Delicately and respectfully blending the mystical magic of Bon Iver with the raw sensibilities of the likes of Kurt Cobain and Regina Spektor, Annie Eve pours sugar and bitter spice into her angelic compositions with disturbing ease and sincerity.
Eve’s unusual grasp of language and awkward perspective bleeds into her lyrics and fuels an enchanting and haunting style of music. Deriving her influences from tormented poets to her own experiences, Eve blends her sense of the raw and the irrational to create original and evocative songs.
Elvis
Annie Eve Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With all this fighting lately Ive been wondering,
I never realised how vicious you could seem,
Tread so hard and flip this state Im in,
Spoken up you told me once to be strong,
I guess you meant with everybody but you did,
I go to leave he grabs my wrist and breaks my fist I try to hit him,
Why would I,
I can feel me changing and feel this rearranging,
Our love aint been decided yet,
I feel like if I aint careful and baby you wont be careful,
Elvis,
These wild roots are cracking my composure,
I went ahead and started drinking on my own,
Upon this hill Im high enough to breathe the air before its touched by someone else,
Just like your chest I need to breathe some,
My brother told me this would happen if Id let it,
I couldnt get myself to keep myself away,
I started drinking way before I ever met him,
I think you know that but you keep that ship at bay,
I go to leave he grabs my wrist and breaks my fist I try to hit him,
Why would I,
Why would I,
And I can feel me changing and feel this rearranging,
Our love aint been decided yet,
I feel like if I aint careful and baby you wont be careful,
Elvis.
The lyrics of Annie Eve’s song “Elvis” hint at a troubled and potentially abusive relationship. The lines, “With all this fighting lately I’ve been wondering, I never realized how vicious you could seem,” set the tone for the rest of the song. The singer questions whether what she wants is worth the struggle and pain that comes with being in a relationship that is clearly unhealthy. The lyrics continue to reveal instances of physical violence, with the singer describing how her partner broke her wrist and how she tried to hit him. The repeated question “Why would I” adds a layer of complexity to the situation, suggesting that the singer may feel trapped in this cycle of abuse.
The chorus of the song, where the repeated phrase “Elvis” is introduced, is enigmatic. It could be a reference to Elvis Presley, the “king of rock and roll,” perhaps suggesting that the power dynamics in the relationship are imbalanced, with the partner taking on the role of an overbearing, controlling figure. Alternatively, it could be seen as a plea for help, with the singer invoking Elvis Presley as a symbol of a man who had it all but who was ultimately brought down by his own demons. The line, “I feel like if I ain't careful and baby you won't be careful, Elvis” suggests the singer is acutely aware that the relationship might be heading down a dangerous path.
Overall, “Elvis” is a haunting and emotionally charged song that touches on themes of love, abuse, and self-preservation. Annie Eve’s sparse instrumentation, coupled with her plaintive voice, elevates the song to a higher level of intensity.
Line by Line Meaning
How do you know if what you want is worth it,
Annie is pondering whether it's worthwhile to continue with this relationship, given their recent fights and disagreements.
With all this fighting lately Ive been wondering,
Annie is questioning the relationship due to recent conflicts and arguments.
I never realised how vicious you could seem,
Annie is surprised by her partner's aggressive behavior.
Tread so hard and flip this state Im in,
Annie feels emotionally unstable and is struggling to handle the situation.
Spoken up you told me once to be strong,
Annie's partner advised her to be strong, but only in dealing with other people.
I guess you meant with everybody but you did,
Annie feels her partner has been hypocritical and not living up to his own advice.
I go to leave he grabs my wrist and breaks my fist I try to hit him,
Annie attempts to leave, but her partner becomes physically violent and injures her.
Why would I,
Annie questions why she would stay in a relationship if her partner hurts her.
I can feel me changing and feel this rearranging,
Annie feels like she is changing as a person due to the stress and instability of the relationship.
Our love aint been decided yet,
Annie feels uncertain about the future of their relationship.
I feel like if I aint careful and baby you wont be careful,
Annie fears that if she doesn't take care of herself, her partner will continue to be abusive and hurt her.
Elvis,
Annie uses the name 'Elvis' as a metaphor for her partner's abusive nature.
These wild roots are cracking my composure,
Annie's emotional state is deteriorating due to her partner's behavior.
I went ahead and started drinking on my own,
Annie turns to alcohol as a coping mechanism to deal with the stress of the relationship.
Upon this hill Im high enough to breathe the air before its touched by someone else,
Annie is seeking solitude to escape the toxicity of the relationship.
Just like your chest I need to breathe some,
Annie feels suffocated by the relationship and needs space to breathe.
My brother told me this would happen if Id let it,
Annie's brother warned her that the relationship would turn out badly if she pursued it.
I couldnt get myself to keep myself away,
Despite her brother's warning, Annie still pursued the relationship.
I started drinking way before I ever met him,
Annie has struggled with alcohol abuse before the relationship began.
I think you know that but you keep that ship at bay,
Annie's partner is aware of her struggles with alcohol but doesn't acknowledge them, ignoring the problem.
Contributed by Anthony L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.