Veronica Sawyer Smokes
AFI Lyrics
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I was too touched to see you clearly,
Far too young to realize I had loved so dearly you,
Who's world I had designed,
But the sweet smoke came with mirrors
And it brought tears to my wide eyes.
Dying just to see you
Dying since I misconstrued your blue heart,
I died right when I saw you while you shared that cigarette.
Oh I saw you every time I closed my eyes,
In the Hughes film I had scored,
Produced and starred in, in my mind.
I could recite you, well, I'd written every line
But you strayed far from my flawless script
On which I'd spent a lifetime!
Falling over dead.
Dying since I had misread your blue heart,
Black eyes, feigning falling, words I won't forget.
I died right when I saw you while you shared that cigarette.
The song “Veronica Sawyer Smokes” by AFI is a heart-wrenching tale of unrequited love and obsession. The singer tells the story of a love so profound that it blinded them to the reality of their situation. The opening line of the song, “Oh my story is not the oldest of its kind,” sets the stage for a story of love and loss that has been told time and time again. The singer then goes on to describe their love for someone who was too young to understand the depth of their feelings. The singer had designed a world for this person, but the smoke and mirrors of life ultimately shattered their illusions.
The line “But the sweet smoke came with mirrors and it brought tears to my wide eyes” is particularly poignant. It speaks to the idea that the things we want in life can often be obscured by illusions, and when we finally see the truth, it can be devastating. The singer realizes too late that this person will never love them the way they love them. The lines “I died right when I saw you while you shared that cigarette” perfectly encapsulate the feeling of heartbreak and loss that the singer is experiencing.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh my story is not the oldest of it's kind.
My experience of unrequited love is not unique or new.
I was too touched to see you clearly,
I was too emotionally invested in you to see you for who you truly were.
Far too young to realize I had loved so dearly you,
I was too young and naive to understand how deeply I loved you.
Who's world I had designed,
I had created an entire world in my mind where I was with you.
But the sweet smoke came with mirrors
The pleasure I derived from my fantasies was not based in reality and only obscured the truth.
And it brought tears to my wide eyes.
When reality finally hit me, I was devastated and cried.
Dying just to see you
I longed to be with you so much that it felt like I was slowly dying.
Dying since I misconstrued your blue heart,
I suffered greatly because I misunderstood your true feelings.
Black eyes, feigning falling, words I won't forget.
Even though you might have pretended to be in love with me, your lack of sincerity showed in your black, insincere eyes.
I died right when I saw you while you shared that cigarette.
Seeing you share a cigarette with someone else was the final blow that made me realize our love was never meant to be.
Oh I saw you every time I closed my eyes,
I couldn't get you out of my head even for a moment.
In the Hughes film I had scored,
In the movie of my mind, you were the star and I was responsible for the soundtrack.
Produced and starred in, in my mind.
I was the writer, producer, and director of our imaginary romance.
I could recite you, well, I'd written every line
I knew all of the things I wanted to say to you, because I had written down every word.
But you strayed far from my flawless script
The reality of our situation was far from the perfect fantasy which I had constructed.
On which I'd spent a lifetime!
I had dedicated an enormous amount of time and energy into crafting the perfect love story.
Falling over dead.
When I finally realized the truth about our relationship, it felt as if a part of me had died forever.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Adam A Carson, David Paden Marchand, Hunter Lawrence Burgan, Jade Errol Puget
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind