Green attended Emerson College briefly in 1998 before leaving to concentrate on his music, going on to co-found the anti folk group The Moldy Peaches with Kimya Dawson. In 2004 The Moldy Peaches went on hiatus and both Green and Dawson embarked on solo careers.
Green released several albums on Rough Trade Records. Among his better known songs are "Jessica" (about singer Jessica Simpson), "Novotel", "Friends of Mine", "Dance with Me", "Carolina" and "Emily", and, in Britain, his cover of The Libertines track "What a Waster".
Prior to Jacket Full of Danger in 2006, all of Green's albums had been released on the 22nd of the month. His latest album was released on March 18, 2008 and is titled Sixes & Sevens. Titles include "Morning After Midnight", "Twee Twee Dee", and "Drowning Head First", the latter a duet between Green and his girlfriend.
In January 2008, The Moldy Peaches began having a resurgence in popularity, due to their music being included in the hit indie film Juno.
Reasonable Man
Adam Green Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All of your pages are open at once
Forgive my transgression if your heart's at the wheel
Don't care what they call you, there's no clever thing to feel
Poking a hole into what's feeble but my arms are too short
I'm known to act average as a last resort
Sliding off your trust, your voice screams into my head
My feeble memories, just a bucket full of rain
You found an eternity lodged in your pain
Do you really want something or everything else instead?
Why bring a cannibal into our bed?
Poking a hole into what's feeble but my arms are too short
I'm known to act average as a last resort
Sliding off your trust, your voice screams into my head
Do you think that I was raised by a reasonable man?
The lyrics of Adam Green's song "Reasonable Man" suggest a relationship that is strained and perhaps unfulfilling. The opening lines compare the singer's partner to a book that is simultaneously open and folded, implying that they are both exposed and guarded at the same time. The singer asks for forgiveness for their transgressions, suggesting that they recognize they have made mistakes, but then seems to dismiss any clever or manipulative feelings their partner may have towards them.
The chorus is where the true tension lies. The singer describes themselves as poking a hole into what's feeble, but their arms are too short, suggesting that they are trying to rectify something that they can't quite reach. They also admit to acting average as a last resort, which implies that they may feel stuck or unable to make a real change. The final line of the chorus is the most confrontational, with the singer accusing their partner of not being raised by a reasonable man, which could suggest either a lack of empathy or understanding from their partner, or it could mean that the singer sees themselves as a product of their own upbringing that has left them feeling unreasonable.
Line by Line Meaning
All of your creases are sizing their bones
Your wrinkles reveal your age and years of experience.
All of your pages are open at once
You are revealing everything about yourself to me at once.
Forgive my transgression if your heart's at the wheel
If you are in control of this situation, I apologize for any mistakes I've made.
Don't care what they call you, there's no clever thing to feel
It doesn't matter what they say about you, there's no need to pretend to feel something you don't.
Poking a hole into what's feeble but my arms are too short
I'm trying to expose a weakness or vulnerability, but I'm not quite capable of doing so.
I'm known to act average as a last resort
I tend to conform to normalcy when I don't know what else to do.
Sliding off your trust, your voice screams into my head
Your lack of trust in me is causing me to feel insecure and uncertain.
Do you think that I was raised by a reasonable man?
Am I being irrational or emotional because of how I was raised?
My feeble memories, just a bucket full of rain
My recollections are fading away and may not be entirely accurate.
You found an eternity lodged in your pain
Your suffering has made you feel like it will last forever.
Do you really want something or everything else instead?
Are you sure you know what you want, or are you just settling for something else?
Why bring a cannibal into our bed?
Why am I getting involved in something that will only end up hurting me?
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Adam Green
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind