Ironic
90s allstars Lyrics
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He was warm, he came around like
He was dignified
He showed me what it was to cry
Well you couldn't be that man I adored
You don't seem to know, don't seem to care
What your heart is for
No I don't know him anymore
There's nothin' where we used to lie
Conversation has run dry
That's what's going on
Nothing's fine
I'm torn
I'm all out of faith
This is how I feel
I'm cold and I'm shamed
Lying naked on the floor
Illusion never changed
Into something real
I'm wide awake
And I can see the perfect sky is torn
You're a little late
I'm already torn
So I guess the fortune teller's right
I should have seen just what was there
And not some holy light
But you crawled beneath my veins
And now I don't care
I have no luck
I don't miss it all that much
There's just so many things
That I can't touch
I'm torn
I'm all out of faith
This is how I feel
I'm cold and I'm shamed
Lying naked on the floor
Illusion never changed
Into something real
I'm wide awake
And I can see the perfect sky is torn
You're a little late
I'm already torn
There's nothing where he used to lie
My inspiration has run dry
That's what is goin' on
Nothin's right
I'm torn
I'm all out of faith
This is how I feel
I'm cold and I am shamed
Lying naked on the floor
Illusion never changed
Into something real
I'm wide awake
And I can see the perfect sky is torn
You're a little late
I'm already torn
The lyrics to 90s Allstars' song "Ironic" suggest the heartbreak that comes from a love that turns out to be an illusion. The opening line "I thought I saw a man brought to life" implies a hope for a real, passionate romance. However, as the song continues, it becomes clear that the subject of the lyrics is not the man she thought he was. There is a distance between them now, and her attempts to connect with him have failed. "No I don't know him anymore" and "you don't seem to know, don't seem to care what your heart is for" are lines that speak to the disconnect she is feeling.
The chorus of the song is where the emotions of the lyrics come to a head. The repeated phrase "I'm torn" expresses the heartbreak and confusion she is experiencing. She is torn between the illusion of what she thought the love was and what it actually is. The line "illusion never changed into something real" reinforces this idea that the love she thought they had was never really there. The perfect sky is torn, meaning that things are not as they seemed, and she is left alone on the floor, cold and ashamed.
Overall, "Ironic" is a powerful expression of the pain that comes from investing in a love that turns out to be an illusion. The contradictory nature of the lyrics ("I thought I saw a man brought to life...no I don't know him anymore") and the emotional chorus ("I'm torn") make this song a relatable reflection on heartbreak.
Line by Line Meaning
I thought I saw a man brought to life
I believed that I saw a man come back to existence.
He was warm, he came around like / He was dignified
He appeared as a friendly and confident person.
He showed me what it was to cry
He taught me the feeling of shedding tears.
Well you couldn't be that man I adored
Unfortunately, you are not the person that I used to admire.
You don't seem to know, don't seem to care / What your heart is for
It appears that you are clueless about the purpose of your heart.
No I don't know him anymore
I cannot recognize the person that he is now.
There's nothin' where we used to lie
There is nothing left in the place where we used to have our relationship.
Conversation has run dry
Our talks have become tedious and uninteresting.
That's what's going on / Nothing's fine
The current state of our relationship is not good.
I'm torn
I am deeply conflicted.
I'm all out of faith / This is how I feel
I have lost all my trust and this is how I genuinely feel.
I'm cold and I'm shamed / Lying naked on the floor
I feel exposed and embarrassed as if I am physically naked on the ground.
Illusion never changed / Into something real
My perception of things has not evolved into reality.
I'm wide awake / And I can see the perfect sky is torn
I am fully aware of how things are at the moment.
You're a little late / I'm already torn
You are arriving at a point when I have already gone through emotional pain.
So I guess the fortune teller's right / I should have seen just what was there / And not some holy light
The fortuneteller had made a correct prediction, because my focus was on something irrelevant instead of what was actually happening.
But you crawled beneath my veins / And now I don't care
You had managed to get into the depths of my emotions and now I am indifferent.
I have no luck / I don't miss it all that much
I am not fortunate and it is not something that I particularly miss.
There's just so many things / That I can't touch
There are a lot of things that I cannot attain or have control over.
My inspiration has run dry
I no longer have any ideas or motivation.
Nothin's right
Nothing seems to be going well at the moment.
Writer(s): Glen Ballard, Alanis Nadine Morissette
Contributed by Sophie K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.