has developed a reputation as an intense performer and firebrand songwriter.
Her debut album ‘Poor Horse’ was voted into the Hotpress musicians' poll of Ireland's top
100 albums ever, while her second album We're Smiling has met with hearty critical acclaim
and a growing number of fresh converts.
Experimenting with unusual melodies, ideas and lyrics, Scott's musical armoury consists of a
range of left-field guitars, newfangled synths, detuned mandolas and some quirky ideas on how
to go about playing them.
A prolific writer and busy performer, Scott has shared the stage with artists as diverse as
Blondie and Fairport Convention, slogging hard on the live circuit between Ireland and the UK.
As a vocalist she is in frequent demand, during the past year alone singing on records for
Kila, David Kitt and Mark Geary, with whom she dueted for movies such as Loggerheads and Steel
City.
In 2005 her electronic collaboration for the Earsugar Jukebox Label under the guise of
Cracklebox received a gracious welcome in the UK garnering plays and praise on XFM, BBC1
and BBC 6.
Scott’s trump card however lies undoubtedly in her own work and in her instantly identifiable
voice. With this her second album, her own independent label, and the growing acclaim of fans
and peers alike, Scott continues to redefine and challenge herself as one of Ireland's most
original creative voices.
Stripes
Ann Scott Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He came alive he came awake
Wherever he meant to be
Was not for you was not for me
Thorn in my side I'll never speak
You made a vow you'll never keep
If ever you ever do
In my sleep at night
I'm not at peace
I turn off the lights
I'm not dreaming
Insomnia is never far I cannot lose
It waits for me as I wait for you
What will be will be undo everything
Come on set me free I won't give in
Till you can be mine only
You can be mine only, only, only, only
The lyrics of Ann Scott's song 'Stripes' convey a sense of unsettling unease and frustration, as the singer grapples with their inner darkness and the pain inflicted by another. The song's opening lines, "Cold as the night my devil waits / He came alive, he came awake," establish a sense of dread and foreboding. The devil, in this case, is likely a metaphor for the singer's inner demons and struggles.
The chorus of the song, with its repetition of the phrase "You can be mine only," seems to be directed at someone who has caused the singer pain, and who may not be fully present or committed in the relationship. The lines "Thorn in my side I'll never speak / You made a vow you'll never keep" suggest a sense of betrayal or disappointment, and the repeated request for the other person to be "mine only" underscores the singer's desire for a deeper connection and commitment.
The final lines of the song - "What will be will be undo everything / Come on set me free I won't give in / Till you can be mine only" - suggest that the singer is willing to let go of the pain and struggle, but only if the other person is equally committed and invested in the relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Cold as the night my devil waits
The singer's inner darkness lies dormant and unfelt until she is alone at night.
He came alive he came awake
Her inner darkness has a life of its own.
Wherever he meant to be
The darkness inside her does not belong to her; it has its own plans.
Was not for you was not for me
The artist cannot control or understand the darkness within her.
Thorn in my side I'll never speak
The artist will always be tormented by her inner demons and may never speak of them.
You made a vow you'll never keep
The people around the singer cannot keep her safe from her inner demons, no matter how much they might promise to.
If ever you ever do
The singer may be reluctantly giving someone a chance to help, but doesn't really believe they ever will.
Promise me I promise you
The artist will try to fight her inner darkness if someone offers to help her.
In my sleep at night
The artist's inner demons haunt her even in her dreams.
I'm not at peace
The artist cannot find solace or rest from her inner darkness.
I turn off the lights
The singer tries to close herself off from the world in order to fight her inner demons.
I'm not dreaming
The artist can't even find refuge from her inner darkness in her dreams.
Insomnia is never far I cannot lose
Sleeplessness is constant and inescapable for the singer as she tries to fight her inner demons.
It waits for me as I wait for you
Just as the singer is waiting for someone to help her, her insomnia and inner darkness are waiting for her to let her guard down.
What will be will be undo everything
The singer wants to erase everything about herself and start anew, but knows that fate can't be changed.
Come on set me free I won't give in
The artist wants someone to help her break free from her inner demons and won't give up the fight.
Till you can be mine only
The artist is waiting for someone to help her and make her feel like she belongs somewhere - that they are hers and she is theirs.
You can be mine only, only, only, only
The singer is fixated on the idea of belonging to someone and having that one person help her fight off her inner darkness.
Contributed by Addison H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.