Heart
20. Joss Whedon (Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog (2008) Commentary) Lyrics


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I don't know where I belong
All I do is carry on cos I can feel it
I've gotta feel it
I don't know when I'm gone
Or when I've got genius mode on
But I got a feeling I want to feel it
Cos I don't want to be left out
And you don't want to feel it too
You're always so full of doubt
And I don't want and feel like you
They say my heart's in the right place
But where the hell's the rest of me?
They say my heart's in the right place
As though the rest of me ain't
They say
My heart's in the right place
But where the hell's the rest of me?
If my heart's in the right place
I can't admit when I'm wrong
I'm earning money, but it's always gone
Whom I kidding?
I'm never winning
But what's that anyway?
Don't bark the underdog
He's got to fight for what he wants
I can feel it. Did you feel?
Cos I don't want to be let down
And you don't want to feel it, too
I'm always so full of doubt
You don't want to steal my shoes
They say my heart's in the right place
But where the hell's the rest of me?
They say my heart's in the right place
As though the rest of me ain't
They say, my heart's in the right place
But where the hell's the rest of me
If my heart's in the right place
And they say it again
My head's in the clouds
My foots in my mouth
My eyes on the ground
And my nose is most probably
In someone else's business
And I don't want to feel left out
And you don't want to feel it too
You're always so full of doubt
I'm right there with you
They say my heart's in the right place
But where the hell's the rest of me?
They see my heart's in the right place
As though the rest of me ain't
They say
My heart's in the right place




Well, where the fuck's the rest of me?
If my heart's in the right place and they say it again

Overall Meaning

In "Heart," Joss Whedon explores the idea that sometimes it takes someone else to make you feel fully alive and realize your own emotions. He compares this realization to bleeding, saying that sometimes we must feel pain to understand and appreciate the depths of life. The central metaphor of the song is the "tear in my heart," which represents the person who has come into his life and made him feel more whole. He describes her as taking him higher than he's ever been before, and he acknowledges that she cuts him "farther than [he's] ever been," but that her influence is still worth it.


In the second verse, Whedon reflects on a moment when he is driving with this person in his car, and she falls asleep. He laments the poor quality of the road, cursing the government for not doing more to keep it maintained, but ultimately the presence of his love in the car with him outweighs any discomfort or frustration he might feel. The final verse brings the metaphor full circle, declaring that his heart is his armor, with his love as the tear that cuts through it, making him vulnerable but also stronger.


Overall, "Heart" is a tender and deeply personal song about the power of connection and the ways in which love can challenge us to grow and change.


Line by Line Meaning

An-nyŏng-ha-se-yo
Greeting in Korean, roughly translating to 'hello' or 'nice to meet you'


Sometimes you gotta bleed to know
Challenging experiences may be necessary to gain a true understanding or appreciation of life


That you're alive and have a soul
Going through tough times can confirm that one's life has meaning and purpose


But it takes someone to come around
Sometimes it takes a significant person or event to help someone see the truth


To show you how
Teaching or demonstrating a point can help someone understand


She's the tear in my heart
This person, likely a romantic partner, brings both pain and joy to the singer's life


I'm alive
The singer feels truly alive because of the emotions and experiences brought by the tear in their heart


I'm on fire
The artist feels intense passion and desire


Take me higher
This person elevates the artist's life and experiences


Than I've ever been
This connection surpasses any prior experiences in the artist's life


The songs on the radio are okay
Mainstream music is not as fulfilling or meaningful as the music that reminds the singer of their partner


But my taste in music is your face
The artist's preference for music is based on the memories and emotions their partner brings them


And it takes a song to come around
Playing a specific song can bring up emotions and help the singer express themselves


You fell asleep in my car I drove the whole time
The singer is willing to go the extra mile for their partner and ensure their comfort, even if it means sacrificing their own needs


But that's okay I'll just avoid the holes so you sleep fine
The singer is willing to make adjustments to accommodate their partner's needs


I'm driving here I sit
The artist is reflecting and thinking deeply


Cursing my government
The artist is frustrated with the current state of government and politics


For not using my taxes to fill holes with more cement
The singer is upset that their taxes are not being used efficiently or effectively


She's the tear in my heart
Repeat of earlier chorus


My heart is my armor
The artist's emotional strength protects them from harm


She's a carver
The partner leaves a lasting impression on the artist's heart and soul


She's a butcher with a smile
The partner's presence can bring both joy and pain, like a smiling butcher yielding a knife


Cut me farther
The partner's influence goes deep and leaves a mark


Than I've ever been
Repeat of earlier chorus




Lyrics © DistroKid
Written by: Christopher Bourne, Harry Morris, James Morris

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@dgmilloway

@@mikesannitti6042 I have always wondered at the proper assignment of guilt for ensouled vampires on Buffy. The mythology says when you are turned, you die, your soul goes on to wherever souls go, and a demon inhabits your body with all your memories. It is literally a different entity that assumes your identity, but with a complete lack of conscience and an inborn malice to cause as much suffering for humanity as possible.

So what does it mean when the vampire gets ensouled? Is it conjured from thin air? Is the soul of the original person ripped from it's eternal rest and returned? Is the vampire just given a conscience and the veil ripped from it's eyes so that it fully comprehends the evil it has done?

The answer to this question matters. If it's the first or the last, then yes Spike & Angel are fully responsible for all the evil they did. Perhaps a measure of grace could be extended to them for being literally incapable of feeling guilt & remorse, as one might do with a psychopath should we ever find a cure for psychopathy. But Spike & Angel are still the entities who did those things while wearing the stolen flesh of another being.

But if it's the second, then no. How can a person be morally responsible for the evil done by another being who stole their identity? They are the victim, not the perpetrator. And yet, cruelly, they still have the memory of having done all these evil things.

Alas, as far as I can tell, the show's answer to this question is murky. Angel's journey tries to have it both ways. On the one hand, he takes responsibility for all the evil he has done and works to atone for it with the hope that one day he will earn his reward and regain his humanity. This suggests that the vampire and the soul are a single being.

And yet he speaks of his darkness like a demon inside himself, as if it were a separate being he is constantly fighting to keep under control rather than acknowledging that the demon is him.

Angelus is similarly murky. Whenever Angel temporarily loses his soul, Angelus surfaces and the show characterizes it as him being unshackled from the chains of morality and remorse, utterly disgusted by the "debasement" he was forced to endure. This suggests that Angel & Angelus are the same entity,

And yet the show treats Angel & Angelus as two separate entities, as does the entire Scooby gang. With the exception of Xander whose opinion of Angel as culpable for all the evil he has done is constantly depicted as wrong and prejudiced, fueled by jealousy.

So anyway, that's a long winded way to say the Buffyverse tried to have it's cake and eat it too. I think the writers went with whatever would ratchet up the drama and the angst in the moment, but it came at the cost of weakening the vampire's power to address the themes of guilt and responsibility that were so prevalent thought-out the show's run.



@JackJames-exe

@@InfinitePublics I completely agree with you on both comments you made. Spike is a very complex character canon wise, he is the bad guy for the beginning of his existence. But he always had more of a heart and motivation than Angel ever did.

Like Angel became obsessed with and "became a good person" for a 15 year old (he originally sees Buffy before she gets to Sunnydale and in that scene from context clues I believe she's 15) he treats her like a child through a lot of their interactions and relationship; despite the fact he also tries to get her to do a lot of difficult things and to make really harsh decisions. He isn't healthy for Buffy at all and he sets the view of a lot of the characters and how they see Vampires and demons in general.

He sets characters unwillingness to see that Spike could at all be doing good for Buffy, and even Dawn's, sake just because he cares about them. Because Xander (for a good example) has seen what Angel is willing to do and why, along with who he is, the monster he is without his soul. Angel/Angelus is the template cookie cutter version of "the best and worst" a vampire could possibly be. Even though there are much better examples of both.

It causes Xander to be unwilling to see any demon as good especially Spike without a soul. Thus ruining any chances with Anya and any connection with other demons both good and bad. And yet by the end of the series even with the soul Xander and a lot of the other characters are too hardend and angry to accept Spike could ever change even though they themselves (like Willow) get a second chance, just because they are human.

Spike set the stage for a chance in the show to prove that even if you're human you're not on a pedestal over all demons and other beings just because you're human and have a soul. It could have dug deep into other dimensions and beings and proven than change is both possible and inevitable when you live for a very long time like Buffy seems to be in for as a Slayer or Spike or hell even Anya. That you can be better than others of your species.

How they did Anya's character always bugged me because she's this millenium old "was human then a demon and back again" who evolves into a good person and cares for people. But by the end they just kick her out of the show and tie it down as "she was only in it for Xander and now she's back as a jealous demon" coulda been a lot more to that but whatever.

The show could have evolved in a lot of ways to show who you are depends entirely on who you want to be in the end. Like with Dawn, she's not entirely human, she's a key and yet look at how she's changed while BEING a human AND being treated like one. Could have definitely kept with the theme of growing up Yaknow?



All comments from YouTube:

@Just_Do_Dance

As an English person, he fooled me into thinking he was English. Like the accent was so convincing it’s weird to see him speaking in his normal accent 😂

@coops1992

What is he then?

@nimzakrood

@@coops1992 he's American......

@nimzakrood

Nah, alexis denisof fooled me.

@danielhamilton1130

I hear this all the time from actors from england

@droomonsta

He fooled me until in one episode he said "poof" and pronounced it like a grannies foot rest thing.

389 More Replies...

@LaurenHayley16

I couldn’t imagine the show without Spike staying in it. He was 100% my favorite character in Buffy.

@joshb6470

he was good, definitely no Parker though

@nostoon4332

even after attempting to rape the title character?

@paulgallagher5889

Had a friend in college, twenty years ago, that named his ferret Spike.

The loner, vampire, trenchcoat, SEX GOD that never got laid was his ENTIRE PERSONALITY!!!!

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