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".
Hypnotized
Ani DiFranco Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Rain falling around me
Lookin' down at a worm with a
Long way to go and the
Traffic was hissing by
And I was homesick and I was high
And I was surrounded by a language
And thank you very much, but you
But you spoke so I could understand
And I drew a treasure map on your hand
And you were no picnic
You were no prize
But you had just enough pathos
To keep me hypnotized, hypnotized
Hypnotized, hypnotized
Hypnotized
And the map led to an island
In a sea of store-bought dreams
Where soulless singers sang
Over beats built by machines
And lovely girls were hovering
Above my head like gulls with their
Long slender necks and their delicate skulls
And I was no picnic
I was no prize
But I had just enough sweetness to keep you hypnotized
Hypnotized, hypnotized
Hypnotized, hypnotized
So that's how you found me
Rain falling around me
Lookin down at a worm with a
Long way to go
The lyrics of Ani DiFranco's "Hypnotized" describe a chance encounter between the singer and someone she meets in passing. The rain falling around her sets a melancholic mood, and she is feeling both homesick and high. As she looks down at a worm with a long way to go, cars hiss by, and she feels isolated and struggling to communicate in a foreign language, except for simple phrases like "hello" and "thank you". Then, the person who will become the singer's hypnotist appears. They speak a common language, and she draws a treasure map on the person's hand.
However, the hypnotist is not perfect, and neither is the singer. The hypnotist is "no picnic" and "no prize", but has moments of pathos that keep the singer interested. Meanwhile, the singer is "no picnic" and "no prize" either, but has enough sweetness to keep the other person hypnotized. The map on the other's hand leads to an island where everything is store-bought and soulless, including the singers and the lovely girls above her head. Yet, despite the dreariness of the island, the hypnotist keeps the singer spellbound.
This song is likely telling a story about a fleeting relationship, one where neither party is perfect but where they keep each other interested. The hypnotist is someone who has moments of relatability and is enough to keep the singer going. Meanwhile, the singer herself is aware of her own limitations but is still charming in her own way.
Line by Line Meaning
So that's how you found me
This is how we met and came to be together.
Rain falling around me
It is raining, and I am out here in it.
Lookin' down at a worm with a
I am observing earthworms, noticing their small size and humble existence.
Long way to go and the
These worms have a long path ahead of them and face challenges and obstacles.
Traffic was hissing by
Cars were passing by on the road, creating a hissing sound from the rain.
And I was homesick and I was high
I was feeling homesick and also experiencing the effects of drugs.
And I was surrounded by a language
I was in an environment where the language was unfamiliar to me.
In which I could say only hello
I could only say basic greetings in this language.
And thank you very much, but you
I expressed gratitude, but you responded in a way that I didn't fully understand.
But you spoke so I could understand
Despite the language barrier, you were able to communicate with me.
And I drew a treasure map on your hand
I illustrated a treasure map on your hand, representing the bond or connection we formed.
And you were no picnic
You were not easy to get along with or understand.
You were no prize
You were not a perfect or ideal partner.
But you had just enough pathos
You had just enough emotion or sadness in your character that drew me in.
To keep me hypnotized, hypnotized
You captivated me and held my attention.
Hypnotized, hypnotized
You left me entranced or spellbound.
Hypnotized
You had me under your spell.
And the map led to an island
The connection between us was like the discovery of a magical, remote island.
In a sea of store-bought dreams
Amid the pervasive culture of consumerism and materialism, our bond was a genuine, non-commercial dream.
Where soulless singers sang
There were performers who lacked authenticity or feeling.
Over beats built by machines
The music was heavily dependent on technology and lacked organic elements.
And lovely girls were hovering
Beautiful women were present and seemingly interested in me.
Above my head like gulls with their
These women resembled seagulls in how they moved and behaved.
Long slender necks and their delicate skulls
These women had slender, delicate features.
And I was no picnic
I was not the easiest person to get along with or understand.
I was no prize
I was not a perfect or ideal partner.
But I had just enough sweetness to keep you hypnotized
I possessed a certain quality that kept you captivated and under my spell.
Hypnotized, hypnotized
You were held in my thrall, captivated and spellbound.
Hypnotized, hypnotized
You were under my control, captivated, and spellbound.
Hypnotized
You were under my spell, under the control of our connection.
So that's how you found me
This is how our paths crossed, and we came together.
Rain falling around me
The setting was during a rainy time.
Lookin down at a worm with a
Reflecting on the experiences of small and humble entities.
Long way to go
Acknowledging the challenges and obstacles these small entities face due to their size and delicate existence.
Lyrics © A SIDE MUSIC LLC D/B/A MODERN WORKS MUSIC PUBLISHING
Written by: ANI DIFRANCO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
MystikRose7
One of my favorites
Timberwright Svs
Well, a video entitled "The Subwoofer Crawl" brought me here and, man, was that dude right! Lots o' bass "action" here. Great test for the musicality of a subwoofer.
owz
Same
Bon Voyage
Same lol
Journey with Brandon
I'm here to join the club too
Matt
Me too
Rue Zimmerman
So that's how you found me.. Rain falling all around me
Carlo Poeta
some says it talks about romance in Rome... is it true?