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
The Bitter End
Cursive Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Will we be at war or sadly, madly in love?
Will we beg for one more night?
Or will we have our bags packed
Waiting at the door?
When the bitter end arrives,
Will it be a finish line or a starting gate?
Bittersweet or just desserts?
When you didn't answer your phone
I knew there was something wrong;
You'd been a wreck all week.
When it's unbearable,
The more unavailable the world can often seem
When the bitter end arrives,
Will we be exhausted or will we toss and turn?
Will we claw out our eyes?
Or will we simply close them
And let sleep seep in?
When your bitter end arrived
You could've at least
Chicken-scratched some cliched note:
"on the razor's edge",
"at the end of your rope",
"the bitter pills you just had to swallow."
When you didn't answer your phone
Suddenly the last time we spoke
Became the last time we spoke.
What would I have said if I knew
Just how desperate the situation was?
But I know that I knew --
Such overstated clues --
You stopped eating, kept drinking,
Stopped showing up for work.
When you're alone, did you utter dying words?
Why'd the bitter end have to come?
Why'd the bitter end have to come for you?
So sad, so soon.
When your bitter end came around,
Did you wonder how your sentence would sound?
An exclamation or a question mark?!
The lyrics of Cursive's "The Bitter End" contemplate the different scenarios that may occur when facing the "bitter end" of life. The first verse poses the question of whether we will be at war or in love, begging for more time or ready to accept death, highlighting the uncertainty and unpredictability of the end. The second verse contrasts the possible outcomes of the end, asking whether it will be perceived as a victory or a defeat, a pleasant experience or a harsh punishment. The last part of the song is a direct address to someone who has already faced their bitter end, questioning the signs and clues that were present before their passing, and wondering whether there was anything that could have been said or done differently.
The somber tone of the song is reflected through the use of a slow tempo, minor key chords, and emotive vocals. The lyrics themselves convey a feeling of despair, with lines like "When it's unbearable, the more unavailable the world can often seem," and "Why'd the bitter end have to come for you?" This song speaks to the existential questions that human beings grapple with when faced with the inevitability of death, and the songwriters offer no easy answers, only a recognition of the weight and significance of the end.
Line by Line Meaning
When the bitter end arrives,
When everything comes to a close,
Will we be at war or sadly, madly in love?
Will we be in conflict or deep in love?
Will we beg for one more night?
Will we plead for another moment together?
Or will we have our bags packed
Will we be ready to leave everything behind
Waiting at the door?
So we can make our escape quickly?
Will it be a finish line or a starting gate?
Will the end be an end or a beginning?
Brass and pearl, or maggots and dirt --
Will the end come with riches or with decay?
Bittersweet or just desserts?
Will the end be rewarding or merely deserved?
When you didn't answer your phone
When you were unreachable
I knew there was something wrong;
I sensed that things were not right.
You'd been a wreck all week.
You had been in a terrible state before.
When it's unbearable,
When it is too much to handle,
The more unavailable the world can often seem
The more the world seems to withdraw and disconnect.
Will we be exhausted or will we toss and turn?
Will we be tired or restless?
Will we claw out our eyes?
Will we become frenzied and desperate?
Or will we simply close them
Or will we calmly close them?
And let sleep seep in?
And let ourselves rest and dream?
When your bitter end arrived
When your final moments came
You could've at least
You could have at least
Chicken-scratched some cliched note:
Written some meaningless, unoriginal words:
"on the razor's edge",
"things were almost too much,"
"at the end of your rope",
"things have reached the breaking point",
"the bitter pills you just had to swallow."
"the unpleasant things you had to accept."
Suddenly the last time we spoke
Without warning, the last time we talked
Became the last time we spoke.
Turned out to be our final conversation.
What would I have said if I knew
What if I had known
Just how desperate the situation was?
How dire the situation truly was?
But I know that I knew --
But I must have known--
Such overstated clues --
Obvious signs--
You stopped eating, kept drinking,
You neglected to eat and relied on alcohol,
Stopped showing up for work.
Stopped being able to work.
When you're alone, did you utter dying words?
Did you say some last words to yourself?
Why'd the bitter end have to come?
Why did the end have to be so unpleasant?
Why'd the bitter end have to come for you?
Why did it have to be you?
So sad, so soon.
So tragic, so sudden.
Did you wonder how your sentence would sound?
Did you consider how your final words would be heard?
An exclamation or a question mark?!
With excitement or uncertainty?
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Clint Frederick Schnase, Matthew Ryan Maginn, Ted James Stevens, Tim Kasher
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind