A friend brought me flowers, she said they were lilacs
But I've never been good with plants
Her next presentation, a new dictionary
She'd circled the word "romance"
So enthusiastic, a little bit drastic
I shaved her name in my head
As she beheld it, she said I misspelled it
Need more be said?

These apples are delicious
"As a matter of fact they are," she said
Can all this fruit be free?

She wrote me a letter as big as a phone book
I've never been big on mail
I sent her a postcard from somewhere near Lethbridge
And wondered if it still went by rail
I've never been frightened of being enlightened
But some things can go too far
Though sometimes I stammer and mix up my grammar
You get what my meanings are

These apples are delicious
"As a matter of fact they are," she said
Can all this fruit be free?

I'm not trying to sing a love song, I'm trying to sing in tune
I know I am sometimes headstrong
Falling in love, catching fire, I want to be consumed
Wondering will I ever tire? Will I ever tire?
Will I ever tire?

These apples are delicious
"As a matter of fact they are," she said
Can all this fruit be free?

Overall Meaning

These lyrics tell the story of a relationship between two people who seem to have very different personalities. The first stanza introduces a friend who brings the singer lilacs but also presents them with a dictionary, circling the word "romance." The singer seems a bit overwhelmed by their friend's enthusiasm and perhaps doesn't fully understand the romantic implications of the gesture. The friend even has the singer's name shaved into their head, although she points out that it's misspelled. The second stanza describes a letter sent by the friend that is as big as a phone book, which the singer finds a bit much. They send a postcard back, wondering if it will still be sent by rail.

However, despite their differences, there seems to be an affection between the two. The chorus repeats the line "these apples are delicious," which the friend has said, and the singer seems to like the fruit. They question if the fruit can be free, perhaps referring to the relationship's sustainability. The final stanza has the singer clarifying that they're not trying to sing a love song, but rather just trying to find a way to communicate their feelings effectively. They wonder if they'll ever tire of falling in love and being consumed by it.

Overall, the lyrics suggest a relationship that may be a bit unbalanced, with one person being more demonstrative than the other, but still there is a sense of fondness and enjoyment between them.

Line by Line Meaning

A friend brought me flowers, she said they were lilacs
Someone close to me brought me flowers, claiming they were lilacs, although I am not great with plants.

Her next presentation, a new dictionary
She brought me a new dictionary during her next visit.

She'd circled the word "romance"
She identified and drew attention to the word "romance" in the dictionary.

So enthusiastic, a little bit drastic
She was very enthusiastic, although her actions were a bit exaggerated.

I shaved her name in my head
I engraved her name in my memory.

As she beheld it, she said I misspelled it
Upon seeing it, she pointed out that I had misspelled her name.

Need more be said?
Is there anything else to be said?

These apples are delicious
These apples are, in fact, very delicious.

"As a matter of fact they are," she said
She confirmed that the apples were, indeed, very tasty.

Can all this fruit be free?
Is it possible that all this fruit could be free?

She wrote me a letter as big as a phone book
She wrote me a very long letter.

I've never been big on mail
I am not particularly fond of receiving letters.

I sent her a postcard from somewhere near Lethbridge
I sent her a postcard from a location near Lethbridge.

And wondered if it still went by rail
I wondered if the postcard would still be delivered by rail.

I've never been frightened of being enlightened
I have never been afraid to learn new things.

But some things can go too far
However, there are some things that can be taken too far.

Though sometimes I stammer and mix up my grammar
Although I occasionally stumble over my words and make grammatical errors.

You get what my meanings are
You understand the intentions behind my words.

I'm not trying to sing a love song, I'm trying to sing in tune
I am not attempting to sing a love song, but rather just trying to sing well.

I know I am sometimes headstrong
I am aware that I can be stubborn at times.

Falling in love, catching fire, I want to be consumed
I want to fully immerse myself in the experience of falling in love.

Wondering will I ever tire? Will I ever tire?
I am questioning whether I will ever become tired of this feeling.

These apples are delicious
These apples are, in fact, very delicious.

"As a matter of fact they are," she said
She confirmed that the apples were, indeed, very tasty.

Can all this fruit be free?
Is it possible that all this fruit could be free?

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Ed Robertson

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Comments from YouTube:

TheCheeryElement

6y↑5

love this song but the live version is way better

Michael Smyth

7y↑2

Just picked this CD up at thrift store. Simple wow is al lI can say. Two of my daughters have highly recommended them for years.....yay, a new old band to collect.