Suicide Girl
Belle and Sebastian Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She wants,
To be a suicide girl.
I'll take her picture,
For the whole wide world.
I've known her for a long time,
You could say that I'm a fan,
But I always thought that I would be her man.
My friend,
She wants,
To be the girl of suicide.
She wants a number,
For her radical side.
I know that she is special,
I can see what she has got,
But without her gloves and garnered clothes (?)
She will take them to the world,
Exposed, she gives it all away.
My friend,
She sometimes gets anxiety and stress.
She got a man,
From the NHS.
She proclaims a week of sadness!
She's abstained from telling jokes!
The world will see her poor image, (?)
A butterfly to empathy.
I know that I can do it,
I'm in to light, I'm in to shade.
But let's face the facts,
We ain't goin' back,
When she takes off her clothes we'll never be the same again!
The Belle and Sebastian song "Suicide Girl" tells the story of a man who is devoted to his female friend who wants to become a "suicide girl" - the term used in the song to refer to models who are part of the SuicideGirls brand. The singer, who has known the girl for a long time, is conflicted - on one hand, he's happy to take her picture and support her dream, but on the other hand, he's jealous of the idea of her being with someone else. The lyrics capture the singer's complicated emotions, from his admiration for her uniqueness, to his frustration with her anxiety and sadness.
Throughout the song, there's an underlying tension between the idea of being "exposed" - whether it's taking off one's clothes for a photo shoot or revealing one's true emotions - and the desire for intimacy and connection. The line "But let's face the facts, we ain't goin' back, when she takes off her clothes we'll never be the same again" serves as a kind of warning or acknowledgement that something has shifted irreversibly between the two friends.
It's a complex and poignant song about identity, creativity, and vulnerability, and captures the intricacies of human relationships with a subtlety and grace that is typical of Belle and Sebastian's music.
Line by Line Meaning
My friend,
The singer is referring to their friend who desires to be a Suicide Girl.
She wants,
The friend desires to be a part of Suicide Girls.
To be a suicide girl.
The friend wants to be a part of a collective of women (Suicide Girls) who symbolize feminism, liberation and anti-establishment.
I'll take her picture,
The artist wants to take a photograph of their friend to share with the world.
For the whole wide world.
The photograph of the friend will be intended for people to view and to appreciate her beauty.
I've known her for a long time,
The singer has been acquainted with their friend for some time.
You could say that I'm a fan,
The singer admires their friend.
But I always thought that I would be her man.
The artist had romantic feelings for their friend before she became interested in joining Suicide Girls.
She wants a number,
The friend desires to have a unique identification number or a pseudonym that’s associated with being a Suicide Girl.
For her radical side.
The friend has acknowledged that she has a rebellious side and wants to express it in the form of Suicide Girls.
I know that she is special,
The singer truly believes in how unique and extraordinary the friend really is.
I can see what she has got,
The artist recognizes the friend’s talent, beauty, creativity and potential.
But without her gloves and garnered clothes (?),
The singer believes that their friend won't be considered unique enough as there would be a lot of Suicide Girls, unless she holds a unique outfit or accessory.
She will take them to the world,
The friend will reveal her free-spiritedness and body in front of the whole world.
Exposed, she gives it all away.
By posing as a Suicide Girl, the friend feels truly free and liberated.
She sometimes gets anxiety and stress.
The friend can face significant mood instability caused by body dysmorphia and self-doubt.
She got a man,
The friend is now in a relationship with someone else.
From the NHS.
The singer implies that the man being referred to is medicated by the National Health Service (NHS).
She proclaims a week of sadness!
The singer refers to the friend going through a temporary phase of sadness, indicated by the word 'proclaims'.
She's abstained from telling jokes!
The friend is feeling distressed or serious and is unable to make jokes right now.
The world will see her poor image, (?),
The artist is fearful that their friend might be objectified for her physical looks and could gain a negative image.
A butterfly to empathy.
The friend is fragile, and needs a moment to cocoon and metamorphosize, implying that she needs love, care and support from people around her.
I know that I can do it,
The singer feels that they are capable of taking the best photos of their friend.
I'm in to light, I'm in to shade.
The artist is skilled in taking photographs in different light sources, conditions, and angles.
But let's face the facts,
The singer wants to acknowledge the reality of the situation or life in general.
We ain't goin' back,
The singer reiterates that at a certain point in life, regardless of whether it was good or bad, it’s simply not possible to go back or younger.
When she takes off her clothes we'll never be the same again!
The singer confirms that the moment the friend gets undressed to pose for Suicide Girls the view of her or the perception of her will never be the same again.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BOB KILDEA, CHRISTOPHER GEDDES, MICHAEL COOKE, RICHARD COLBURN, SARAH MARTIN, STEPHEN JACKSON, STUART MURDOCH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@VenomEmi
My friend,
She wants,
To be a suicide girl.
I'll take her picture,
For the whole wide world.
I've known her for a long time,
You could say that I'm a fan,
But I always thought that I would be her man.
My friend,
She wants,
To be the girl of suicide.
She wants a number,
For her radical side.
I know that she is special,
I can see what she has got,
But without her gloves and garnered clothes (?)
She will take them to the world,
Exposed, she gives it all away.
My friend,
She sometimes gets anxiety and stress.
She got a man,
From the NHS.
She proclaims a week of sadness!
She's abstained from telling jokes!
The world will see her poor image, (?)
A butterfly to empathy.
I know that I can do it,
I'm in to light, I'm in to shade.
But let's face the facts,
We ain't goin' back,
When she takes off her clothes we'll never be the same again
@Ididntaskforahandleyoutube
Belle and Sebastian's EPs are better than most bands LPs. Incredible band.
@jenniferisgreen
great song!! I love it!
@rociomicol8276
Awesome song! I didn't know about bonus tracks in "Write about love". It made my day :D
@antonioc138
great song =) keep up the good work Vaynor
@KingBurgermon
Weird how the best track on this album is a bonus track
@MLZHftw
What a nice and catchy song. I believe it's about being in love with a girl who wants to be a porn-star. That must suck, loving a girl who is willing to give her 'love' away to the whole world, naked, on camera. One short moment of true love means so much more than a video that will last forever and can be re-watched over and over.
@Ididntaskforahandleyoutube
That's a great take and a great truth. Cheers, mate.
@loritobby1
great song
@BobDylansPet
the video to this song on vimeo is one of the most beautiful things i have seen in my life.
@Shevelyoff
Хороший бонус-трек. )))