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".
School Night
Ani DiFranco Lyrics
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clutching her decision
and he said, did you come here to tell me goodbye?
so she built a skyscraper of procrastination
and then she leaned out the twenty-fifth floor window
of her reply
and she felt like an actress
just reading her lines
yes. it's really goodbye this time
and far below was the blacktop
and the tiny toy cars
and it all fell so fast
and it all fell so far
and she said:
you are a miracle but that is not all
you are also a stiff drink and i am on call
you are a party and i am a school night
and i'm lookin' for my door key
but you are my porch light
and you'll never know, dear
just how much i loved you
you'll probably think this was
just my big excuse
but i stand committed
to a love that came before you
and the fact that i adore you
is but one of my truths
what of the mother
whose house is in flames
and both of her children
are in their beds crying
and she loves them both
with the whole of her heart
but she knows she can only
carry one at a time?
she's choking on the smoke
of unthinkable choices
she is haunted by the voices
of so many desires
she's bent over from the business
of begging forgiveness
while frantically running around
putting out fires
but then what kind of scale
compares the weight of two beauties
the gravity of duties
or the ground speed of joy?
tell me what kind of gauge
can quantify elation?
what kind of equation
could i possibly employ?
and you'll never know, dear
just how much i loved you
you probably think this was
just my big excuse
but i stand committed
to a love that came before you
and the fact that i adore you
is just one of my truths
so i
i'm goin' home
to please the one i so love pleasing
and i don't expect
he'll have much sympathy for my grieving
but i guess that this is the price
that we pay for the privilege
of living for even a day
in a world with so many things
worth believing
in
The song "School Night" by Ani DiFranco is an emotional, introspective ballad that explores the conflicts and choices that arise in relationships. The first verse tells the story of a woman who goes to her lover's apartment to tell him goodbye. She struggles to find the right words, but finally comes out with it, and as she's about to leave, looks out the window at the street far below. The second verse introduces another woman, a mother whose house is on fire and she has to choose which of her children to save. The two stories are intertwined as the chorus repeats: "You are a party and I am a school night, and I'm looking for my door key, but you are my porch light. And you'll never know, dear, just how much I loved you. You'll probably think this was just my big excuse, but I stand committed to a love that came before you, and the fact that I adore you is but one of my truths."
The lyrics of "School Night" are a profound examination of the complexities of love, duty, and choice. The two stories intertwined in the song both deal with difficult choices that must be made, and the chorus suggests that even though the actions taken may appear selfish or even cruel, the motivations behind them are rooted in love. The woman leaving her lover may seem heartless at first, but she is committed to a love that came before him, and her need to be true to that love is greater than her desire to stay with him. Similarly, the mother with the burning house has to choose between her children, and while the choice may seem impossible, she knows that the most loving thing she can do is save one of them.
Line by Line Meaning
she went over to his apartment
She went to his apartment, carrying with her a life-changing decision.
clutching her decision
She held tightly onto the decision that she had made.
and he said, did you come here to tell me goodbye?
He asked if she came to say a final goodbye to him.
so she built a skyscraper of procrastination
She delayed telling him the truth by making excuses.
and then she leaned out the twenty-fifth floor window of her reply
She finally revealed the truth to him.
and she felt like an actress just reading her lines
She felt like she was acting while telling him the truth.
when she finally said yes. it's really goodbye this time
She finally told him that she was leaving him for good.
and far below was the blacktop and the tiny toy cars
She looked out and saw the vastness of the world, with people far below living their lives.
and it all fell so fast and it all fell so far
She watched as the world seemed to pass her by in an instant.
and she said: you are a miracle but that is not all
She addressed her partner, acknowledging that he was special but not everything to her.
you are also a stiff drink and i am on call
She likened him to a drink that could temporarily satisfy her, but it wasn't enough.
you are a party and i am a school night
She compared herself to a school night, while he was more like a party.
and i'm lookin' for my door key but you are my porch light
She was searching for something else, but he was always there, like a guiding light.
and you'll never know, dear just how much i loved you
She regretted that he would never understand the depth of her love for him.
you'll probably think this was just my big excuse
She knew that he would think this was just an excuse to leave him.
but i stand committed to a love that came before you
She was still committed to a love that she had before they met.
and the fact that i adore you is but one of my truths
She acknowledged that she did indeed love him, but it wasn't enough.
what of the mother whose house is in flames
She posed the question of a mother whose life is in chaos.
and both of her children are in their beds crying
Her children are helpless and crying.
and she loves them both with the whole of her heart
She loves them both equally with all her heart.
but she knows she can only carry one at a time?
She realizes that she can only do so much at once.
she's choking on the smoke of unthinkable choices
She's troubled with the weight of her decisions.
she is haunted by the voices of so many desires
She struggles with the different paths that she could take.
she's bent over from the business of begging forgiveness
She's tired from constantly apologizing for her decisions.
while frantically running around putting out fires
She's hurrying to fix her problems before anything else goes wrong.
but then what kind of scale compares the weight of two beauties
She muses about the difficulty of choosing between two things of equal value.
the gravity of duties or the ground speed of joy?
She wonders whether it's more important to fulfill responsibilities or to chase after happiness.
tell me what kind of gauge can quantify elation?
She asks whether it's possible to measure happiness or satisfaction effectively.
what kind of equation could i possibly employ?
She acknowledges that there really isn't a clear-cut answer to her questions.
and i'm lookin' for my door key but you are my porch light
She reiterates her earlier point about her partner being a constant part of her life.
and you'll never know, dear just how much i loved you
She repeats her regret that he'll never truly know how much she loved him.
you probably think this was just my big excuse
She restates that he'll perceive this as a lie.
but i stand committed to a love that came before you
She repeats her loyalty to her earlier love.
and the fact that i adore you is just one of my truths
She repeats her love for him, but notes that it isn't everything.
so i i'm goin' home to please the one i so love pleasing
She decides to go back to what makes her truly happy.
and i don't expect he'll have much sympathy for my grieving
She doesn't expect anyone to understand her reasons for leaving.
but i guess that this is the price that we pay for the privilege of living for even a day in a world with so many things worth believing in
She concludes that living in a world full of possibilities comes with a cost - having to make tough choices and the risk of getting hurt.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: ANI DIFRANCO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind