Secrets of the heart
B. Gibbard & A. Kenny Lyrics
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Waiting at your door, leaning up against the jamb
Going all the way
make you sing my guitar
It's late and I can't stay
The secrets of the heart
On the study floor with the words in your hands
You pull the hairpin out, now
But you were a mistake
You can sing to my guitar
It's late and I can't stay
The secrets of the heart
In the beginning of the song, the person is waiting outside the singer's house, leaning up against the door jamb of their Sedan. The singer is struggling with the secrets of their heart, trying to find a way to express their love or emotions through their guitar. The singer is so in love with this person that they can't help but want to make them sing with their guitar, but they know that it's late and they can't stay.
Later in the song, the singer and their love interest are sitting on the study floor with words in their hands, presumably lyrics or a poem. The love interest takes out a hairpin which may very well symbolize that they're letting their hair down and being vulnerable. The singer then tells the love interest that they were a mistake, but that they can still sing to their guitar. The secrets of their heart can't be hidden any longer and they need to express them.
Overall, the song is about two people who are in love but are struggling with expressing their emotions. The singer is determined to make their love interest sing with their guitar, but they know that their time is running out.
Line by Line Meaning
Staring out the glass of your tired sedan
Looking through the window of your exhausted car
Waiting at your door, leaning up against the jamb
Standing by your entrance, resting against the frame
Going all the way
Fully committing to the situation
Make you sing my guitar
Using my instrument to make you feel and express emotions
It's late and I can't stay
Acknowledging the time and need to leave
The secrets of the heart
The undisclosed secrets and emotions within oneself
On the study floor with the words in your hands
Sitting on the floor with the words in your possession
You pull the hairpin out, now
Removing the hair accessory
And down pour the strands
Causing the hair to fall down
But you were a mistake
Realizing that the encounter was a regrettable error in judgment
You can sing to my guitar
Having me help you express your emotions through music
It's late and I can't stay
Reiterating that the time has come to leave
The secrets of the heart
Once again alluding to the undisclosed emotions within oneself
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: NOEL FRANCIS QUINLAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@codydurning1127
relearning this sweet jam
@Shitakemushdoggystyl
so good.
@ohmyupoorchild
This song is written and sang by Andrew Kenny. I love The Wooden Birds as well. Please tell me you listen to American Analog Set? :D
@pedalpowered1
This is not the EP version
@guitarsandvideogames
am, c, d, c
@Rackatiakka
American Analog Set > Wooden Birds unfortunately. Both are quite nice. I think Kenny got better at lyrics with the Birds, however. Listen to the album 'Know By Heart' for starters. Skip the postman maybe. hahaha
@ArmanzaSuperNova
birds lyrics are killer, Amanset is unbeatable...