Dear Paul
Barbie's Cradle Lyrics

Dear Paul oh my old friend
The singer is addressing a person named Paul who she has known for a long time and considers a friend.

I always liked you but you always liked to go
The singer has always had a favorable view of Paul, but he has never stayed in one place for very long.

I loved you from the classroom window
The singer had a romantic attraction to Paul while they were in school together.

But you were busy making girls like me miserable
Paul was known for being involved with multiple girls, and this behavior caused problems for the singer and others like her.

Chasing the high school girls
This line reinforces the idea that Paul was interested in younger girls and frequently pursued them.

Dear Paul I was changed
The singer's feelings towards Paul changed over time, likely due to his behavior and treatment of her.

My very first addiction was named after you
Paul was the subject of the singer's first obsession or infatuation.

And I stared and I shed some tears
The singer is reflecting on her emotions towards Paul and how they affected her over time.

Then started writing songs to comfort me while I wait
The singer turned to music as a way to cope with her feelings towards Paul and her waiting for him to reciprocate her feelings.

But like some things you never came
Despite her best efforts, the singer was never able to form a romantic relationship with Paul, and he never returned her affection.

don't you know eleven years is a long time
The singer is expressing frustration over the length of time she has waited for Paul to return her affections.

To freeze a heart eleven years is long enough
The singer has been waiting for so long that her emotions have become stagnant and unchanging.

To make a girl insane
The constant waiting and unrequited love has had a negative impact on the singer's mental health.

Dear Paul would you stay far
The singer is expressing a desire for distance from Paul in order to move on from her feelings for him.

And be the bicycle that I never had
The singer is comparing her desire for a new and healthy relationship to her childhood desire for a bicycle she was never able to have.

And I've tried different kinds of ice cream
The singer has experimented with other romantic partners or experiences.

And some made my throat sore
These experiences may have been unpleasant or painful for the singer.

But you were only bliss
Despite the negative aspects of her feelings towards Paul, the singer still associates him with positive emotions and experiences.

So ill visit you in dream
The singer has accepted that a romantic relationship with Paul is not possible, and she will only encounter him in her dreams or memories.

Cause you know eleven years is a long time
The singer is repeating this line to emphasize how much time has passed and how long she has waited for an outcome that has never been realized.

To freeze a heart eleven years is long enough
This line is repeated to reinforce the idea that the singer's emotions have been stagnant and unchanging because of the length of time she has waited for Paul.

To make a girl insane Paul
The singer's emotions towards Paul have had a negative impact on her mental state and well-being.

You make a girl insane Paul
This line is repeated to emphasize the negative impact Paul has had on the singer and her emotions.

You make a girl insane Paul
The repetition of this line at the end of the song further emphasizes the singer's frustration and negative emotions towards Paul.