The Long Division
Elvis Costello with Burt Bacharach Lyrics
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And almost change your sad expression?
Did somebody's hand linger too long?
Must I now make my confession?
But you'll never know
What suspicion is
Until you lie awake
And every night you ask yourself
"What am I to do?"
Can it be so hard to calculate?
When three goes into two
There's nothing left over
How's it gonna feel? This time it's real
It's not a temporary fracture
This is what you get, the stage is set
For you and your attempted rapture
Is he gonna smile
That indulgent smile
When you come running home?
And every night you ask yourself
"What am I to do?"
Can it be so hard to calculate?
When three goes into two
There's nothing left over
What am I gonna say? You turn away
And you leave me here despairing
What am I going to do? I look at you
You seem to be so long past caring
Did somebody say,
"Can we still be friends?"
Only to find out now that it's a joke
So ask yourself
"What am I to do?"
Can it be so hard to calculate?
When three goes into two
There's nothing left over
Did somebody say,
"Can we still be friends?"
Did somebody say,
"Can we still be friends?"
Did somebody say,
"Can we still be friends?"
Did somebody say,
"Can we still be friends?"
Did somebody say,
"Can we still be friends?"
Did somebody say,
"Can we still be friends?"
The Long Division is a hauntingly beautiful song by Elvis Costello and Burt Bacharach that explores the complexities of romantic relationships and the heartbreaking process of letting go. The lyrics are filled with questions and uncertainty, as the singer struggles to come to grips with the reality of a failing relationship. The opening lines suggest that the singer may have missed an opportunity to save the relationship, asking if someone else had tried to catch their eye and change their sad expression. These lines also suggest that the singer may be grappling with feelings of jealousy and betrayal.
As the song progresses, the singer becomes increasingly introspective, asking themselves what they should do and whether they can calculate a way to fix things. However, the repeated refrain of "When three goes into two, there's nothing left over" suggests that the relationship may be irreparably damaged, and that the singer will be left with nothing. The final lines of the song suggest that the singer may have been taken advantage of or humiliated by their partner, with the repeated refrain of "Did somebody say, 'Can we still be friends?'" suggesting that their partner may be trying to minimize the damage they've caused.
Line by Line Meaning
Did somebody try to catch your eye
Did someone attempt to attract your attention?
And almost change your sad expression?
And almost make you smile instead of looking sad?
Did somebody's hand linger too long?
Did someone touch you for a longer-than-usual time?
Must I now make my confession?
Am I now compelled to confess something?
But you'll never know
But you will never have the experience
What suspicion is
Of what it is like to suspect something or someone
Until you lie awake
Until you spend sleepless nights pondering it
And every night you ask yourself
And each evening you inquire to yourself
"What am I to do?"
"What course of action should I take?"
Can it be so hard to calculate?
Is it that difficult to perform the math?
When three goes into two
When there are three things to divide into two groups
There's nothing left over
There is no remainder, no extras
How's it gonna feel? This time it's real
How will it impact you? This occasion is genuine
It's not a temporary fracture
It is not a short-lived break
This is what you get, the stage is set
This is the outcome you receive, the environment is prepared
For you and your attempted rapture
For you and your effort to captivate
Is he gonna smile
Is he going to grin
That indulgent smile
That condescending smile
When you come running home?
When you return to him excitedly?
What am I gonna say? You turn away
What will I say? You look away from me
And you leave me here despairing
And you abandon me here feeling hopeless
What am I going to do? I look at you
What am I going to do? I gaze at you
You seem to be so long past caring
You appear to have stopped caring a long time ago
Did somebody say,
Did someone ask,
"Can we still be friends?"
"Are we able to remain friends?"
Only to find out now that it's a joke
Only to discover at present that it was insincere
So ask yourself
Therefore, consider to yourself
"What am I to do?"
"What course of action should I take?"
Can it be so hard to calculate?
Is it that difficult to perform the math?
When three goes into two
When there are three things to divide into two groups
There's nothing left over
There is no remainder, no extras
Did somebody say,
Did someone ask,
"Can we still be friends?"
"Are we able to remain friends?"
Did somebody say,
Did someone ask,
"Can we still be friends?"
"Are we able to remain friends?"
Did somebody say,
Did someone ask,
"Can we still be friends?"
"Are we able to remain friends?"
Did somebody say,
Did someone ask,
"Can we still be friends?"
"Are we able to remain friends?"
Contributed by Annabelle B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@ubilo
Great album if you like classy grown-up music with harmony, melody and soul.
@kathleenmarynyc
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
@Danilo-g5k
Uma das melhores músicas do álbum. Durante os momentos em que Costello sobe o tom de voz nota-se toda paixão com que canta . Bom dia
@pokemepokeme2831
❤
@daripozo9435
wena la wea