Moffat was born and raised in Falkirk, Scotland. The first album he bought was Elvis Sings For Kids by Elvis Presley. Whilst at Falkirk High School, he listened to such bands as The Pixies, Dinosaur Jr. and Slint His first ever gig was at age 16, and was David Byrne at the Glasgow Barrowlands in 1989. In 1990, at age 17, he was expelled from school, with no Higher Qualifications. He then worked for four years at an independent record shop called Sleeves Records, resigning one morning in 1994, due to having a hangover and wanting to go home.
A Very Short Song
Aidan John Moffat Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Someone left me sad-
Broke my brittle heart in two;
And that is very bad.
Love is for unlucky folk,
Love is but a curse.
Once there was a heart I broke;
In Aidan John Moffat's A Very Short Song, the songwriter delves into the heartache of young love and the pain that it can cause. The lyrics largely revolve around the themes of heartbreak, regret, and the curse of love. In the first stanza, Moffat describes his own experience of heartbreak, stating that someone left him sad and broke his brittle heart in two. He emphasizes the gravity of the situation by stating that such an event is "very bad."
In the second stanza, Moffat continues to explore the darker aspects of love. He describes it as something meant for "unlucky folk" and characterizes it as a curse. The most striking part of the stanza is when the songwriter admits to breaking someone else's heart, which he considers to be even worse than having his own heart broken.
Overall, the song is a poignant exploration of the complexities of love, and the emotional turmoil that can accompany it. The lyrics are sparse but effective, conveying a great deal of emotion with just a few words.
Line by Line Meaning
Once, when I was young and true,
Back in the days when I was naive and innocent,
Someone left me sad-
Someone caused me heartache and sorrow,
Broke my brittle heart in two;
Caused my fragile heart to shatter into pieces,
And that is very bad.
And that is truly terrible.
Love is for unlucky folk,
Love is only for those who are bound to suffer,
Love is but a curse.
Love is merely a jinx or a hex,
Once there was a heart I broke;
Once upon a time, I was the one who caused someone else's heart to break,
And that, I think, is worse.
And I believe that it is an even greater sin.
Contributed by Katherine B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.