Ooh, baby
You couldn't've done a worse thing to me
If you'd taken an arrow and run it right through me
Ooh

Ooh baby, a bird in the hand is worth two flyin'
When it came to love
I'd knew you'd be lyin'
It could've been a finer thing
Would've been a major attraction
With no other thing, offerin' a note of distraction
Come on, get up, get underway and bring your love

Ooh baby
You wouldn't've found a more down hero
If you'd started at nothin' and counted to zero

(Ooh-ooh-ooh)

Ooh baby
You couldn't've done a worse thing to me
If you'd taken an arrow and run it right through me
I could've been a finer thing
Flyin' in a righter direction
With no other thing
Featuring but love and affection
Come on, get up, get underway and bring your love

Ooh baby
You wouldn't've found a more down hero
If you'd started at nothin', counted to zero

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Wings's song "Arrow Through Me" tell the story of a person who has been deeply hurt by someone they loved. The use of the metaphor of an arrow being shot through the person helps to emphasize the pain and betrayal that the singer feels. In the first verse, the singer asserts that nothing could have hurt them more than the actions of the person they loved - this is followed by the chorus, which repeats the same sentiment in a powerful and emotive way, with the repetition of the word "Ooh" helping to convey the singer's sense of pain and bewilderment.

The second verse repeats the theme of hurt, with the singer reflecting on how they knew that their loved one was lying to them, but they still had faith in the relationship. The line "a bird in the hand is worth two flyin'" is a metaphor that means it is better to stick with what you have, rather than risk losing everything by going after something better. However, the singer realizes that, in this case, they were wrong - the affection they had for their partner was not enough to make up for the betrayal, and they longed for a simpler relationship that featured nothing but love and affection.

Line by Line Meaning

Ooh, baby
Expressing fondness, probably addressing a lover

You couldn't've done a worse thing to me
You have hurt me deeply, and I cannot imagine anything worse

If you'd taken an arrow and run it right through me
Your actions have caused me immense pain, equivalent to being fatally wounded

Ooh
Repeating the first line for emphasis or effect

Ooh baby, a bird in the hand is worth two flyin'
I value what I already have more than potential or hypothetical gains

When it came to love, I'd knew you'd be lyin'
In matters of love, I suspected that you were not truthful

It could've been a finer thing
Our relationship had the potential for greatness

Would've been a major attraction
We could have been very appealing together

With no other thing, offerin' a note of distraction
Without any other issues causing problems between us

Come on, get up, get underway and bring your love
I want you to make an effort to improve our relationship

You wouldn't've found a more down hero
I have given everything to this relationship and done my best

If you'd started at nothin' and counted to zero
Even if you had very little to begin with, I would still have been there for you

(Ooh-ooh-ooh)
Repeating a vocal riff or melody for emphasis or effect

You couldn't've done a worse thing to me
Repeating a previous line for emphasis or effect

I could've been a finer thing
Repeating a previous line, imagining what our relationship could have been

Flyin' in a righter direction
Our relationship could have been headed toward a better future

With no other thing
Without any other issues getting in the way

Featuring but love and affection
Based solely on our feelings for each other

Come on, get up, get underway and bring your love
Repeating a previous line, urging the other person to make an effort

You wouldn't've found a more down hero
Repeating a previous line for emphasis or effect

If you'd started at nothin', counted to zero
Repeating a previous line, reaffirming my loyalty in any circumstance

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