Here is some background information on Clear Heart Full Eyes from the No Future Songfacts . In early 2011 Hold Steady frontman Craig Finn challenged himself to write a new song every day in his Brooklyn apartment for his first solo album. "I had written a bunch of songs that were outside of the norm for The Hold Steady, a little quieter and perhaps more narrative," he said. "I wanted to gain some experience and insight into the process of making a record by working with new people." Finn enlisted producer Mike McCarthy (Spoon) and traveled to an Austin, Texas studio far away from his New York comfort zone. He hooked up with some local musicians there, including members of Phosphorescent and White Denim and sang his vocals live, keeping takes to a minimum and completed recording in a few days. The resulting album, Clear Heart Full Eyes was released on January 24, 2012 on Vagrant Records.
Not Much Left Of Us
Craig Finn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But we can't go back
Man, I'd take off tomorrow if I had any cash
The cigarettes got the best of us
There's not much left of us
And there's still a little bit
And we can split it up
Sometimes lonely is easy. Sometimes together is too tough
There's not much left of us
The part that remains is rotten and bruised
The soft spot on a piece of fruit
We can cut off the black and eat at the rest
And that's probably what we're gonna do
And from what I understand
He's just some boy with a band
But when I walked by the park you were holding his hand
You dropped it like it was hot to the touch
There's not much left of us
And so you went with him. Down to Birmingham
Stayed in some fancy hotel on a credit card scam
Left in a limo. Came back on the bus
With not much left of us
The part that remains is rotten and bruised
The soft spot on the passion fruit
We can cut off the black and feast on the rest
There are nights I'm still in love with you
And the dreams they come. And they won't go away
I keep seeing the things that we don't want to say
Up on the sun and down to the bone
There's not much left of us
Because you went with him
The song Not Much Left of Us by Craig Finn paints a poignant picture of a relationship that is slowly falling apart. The lyrics express sadness and regret, with the singer acknowledging that there is little left of the couple's love, intimacy, and happiness. The opening verse begins with the singer expressing a desire to go back, to a time when things were better. However, the harsh reality is that it's impossible to turn back time, and the couple is left with a bleak present. The use of the repetitious phrase “there’s not much left of us” throughout the song creates a sense of finality and resignation.
The second verse suggests that the singer and their partner are trying to work things out, but it's not easy. They are lonely together and apart, and their struggles with addiction have taken their toll. The singer compares what's left of their relationship to a piece of rotten fruit, acknowledging that whatever remains is decaying and spoiled. However, instead of throwing it away entirely, they will try to cut off the bad parts and make the best of what's left.
The final verse shows how things have come to an end. The singer discovers their partner with someone else, and they choose to leave with the new person. They go to Birmingham, staying in a fancy hotel using a stolen credit card. However, they come back on the bus, with nothing left of their relationship. The singer is left with only memories and dreams of what they had, but it seems clear that there is no hope of reigniting the flame.
Overall, the song Not Much Left of Us is about the pain of lost love, loneliness, and addiction. It's a melancholic song that deals with themes of regret and acceptance, but also the hope that remains in trying to make the best of a bad situation.
Line by Line Meaning
He said I'd like to go back
The singer expressed a desire to go back to a previous time
But we can't go back
The situation has changed and it's not possible to reverse it
Man, I'd take off tomorrow if I had any cash
The singer wishes to leave their current situation but lacks the means to do so
The cigarettes got the best of us
Smoking has contributed to the deterioration of their physical and emotional health
There's not much left of us
Their relationship and sense of self has been greatly diminished
And there's still a little bit
Despite their current state, there is still some hope or remnants of what once was
And we can split it up
They can divide what remains equally or amicably
I can walk by the park and see if anything is up
The artist considers revisiting a specific location in hopes of finding something worthwhile
Sometimes lonely is easy. Sometimes together is too tough
Being alone is sometimes more comfortable than being with another person
There's not much left of us
Their relationship and sense of self has been greatly diminished
The part that remains is rotten and bruised
What is left is damaged and unpleasant
The soft spot on a piece of fruit
This specific image is used to describe the remaining fragments of their relationship
We can cut off the black and eat at the rest
They can try to salvage what is left of their relationship by discarding the bad and focusing on what good remains
And that's probably what we're gonna do
This is likely the course of action they will take
And from what I understand
The singer has heard something secondhand and is unsure of its accuracy
He's just some boy with a band
The person their partner left them for is a musician
But when I walked by the park you were holding his hand
The artist witnessed their partner openly displaying affection towards their new partner
You dropped it like it was hot to the touch
Their partner quickly let go of their new partner's hand upon seeing the singer
There's not much left of us
Their relationship and sense of self has been greatly diminished
And so you went with him. Down to Birmingham
Their partner went on a trip with their new partner to Birmingham
Stayed in some fancy hotel on a credit card scam
Their trip was financed through fraudulent means
Left in a limo. Came back on the bus
Their luxurious mode of transport on the way there was a limo, but they returned on a bus
With not much left of us
Their relationship and sense of self has been greatly diminished
The part that remains is rotten and bruised
What is left is damaged and unpleasant
The soft spot on the passion fruit
This specific image is used to describe the remaining fragments of their relationship
We can cut off the black and feast on the rest
They can try to salvage what is left of their relationship by discarding the bad and focusing on what good remains
There are nights I'm still in love with you
Although their relationship is damaged, the singer still has feelings for their partner
And the dreams they come. And they won't go away
The artist continues to have dreams about their relationship
I keep seeing the things that we don't want to say
In their dreams, the artist is confronted with truths they don't want to acknowledge
Up on the sun and down to the bone
This figurative phrase could mean feeling elated or hopeless
There's not much left of us
Their relationship and sense of self has been greatly diminished
Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: CRAIG FINN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Andy McVeigh
Lovely stuff, CF.