Band members:
Tim Kasher – lead vocals, guitars, organ
Matt Maginn – bass, backing vocals
Clint Schnase – drums, percussion
Ted Stevens – guitars, backing vocals
Patrick Newbery – miscellaneous instruments
1997 - Such Blinding Stars for Starving Eyes
1998 - The Storms of Early Summer
2000 - Domestica
2003 - The Ugly Organ
2006 - Happy Hollow
2009 - Mama, I'm Swollen
2012 - I Am Gemini
2018 - Vitriola
2019 - Get Fixed
A Gentleman Caller
Cursive Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well, he's been calling on another
He loves his forbidden fruit
And as it dribbles down his chin
He cries "Baby I've been drinking with some friends
Now how about a little kiss?"
Bad boy
Rub his nose in it
And he's playing dumb
I'm not looking for a lover
All those lovers are liars
I'd never lie to you
You say you want to get even?
You say you want to get your bad man good?
Well, are you in the mood?
You bet
Go
Doesn't it feel good?
Being bad, and getting worse
But in the morning
On the silver dawn of Sunday
You're not sure what you've done
Who told you love was fleeting?
Sometimes men can be so misleading
To take what they need from you
Whatever you need to make you feel
Like you can move on behind the wheel
The sunrise is just over that hill
The worst is over
Whatever I said to make you think
That love's the remission of the weak
This morning we loved like weaklings
The worst is over
The worst is over
The worst is over
In Cursive's song "A Gentleman Caller," the lyrics explore the complicated emotions that come with infidelity and a desire for revenge. The first stanza sets the scene of the titular gentleman caller, who has been seeing someone else, referred to as the "forbidden fruit." As he indulges in his sinful behavior, he attempts to charm his way back into the singer's good graces, claiming to have just been drinking with friends and requesting a kiss. The singer, however, is not interested in a fling or a lover; she sees through the lies of those who deceive with promises of love.
The chorus suggests a desire for retribution, with the singer asking if the listener is in the mood for evening the score with a "bad man." However, this desire is muddled by conflicting feelings - the line "doesn't it feel good?/being bad and getting worse" could be interpreted as a genuine desire for vengeance, or as a wistful longing for the passion and risk that comes with forbidden love. As the song progresses into the second verse, the singer questions whether love is fleeting and chastises men who take what they need from women without regard for their feelings.
The final stanza provides a glimmer of hope - the worst is over, and the sunrise is just over the hill. The singer acknowledges that their morning lovemaking was "like weaklings," but there is a sense of moving forward and rebuilding from the pain. Overall, "A Gentleman Caller" is a complex exploration of the emotional fallout of infidelity and the difficult process of healing and moving on.
Line by Line Meaning
Your gentleman caller
The man you are interested in
Well, he's been calling on another
He has been pursuing another woman
He loves his forbidden fruit
He enjoys doing things he's not supposed to
And as it dribbles down his chin
He indulges so much that it becomes sloppy
He cries "Baby I've been drinking with some friends"
He tries to excuse his behavior with a flimsy excuse
Now how about a little kiss?
He wants forgiveness for his actions
Bad boy
He is behaving poorly
Rub his nose in it
Punish him for his behavior
What a mess
He has made a big mistake
And he's playing dumb
He is pretending to not know what he did wrong
I'm not looking for a lover
You are not interested in a romantic relationship
All those lovers are liars
Past experiences have led to a lack of trust in romantic relationships
I'd never lie to you
You value honesty in relationships
You say you want to get even?
You want to seek revenge for his behavior
You say you want to get your bad man good?
You want to punish him for his actions
Well, are you in the mood?
Are you ready to follow through with your plan?
You bet
You are eager to pursue your plan
Go
Follow through with your plan
Doesn't it feel good?
Taking action towards revenge can be satisfying
Being bad, and getting worse
Continuing to indulge in bad behavior can have negative consequences
But in the morning
The morning after the actions have consequences
On the silver dawn of Sunday
The calm after a wild night
You're not sure what you've done
Uncertainty about the consequences of your actions
Who told you love was fleeting?
Questioning the idea of love
Sometimes men can be so misleading
Feeling deceived by the opposite sex
To take what they need from you
Feeling used by men
Whatever you need to make you feel
Taking care of yourself first
Like you can move on behind the wheel
Taking control of your own life
The sunrise is just over that hill
There is hope for the future
The worst is over
Things will improve from this point forward
Whatever I said to make you think
Apologizing for saying something hurtful
That love's the remission of the weak
Clarifying that love is not for the weak
This morning we loved like weaklings
Admitting vulnerability in the past
The worst is over
Reiterating that things will get better
The worst is over
Reiterating that things will get better
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Clint Frederick Schnase, Gretta Mindy Cohn, Matthew Ryan Maginn, Ted James Stevens, Tim Kasher
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Gummo 6
Your gentleman caller
Well, he's been calling on another
He loves his forbidden fruit
And as it dribbles down his chin
He cries "Baby I've been drinking with some friends
Now how about a little kiss?"
Bad boy
Rub his nose in it
What a mess
And he's playing dumb
I'm not looking for a lover
All those lovers are liars
I'd never lie to you
You say you want to get even?
You say you want to get your bad man good?
Well, are you in the mood?
You bet
Go
Doesn't it feel good?
Being bad, and getting worse
But in the morning
On the silver dawn of Sunday
You're not sure what you've done
Who told you love was fleeting?
Sometimes men can be so misleading
To take what they need from you
Whatever you need to make you feel
Like you can move on behind the wheel
The sunrise is just over that hill
The worst is over
Whatever I said to make you think
That love's the remission of the weak
This morning we loved like weaklings
The worst is over
The worst is over
The worst is over
EminentKnight
I love how the mood-shift in the instrumentation halfway through the song mirrors the mood-shift in the lyrics at that same point. The first half is chaotic and impetuous, as if the singer is drunk and therefore completely unconcerned with any potential consequences that his recklessness might lead to, and the second is mellow and sentimental, as if the shame of next-morning-sobriety is setting in, along with the guilt that comes with remembering last night's actions.
SlowDown101
Well thought out.
eagletkc
@SlowDown101 exactly why this band combo is genius in presentation form...
Chris Salk
Knowing Tim, that's probably exactly how it went down.
Karl Bernal
Fantastic comment. I think you nailed it!
smautzerh
i know this feel, bro. The first time I heard the song I was blown away and didn't know what to do with all of the feel. It's so good.
Griffen Clark
1:25 and on always gives me goosebumps and tears
mechanicalinnards
Griffen Clark I used to have this on cd and I came to youtube to find that song from the ugly organ "that made me tear up" and lo and behold, someone with the exact same onion cutting problem from five years ago
Gummo 6
Your gentleman caller
Well, he's been calling on another
He loves his forbidden fruit
And as it dribbles down his chin
He cries "Baby I've been drinking with some friends
Now how about a little kiss?"
Bad boy
Rub his nose in it
What a mess
And he's playing dumb
I'm not looking for a lover
All those lovers are liars
I'd never lie to you
You say you want to get even?
You say you want to get your bad man good?
Well, are you in the mood?
You bet
Go
Doesn't it feel good?
Being bad, and getting worse
But in the morning
On the silver dawn of Sunday
You're not sure what you've done
Who told you love was fleeting?
Sometimes men can be so misleading
To take what they need from you
Whatever you need to make you feel
Like you can move on behind the wheel
The sunrise is just over that hill
The worst is over
Whatever I said to make you think
That love's the remission of the weak
This morning we loved like weaklings
The worst is over
The worst is over
The worst is over
Vivien Nagy
Thank you!