One, two

I never thought that you would love me
The way that you do
I never thought that you would Love me
Half as much as I do
You say you want to know everything about me
Well, here you go
You say you couldn't live your life without me
I don't know
But if you want it girl, you got it
It's all right here in my box set

I never thought that words like "product"
Could ever leave my lips
But something happened to me somewhere
That made me lose my grip
Maybe it's a lack of inspiration
That makes me stoop
Or maybe it's a lack of remuneration
I can't recoup
But if you want it folks, you got it
It's all right here in my box set

Disc one, it's where we've begun
It's all my greatest hits
And if you are a fan
Then you know that you've already got 'em

Disc two, it was all brand new
An album's worth of songs
But we had to leave the whole disc blank
'Cause some other label bought 'em

Disc three, this is really me
In a grade school play
I had about a hundred thousand lines
But of course I forgot 'em

I never thought there'd be days like this
There was always someone at my door
I never thought I would ever miss
And the crowd would always holler for more
But now it seems all that people want
Is what I used to be
And every time I try to do something new
All they want is 1973

I never thought I'd be regretful
Of all my past success
But some stupid number one hit single
Has got me in this mess
You can put it on every compilation
That's alright
You can hear it on the oldies radio station
Every night
And if you want it again you got it
It's right here in my box set

Disc four, never released before
And you can tell why
It's just some demos I recorded in my basement

Disc five, I was barely alive
I was hacking up a lung
Oh so they had to use a special computer as my replacement

Disc six, a dance remix
So I can catch the latest trend
And it'll make you scratch your head and wonder where my taste went
Ah ha, yeah

So now my fans are crying sellout
They say I've lost my touch
They say I should just get the hell out
Before I do too much
Hear my songs in an ad for a bathroom cleanser
They say it's greed
And now I'm wondering where my friends are
In this time of need
But if you change your mind and buy it
I hope you enjoy my new box
I hope you enjoy my new box
I hope you enjoy my new box set

Overall Meaning

The Barenaked Ladies' song "Box Set" is a commentary on the music industry's fixation with re-releasing old music and the pressure on artists to constantly create new content. The lyrics describe the band's hesitation to re-release old hits and the struggle to continue to produce new material. The first verse begins with a sense of disbelief that someone could love the band's music as much as they do, and goes on to describe the band's willingness to give fans access to their entire collection in one box set. The second verse describes the band's frustration with the music industry, and the pressure to constantly produce new content. The chorus proclaims the availability of the box set, with each disc described in detail, including "Disc 4, never released before / And you can tell why / It's just some demos I recorded in my basement."

The song also speaks to the expectations placed on artists to recreate their past successes. The line "And every time I try to do something new / All they want is 1973" suggests that fans are not interested in the band's creative evolution, but rather in a return to the sound and style of their most popular songs. The lyrics go on to mention the pressure for artists to "sell out" and license their music to commercials, even if it goes against their artistic integrity. The final verse expresses feelings of isolation and abandonment by fans and friends, suggesting that the costs of fame and success are not always worth it.

Overall, "Box Set" is a cynical take on the music industry and the challenges faced by artists. It highlights the tension between artists and their audience, and how difficult it can be to balance creative integrity with commercial success.

Line by Line Meaning

One, two
Opening sound check, getting ready for the song

I never thought that you would love me The way that you do
Singer is surprised that the love from fans is so strong and steady

I never thought that you would Love me Half as much as I do
Singer loves fans, but fans love singer back twice as much.

You say you want to know everything about me Well, here you go
Fans want to know every detail of the singer's life, and the singer is willing to share it all.

You say you couldn't live your life without me I don't know
Fans claim they can't survive without the singer's music, but the singer is skeptical.

But if you want it girl, you got it It's all right here in my box set
If fans really want to know everything about the singer and their music, then they can find it in their box set album.

I never thought that words like "product" Could ever leave my lips
Singer never expected to view their music as a commodity or something to be sold.

But something happened to me somewhere That made me lose my grip
Singer's attitude toward music changed, and they became more business-minded than artistically inclined.

Maybe it's a lack of inspiration That makes me stoop
Singer no longer feels inspired to create new music.

Or maybe it's a lack of remuneration I can't recoup
Singer feels they aren't getting paid enough for their past work, so they are relying on past success.

But if you want it folks, you got it It's all right here in my box set
Fans can find all the music the singer has created in their box set album.

Disc one, it's where we've begun It's all my greatest hits And if you are a fan Then you know that you've already got 'em
First disc of the box set is a collection of all the popular tunes that the fans are already familiar with.

Disc two, it was all brand new An album's worth of songs But we had to leave the whole disc blank 'Cause some other label bought 'em
Second disc was supposed to have all new songs, but the record label decided to sell it to another label. Thus, this disc remains blank in the box set.

Disc three, this is really me In a grade school play I had about a hundred thousand lines But of course I forgot 'em
Third disc is an old recording of the singer as a child making a school play. The singer had a large role but has forgotten all their lines.

I never thought there'd be days like this There was always someone at my door
Singer never imagined that they will be in this scenario where there are so many obsessive or dedicated fans.

I never thought I would ever miss And the crowd would always holler for more
Singer never thought they would miss the old days when the crowd used to ask for more of their music.

But now it seems all that people want Is what I used to be And every time I try to do something new All they want is 1973
Fans demand the singer to stick to their old music and always ask for nostalgia.

I never thought I'd be regretful Of all my past success But some stupid number one hit single Has got me in this mess
Singer never thought their old work would cause any issues or regrets. However, the unending popularity of a particular song keeps the singer dragged into the past.

You can put it on every compilation That's alright You can hear it on the oldies radio station Every night And if you want it again you got it It's right here in my box set
Due to the many requests for the old song, it is now easily available to fans via the box set album.

Disc four, never released before And you can tell why It's just some demos I recorded in my basement
Fourth disc of the box set is never-before-released music but sounds unfinished or unrefined.

Disc five, I was barely alive I was hacking up a lung Oh so they had to use a special computer as my replacement
Fifth disc includes the singer's music recorded when they were sick, so their voice sounds different. The recording company got a robotic voice maker to replace the singer and release the music.

Disc six, a dance remix So I can catch the latest trend And it'll make you scratch your head and wonder where my taste went
Sixth disc is a remixed version of singer's original song to fit the latest dance trend. It makes fans wonder what happened to the original song they know and love.

So now my fans are crying sellout They say I've lost my touch They say I should just get the hell out Before I do too much
Fans are accusing the singer of selling out and compromising their artistic values for commercial gain.

Hear my songs in an ad for a bathroom cleanser They say it's greed And now I'm wondering where my friends are In this time of need
Fans are unhappy that the singer's music is used for commercial advertisements, which they view as greed.

But if you change your mind and buy it I hope you enjoy my new box I hope you enjoy my new box I hope you enjoy my new box set
Despite criticism, the singer hopes fans will enjoy their new box set album.

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