A Whorehouse Is Any House
Bonnie 'Prince' Billy Lyrics


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there's a woman i see at a bar that's near me
that catches my eye repeatedly
and so it's ? that i wait until four
when the bar turns its lights out and closes the door

and then i may follow her cautiously home
where she would go walking or stumbling alone
and i can't help but want to see her at her window
and to want to approach her and stand just alone

and i needed so much to have nothing to touch
and i wanted so dear to have nothing so near
and to render the city unbounded and pretty
so to slip in and out of her and then to slip off

goodbye to the city, goodbye to the girl
her room is left standing, her room is my world
and it it she slips into bed without thinking
and i follow closely for i have been drinking

and slip in beside her and she doesn't stir so
i settle up closer and warmer to her
and so the night passes and so the sun comes
as we sleep and we wander on what we have done

and i needed so much to have nothing to touch
and i wanted so dear to have nothing so near




and to render the city unbounded and pretty
so to slip in and out of her and then to slip off

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy’s song A Whorehouse Is Any House are quite cryptic, and their true meaning might not be immediately apparent to all listeners. At the surface level, the song seems to talk about the singer’s fascination and desire for a woman he keeps seeing at a bar. He follows her home, watches her through her window, and eventually slips into her bed while she's asleep. However, there's a sense of emptiness and detachment in the way he describes these interactions. He says he wants nothing to touch and nothing so near, suggesting he’s maybe hesitant to form any real emotional connections.


The lines “And to render the city unbounded and pretty / So to slip in and out of her and then to slip off” add an interesting layer to the song. Here, the singer seems to suggest that, to him, the city and his sexual encounters are interchangeable. They both offer a momentary escape from his reality. There's no judgment attached to this behavior, but it does seem to indicate a certain level of disconnectedness from the world around him.


Overall, the song is a reflection on how people can use others to escape their problems and feelings of isolation. It's also an insightful exploration of the darker side of human desire and how it intersects with loneliness.


Line by Line Meaning

there's a woman i see at a bar that's near me
I have my eyes set on a woman at a nearby bar


that catches my eye repeatedly
I can't resist being drawn to her


and so it's ? that i wait until four
I wait until the bar closes at four


when the bar turns its lights out and closes the door
So I can follow her home without being seen


and then i may follow her cautiously home
I stealthily follow her to her house


where she would go walking or stumbling alone
Where she walks, perhaps unsteady from drinking


and i can't help but want to see her at her window
I am compelled to see her at her window


and to want to approach her and stand just alone
And to stand near her, feeling alone


and i needed so much to have nothing to touch
I desired to not touch anything


and i wanted so dear to have nothing so near
I longed to have nothing close to me


and to render the city unbounded and pretty
I aimed to make the city limitless and attractive


so to slip in and out of her and then to slip off
So that I could enter her home and leave undetected


goodbye to the city, goodbye to the girl
I part ways with the city and the girl


her room is left standing, her room is my world
But her room is all that matters to me now


and it it she slips into bed without thinking
She climbed into bed without hesitation


and i follow closely for i have been drinking
I track closely behind her, drunk


and slip in beside her and she doesn't stir so
I join her in bed, and she's undisturbed


i settle up closer and warmer to her
I snuggle up closer and warmer to her


and so the night passes and so the sun comes
We spend the night together, and the day breaks


as we sleep and we wander on what we have done
We sleep and reflect on our actions


and i needed so much to have nothing to touch
I yearned for an unfeeling existence


and i wanted so dear to have nothing so near
I wished for nothing to be close to me


and to render the city unbounded and pretty
I wanted to create a boundless, beautiful city


so to slip in and out of her and then to slip off
So that I could sneak in and out of her home without a trace




Contributed by Mila M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

graziela paes

uma das melhores!

graziela paes

there's a woman i see at a bar that's near me
that catches my eye repeatedly
and so it's ? that i wait until four
when the bar turns its lights out and closes the door
and then i may follow her cautiously home
where she would go walking or stumbling alone
and i can't help but want to see her at her window
and to want to approach her and stand just alone
and i needed so much to have nothing to touch
and i wanted so dear to have nothing so near
and to render the city unbounded and pretty
so to slip in and out of her and then to slip off
goodbye to the city, goodbye to the girl
her room is left standing, her room is my world
and it it she slips into bed without thinking
and i follow closely for i have been drinking
and slip in beside her and she doesn't stir so
i settle up closer and warmer to her
and so the night passes and so the sun comes
as we sleep and we wander on what we have done
and i needed so much to have nothing to touch
and i wanted so dear to have nothing so near
and to render the city unbounded and pretty
so to slip in and out of her and then to slip off

Benjamin Berke

You picked a great picture. How'd you pick it?

Just win, Felipe!

With their eyes, I'm presuming........ lal!

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