Tea For Two
Bishop Allen Lyrics


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Come inside, shut the door
Grab the blankets off the floor
Let your sneakers dry there on the radiator
Here we are, winter again
Brittle bones and prickled skin
All the geese have flown
I wish I was a hibernator
And tonight it's clear to me
How a country could secede

We keep close, huddle tight
Near the stove, blue and bright
While the kettle warms, how long have we waited?
If they took this joy away
Small it is, but ours today
Well I know, I know, I wanna be liberated

And tonight it's clear to me
How a country could secede
For a cup of tea
For a cup of tea
For a cup of tea!

Here I am, for by sea
They took our bombs to take our tea
We will ring our bells to warn of their arrival
We keep close, huddled tight
Me and you, we'll be alright
And this tea for two will aid in our survival

And tonight it's clear to me
How a country could secede
For a cup of tea!




For a cup of tea!
For a cup of tea!

Overall Meaning

The song "Tea For Two" by Bishop Allen is an ode to the comfort of winter, the joy of simple pleasures, and the idea of independence. It begins with an invitation to come inside, shut the door and snuggle up with some blankets by the radiator. The first verse paints a picture of winter with its brittle bones, prickled skin, and the absence of geese. The desire to hibernate is evident, but the human spirit is stronger than that, and this is where the chorus comes in. The insight in the chorus is that a country could secede just for a cup of tea. The idea is that simple pleasures are taken for granted, and the need for them can be so strong that a country might be willing to fight for it.


The second verse focuses on the joy of tea, how waiting for the kettle to boil can be a moment of anticipation, and how the presence of warmth can help us forget about the cold outside. The chorus is repeated, but this time the idea of independence is added to the mix. The suggestion is that if one's joy was taken away, they might want to break free, find liberation and be willing to fight for it. The third verse tells the story of how the British tried to take away the tea from the colonies, and the colonies fought back, ringing their bells in protest. The message is that the human spirit will always seek independence and freedom, even if it's just for a cup of tea.


Line by Line Meaning

Come inside, shut the door
Let's enter the warm indoors and close out the cold


Grab the blankets off the floor
Pick up the blankets and make yourself comfortable


Let your sneakers dry there on the radiator
Place your wet shoes on the radiator and let them dry


Here we are, winter again
Winter has returned once again


Brittle bones and prickled skin
Our bodies are affected by the harsh winter cold


All the geese have flown
The geese have departed for warmer climates


I wish I was a hibernator
I wish I could hibernate and avoid the cold winter weather


And tonight it's clear to me
I now understand fully


How a country could secede
How a nation could separate and become independent


We keep close, huddle tight
We stay close together for warmth


Near the stove, blue and bright
We gather around the blue and bright stove


While the kettle warms, how long have we waited?
As the kettle heats up, we wonder how long we've been anticipating this warmth


If they took this joy away
If this warmth was taken from us


Small it is, but ours today
Even though it's a small source of joy, it's still ours to have today


Well I know, I know, I wanna be liberated
I desire to be free from the cold and to have this moment of warmth


Here I am, for by sea
I've arrived here by sea


They took our bombs to take our tea
They confiscated our bombs to take our tea


We will ring our bells to warn of their arrival
We will ring our bells to let others know of the impending arrival of outsiders


Me and you, we'll be alright
We will be fine together


And this tea for two will aid in our survival
This shared cup of tea will help us survive the cold and any external threats


For a cup of tea!
All of this is worth it for a simple cup of tea




Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Christian Rudder, Justin Rice

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@LosersIncorporated

This is one of my favorites! I love this songg ^^

@glenbeck1294

This sounds just like my favorite band, Bumblebees

@lizethyo

@LosersIncorporated For a cup of tea :)

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