.
The final lines, "so I know that I'm not there," suggest a desire to escape from oneself, to transcend the constraints of the physical body and merge with something greater. This could be interpreted as a desire for spiritual transcendence, or simply a yearning for escape from the mundane.
Line by Line Meaning
My mother used to say
In the past, my mother expressed this statement
You're the boy that can enjoy invisibility
My mother used to believe that I could disappear and blend in well with my surroundings
I'm the boy that can enjoy invisibility
I too believe that I have the ability to be invisible and unnoticeable around others
Close your eyes make a wish
Imagine something that you desire and bring it into existence
Cross yourself
Make the sign of the cross symbolizing religious devotion
See yourself
Look at yourself and be conscious of your existence
Feel yourself
Be aware of the sensations and emotions inside you
Scream once more
Express your pain and discontentment
Move yourself
Change your situation and try to improve it
Across the floor
Overcome obstacles that may hinder your progress
Burn inside
Feel the intense emotions and passion within you
Between two walls
Trapped in a small, enclosed space
The advertisements say
The commercials suggest
The pleasure's ever lasting
The enjoyment will never end
Come an' touch me
Feel my physical presence and experience my essence
Must be dead and gone to heaven
This must be too good to be true
Come and touch me here
Come closer and connect with me in this intimate space
So I know
This is done to understand
That I'm
To realize
Not there
This experience of intimacy and sensuality is not real and is only an illusion created by the advertisements
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: KIM GORDON, LEE M. RANALDO, STEVEN JAY SHELLEY, THURSTON JOSEPH MOORE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind