The Sweetest Punch
Elvis Costello with Burt Bacharach Lyrics
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After I said, "How can we continue?"
Hidden from your view
In the blue corner that I painted myself into
Then we started to fight
And it changed everything
Here's the ring
You dropped the band, I can't understand it
Not after all we've been through
Words start to fly, my glass jaw and I
Will find one to walk right into
You knocked me out
It was the sweetest punch
The bell goes
I can hear it ringing, but I didn't see it coming
We all say things we don't mean
You can't take it back
Now the room is spinning, but was I the last to notice?
I can see I'll never win
So if you're going
Then you better go to him
Then you better go to him
I only saw stars
I dropped my guard and that's how it ended
What was I to do
In the blue corner where I seemed to hang suspended?
Then with seconds to go
Here I go
You dropped the band, I can't understand it
Not after all we've been through
Words start to fly, my glass jaw and I
Will find one to walk right into
You knocked me out
It was the sweetest punch
The bell goes
I can hear it ringing, but I didn't see it coming
We all say things we don't mean
You can't take it back
Now the room is spinning, but was I the last to notice?
I can see I'll never win
So if you're going
Then you better go to him
Then you better go to him
In "The Sweetest Punch," Elvis Costello and Burt Bacharach explore the emotions and fallout of a heated argument that has pushed a relationship to the brink. The song opens with Costello recounting an argument where he tries to question how things will move forward between them, and instead of finding a solution, they end up fighting. The image of red, the color of anger, in contrast with blue, the color of sadness or melancholy, suggests that the relationship likely had some issues or underlying sadness already present. Despite their initial feelings for one another, the fight changes everything, and the bell that rings is the end of the fight, and possibly, the end of the relationship.
Costello's use of boxing metaphors continues throughout the song, with references to the "band" (the boxing entourage) they had built up, the idea of a "glass jaw," a boxer's weak spot that can be hit and knock them out, and, of course, the title of the song, the idea that the punch, the end of the fight, was sweet or pleasurable in some way. The chorus, "We all say things we don't mean, you can't take it back" speaks to the hurtful things that were said that cannot be erased or forgotten. By the end of the song, Costello knows that the relationship is over, and the person he's fighting with is leaving him for someone else.
Line by Line Meaning
You only saw red
You became angry and upset
After I said, "How can we continue?"
Following my statement about the difficulties in moving forward
Hidden from your view
Not visible or apparent to you
In the blue corner that I painted myself into
In a difficult or disadvantageous position that I created for myself
Then we started to fight
Conflict arose between us
And it changed everything
Had a significant impact on our relationship
Here's the ring
This is where we will have our showdown
You dropped the band, I can't understand it
You ended our partnership, and I am confused by your decision
Not after all we've been through
Especially considering all that we have experienced together
Words start to fly, my glass jaw and I
We exchange hurtful words, and I am acutely aware of my sensitivity
Will find one to walk right into
I am likely to be hurt by something that is said
You knocked me out
You defeated me or ended our partnership
It was the sweetest punch
Despite the pain, there is a bittersweet satisfaction in the situation
The bell goes
Indicates the end of the fight or the conclusion of the matter
I can hear it ringing, but I didn't see it coming
I am aware that the end is near, but I did not anticipate it
We all say things we don't mean
Hurtful words can be spoken in the heat of the moment
You can't take it back
Once words are spoken, they cannot be unsaid
Now the room is spinning, but was I the last to notice?
I am disoriented and overwhelmed by the situation, questioning my awareness
I can see I'll never win
I am resigned to the fact that I will not be successful in this situation
So if you're going
If you are leaving
Then you better go to him
You should go to the person who will make you happy
Then you better go to him
You should go to the person who will make you happy
Contributed by Carson Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.