Tell Me Tell Me
Anita Lipnicka; Porter Lyrics
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When you close your amber eyes
When the sparkle fades away
And what remains of you is just a child
Tell me, tell me what you miss
When you melt in my embrace
When your sky explodes so bright
You only are to me
What I can make of you
From day to day I chase
An ever changing view.
Tell me, tell me what it is
That you leave outside the door
When you come back late at night
Wearing touch - proof skin beneath your coat
You're a star I want to catch
You're a ship I want to sink
But I only pass you by
And when I get too close you disappear
So tell me, tell me, tell me
what you feel
When you look into my eyes
When the world around us fades
And all that's left is the beating of our hearts
The lyrics of Porter's song "Tell Me Tell Me" explore the theme of trying to understand the innermost thoughts and feelings of a loved one. The first stanza delves into the idea of a person's vulnerability, with the singer asking what remains of a loved one when their exterior "sparkle" fades, revealing the inner child within. The second stanza focuses on the idea that, despite knowing and loving someone, there is always a part of them that remains a mystery - the cracks within that reveal themselves only when they melt in the singer's embrace. The final stanza is a plea for honesty and understanding, the singer asking for their love interest to tell them what they feel when they look into each other's eyes.
One interesting fact about the song is that it was originally written and recorded by Australian indie rock band The Panics, before being covered by Mexican singer-songwriter Ximena Sariñana in 2014. It was then covered again by Polish singer-songwriter Anita Lipnicka in 2015, who made it a hit in Poland. Another interesting fact is that the song's music video was directed by Academy Award-winning director Andrzej Wajda. The video features Lipnicka and Polish actor Marcin Dorocinski in a series of intimate moments, emphasizing the song's focus on understanding and connection.
The chords for "Tell Me Tell Me" are not readily available, as they may differ depending on which version of the song is being played. However, the song is generally played in a moderate tempo with a simple chord progression that follows the melody of the vocal line.
Line by Line Meaning
Tell me, tell me what you see
Please describe to me everything you observe when you shut your amber eyes.
When the sparkle fades away
When everything starts to disappear and become dull.
And what remains of you is just a child
When only a child-like essence of yourself stays behind after everything else fades.
Tell me, tell me what you miss
Please communicate to me that which you desire and long for.
When you melt in my embrace
When you experience warmth and safety in my arms to the point of melting.
When your sky explodes so bright
When you experience an intense and vibrant sensation that resembles an exploding sky.
And all the cracks within reveal themselves
When all the inner struggles and difficulties become apparent.
You only are to me
In my eyes, you are solely what I make of you.
What I can make of you
You can only become what I choose to shape you into.
From day to day I chase
Every day, I pursue a different ideal version of you.
An ever changing view.
My perspective on you and what you can become is constantly evolving.
Tell me, tell me what it is
Please tell me what you are leaving outside of the door when you come in late at night.
That you leave outside the door
What do you abandon and shut out when you walk through the door.
Wearing touch - proof skin beneath your coat
Wearing an impenetrable exterior that no one can affect or change.
You're a star I want to catch
You are a brilliant and precious thing I want to acquire.
You're a ship I want to sink
You are something I want to completely destroy and consume.
But I only pass you by
But I only end up bypassing you and not acquiring or destroying you.
And when I get too close you disappear
Whenever I try to get close to you, you vanish and become unattainable.
So tell me, tell me, tell me
So please communicate to me every single thing I want to know.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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