Although much of DiFranco's material is autobiographical, it is often also strongly political. Many of her songs are concerned with contemporary social issues such as racism, sexism, sexual abuse, homophobia, reproductive rights, poverty, and war. DiFranco's guitar playing is often characterized by a signature staccato style, rapid finger picking and many alternate tunings. She delivers many of her lines in a speaking style notable for its rhythmic variation. Her lyrics, which often include alliteration, metaphor, word play and a more-or-less gentle irony, have also received praise for their sophistication. She has released 19 solo albums (not including collaborative albums or live albums), all of which were released on her own independent record label, Righteous Babe Records (which she formed in 1989 at the age of 19).
DiFranco has been a critical success for much of her career, though not a commercial one by major label standards, with a career album average of 72 on Metacritic. Living in Clip, DiFranco's 1998 double live album, is the only one to achieve gold record status to date. DiFranco has been praised by the Buffalo News as the "Buffalo's leading lady of rock music".
Going down
Ani DiFranco Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You can't get over it
You can't get around
Just like in a dream
You'll open your mouth to scream
And you won't make a sound
You can't believe your ears
You can't believe your friends
You can't believe you're here
And you're not gonna get through it
So you are going down
I put a cup out on the window sill
To catch the water as it fell
Now I got a glass half full of rain
To measure the time between
When you said you'd come
And when you actually come
Little mister limp dick
Is up to his old tricks
And thought he'd call me
One last time
But I'm just about done
With the oh-woe-is-me shit
And I want everything back
That's mine
Ani DiFranco's Going Down speaks to the feeling of being stuck in a situation, unable to move forward, backward, or sidestep. The title of the song, "Going Down," indicates a downward spiral, and the lyrics echo that sentiment. The repetition of "You can't get through it, you can't get over it, you can't get around" drives home the theme of being trapped. The following lines express a sense of helplessness and disbelief: "Just like in a dream, you'll open your mouth to scream, and you won't make a sound. You can't believe your eyes, you can't believe your ears, you can't believe your friends, you can't believe you're here." All of these sentiments echo a sense of desperation and confusion. The final lines of the chorus, "so you are going down," cement the tone of despair.
The second half of the song switches focus, with Ani DiFranco describing a more concrete situation that she is dealing with. She describes putting a cup out on the window sill to catch the rain and measure the time between when someone said they would come and when they actually arrived. The imagery of the rain as time slipping away adds to the sense of being stuck and unable to move forward. Ani DiFranco then shifts focus to an individual she calls "Little mister limp dick," who is "up to his old tricks." Here, Ani is reclaiming power and demanding the return of what is hers.
Line by Line Meaning
You can't get through it
The situation is too difficult to overcome
You can't get over it
The situation is too impactful to forget
You can't get around
The situation is unavoidable
Just like in a dream
The experience feels surreal
You'll open your mouth to scream
You'll feel overwhelmed emotionally
And you won't make a sound
You can't express how you truly feel
You can't believe your eyes
The situation is beyond belief
You can't believe your ears
The situation is beyond explanation
You can't believe your friends
Your support system can't help you
You can't believe you're here
The situation is unexpected
And you're not gonna get through it
The situation is insurmountable
So you are going down
You're hitting rock bottom
I put a cup out on the window sill
Preparation for rain
To catch the water as it fell
The cup is meant to collect the falling rain water
Now I got a glass half full of rain
The cup collected some rainwater
To measure the time between
Measuring the duration
When you said you'd come
When someone promised to come over
And when you actually come
When someone finally arrived
Little mister limp dick
Referring to an unimportant person
Is up to his old tricks
He's still the same unimportant person with no substance
And thought he'd call me
He believed he could still have some control over her
One last time
He hopes to reconcile after everything is over
But I'm just about done
She is tired of trying hard for nothing in return
With the oh-woe-is-me shit
She's done with the self-pity act
And I want everything back
She wants her independence and freedom
That's mine
She wants everything that belongs to her
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ALLEN TOUSSAINT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Speranza Tikvah
I was sexually harassed by someone I was doing volunteer work with several years ago. Eventually, I lost the job because of his actions. I posted the second verse to this song on Facebook ("Little Mr. Limp Dick is up to his old tricks...."etc) that night. I know it may have been a bit childish, but it was my way of telling him I would not cower before him. Besides, if the shoe fits....
Image.Spirit'd Videography
Speranza Tikvah stay tuff..i like your writings,words put down so
evident ,so true,So will we be hearing in raw soundz.Yes.write about.do accoustical.raw.jam..your exp'd,sing your blues.you share,we listen..your time to shine..X'xz.,
Elaine Rosefelder
There's now a Father's Day song:-)
Butterfly Kissez
🦋