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".
In The Way
Ani DiFranco Lyrics
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I actually kicked you out
I couldn't hardly believe
That the words came out my mouth
You couldn't hardly believe
What you heard yourself discuss
As you packed up all your things
And you said goodbye to us
Tell me what is in the way
In the way of my love for you
Yeah there's somethin' in the way
In the way of my love
And now there's nothing left to lose
And the screen just says fini
And each night in separate rooms
We cry separately
And every day we yell
Down each other's holes
Two slippery strippers
Swinging round two poles
Tell me what is in the way
In the way of my love for you
Tell me what is in the way
In the way of my love
I gotta get it out the way
Out the way of my love for you
Yeah there's something in the way
In the way of my love
We took down all the pictures
And then we took down all the walls
Packed up our expectations
And piled em up in the hall
Yeah we bagged our future
And kicked it to the curb
And then we stood there unencumbered
And we stood there undeterred
'cause we were done clinging
To the things
We were afraid to lose
And the only thing left
Was a breathtaking view
And you looked at me
And I looked at you
And you said
How bout now baby?
Now whatchoo want to do?
Now there's nothing in the way
In the way of my love for you
Yeah there's nothing in the way
In the way of my love
I had to get it out the way
Out the way of my love for you
Had to get it out the way
Out the way of my love
No you didn't just leave
In this song, Ani DiFranco reflects on a recent breakup where she realizes that it was actually her who kicked her partner out, rather than the other way around. She expresses surprise at the words that came out of her mouth and how she couldn't believe that she initiated the breakup. Despite this, there seems to be something in the way of her love for her partner, a barrier that is preventing them from being together. The couple now spends their days apart, crying in separate rooms, and their relationship seems to be stuck in a rut, as they find themselves arguing about everything. However, by the end of the song, they have ransacked all their possessions and baggage, metaphorically speaking, and have decided to move on without any of it. With the realization that they were only clinging to things they were afraid to lose, they emerged with a fresh perspective, ready to embrace one another and their future.
The lyrics are rich in metaphorical language, from the "slippery strippers swinging around two poles" during arguments to "taking down all the walls and packing up expectations" as symbols of letting go of their previous life and relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
No you didn't just leave
You weren't the one who left, I was the one who made the decision for you to go
I actually kicked you out
I realized that I was the one who pushed you away and made you leave
I couldn't hardly believe
I was in shock and could barely believe what I had done
That the words came out my mouth
I couldn't believe that I said those words out loud and made you leave
You couldn't hardly believe
You were also shocked and couldn't believe what you heard me say
What you heard yourself discuss
You were surprised at the words that came out of your own mouth during our discussion
As you packed up all your things
As you were leaving and gathering your belongings
And you said goodbye to us
You said farewell to both me and the relationship
Tell me what is in the way
I want to know what obstacles are blocking my love for you
In the way of my love for you
What is hindering my feelings and ability to love you
Yeah there's somethin' in the way
There is definitely something preventing me from loving you fully
And now there's nothing left to lose
Now that everything is gone, there is nothing left to risk or lose
And the screen just says fini
The relationship is over and the screen just indicates 'end'
And each night in separate rooms
Now we are sleeping in separate rooms every night
We cry separately
We both mourn and cry alone
And every day we yell
Every day we argue and yell at each other
Down each other's holes
We are digging at each other's sensitive spots and weaknesses
Two slippery strippers
We are akin to two pole dancers, slippery and unstable
Swinging round two poles
Round and round we go, never stable, never settled
I gotta get it out the way
I must remove the obstacle that is stopping me from loving you
Out the way of my love for you
I need to eliminate anything that may stand in the way of my love for you
We took down all the pictures
We took down all the photographs that reminded us of our past
And then we took down all the walls
We broke down all the emotional walls that were separating us
Packed up our expectations
We moved our hopes and expectations into the hallway
And piled em up in the hall
We laid them all out in preparation to move them
Yeah we bagged our future
We put our future together in a bag
And kicked it to the curb
We threw away our future and decided to start afresh
And then we stood there unencumbered
We stood there free of excess emotional baggage and ready to move on
And we stood there undeterred
We stood there resolute and not capable of being deterred
'cause we were done clinging
We were finished holding on to what was not meant to be
To the things
Our past expectations and emotions
We were afraid to lose
We were scared to let go of what we thought was important
And the only thing left
Now that everything is gone
Was a breathtaking view
All that remains is a beautiful sight and a new beginning
And you looked at me
We made eye contact
And I looked at you
We were looking at each other
And you said
You spoke up
How bout now baby?
What do you want to do now?
Now whatchoo want to do?
What is your plan going forward?
Now there's nothing in the way
Now that everything is cleared and stripped away
In the way of my love for you
I can now freely and fully love you
I had to get it out the way
I needed to purge the negative thoughts and feelings that were stopping me from loving you
Out the way of my love for you
So that I could love you the way I truly wanted to
Had to get it out the way
I was determined to remove any barrier that could stop me from loving you
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: ANI DIFRANCO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind