Split the Difference
Ethan Hawke Lyrics
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half drunk bottle lays on the floor
theres a balloon out on the lawn
next to chewed out apple cores
theres crayons on my coffee table
play dough by a barbie horse stable
never knenw silence like this before
till im cleaning up lemonade all sticky on the floor
do they miss me are they glad to be gone
saturday night was a lunar eclipse
i sang am to sleep when song like this
well go to sleep my weary babies
let the sounds roll on by
tonight we're safe here in houston
with this your daddy's lullaby
your mother's got a new boyfriend now
he seems allright
i wonder if he's reading them stories
and kissing them good night
well babysitters say they miss me
i know i should and hope it's true
teachers says my daughter paints pictures of family
all in blue
she says she cought him whispering to the window
will daddy please come home
i know i should call her up
but what if his mother answers the phone
The opening scene of Ethan Hawke's "Split The Difference" is that of a lonely, deserted apartment. The singer, most probably Ethan himself, takes us through the household, describing leftover apple cores and empty bottles that lie scattered across the floor. The only forms of life in the space are play-dough and crayons which accompany a Barbie horse stable. The silence is deafening, and whilst cleaning up sticky lemonade spillage, he wonders what his kids are up to. Hawke sings, "Do they miss me are they glad to be gone." This is indicative of the sorrow and regret, a father is feeling who is away from his kids.
As the scene shifts to Saturday, we learn that it was an ominous night with a lunar eclipse. Hawke sings about singing his daughter to sleep with the melody of his song. The lyrics of the passage that follows show a father's love and concern for his children's safety, "Tonight we're safe here in Houston with this, your Daddy's lullaby." The feeling of loss is evoked through the mention of the mother's new boyfriend. Hawke sings of how he wonders if the new boyfriend reads them stories and puts them to bed, a responsibility that was solely his. As the song draws to a close, he paints a poignant picture of a young child looking out the window, yearning for her father to return.
In conclusion, Ethan Hawke's "Split The Difference" is a heartrending narrative of a father's longing for his children while he is away from them. The song speaks of the loneliness, regret and concern of a father who is plagued by the love he has for his family.
Line by Line Meaning
sunday night my apartment is empty
On a Sunday evening, the apartment of the singer is vacated
half drunk bottle lays on the floor
He left an unfinished bottle on the floor
theres a balloon out on the lawn
There is a balloon lying outside on the grass
next to chewed out apple cores
Beside it are remnants of eaten apples
theres crayons on my coffee table
On the coffee table are crayons lying around
play dough by a barbie horse stable
Near the Barbie horse stable is some play dough
never knenw silence like this before
The singer has never experienced such silence
till im cleaning up lemonade all sticky on the floor
He realises the unpleasant mess around the floor after cleaning lemonade spill
i wonder what my kids are doing right now
The singer is curious about what his kids could be doing at the moment
do they miss me are they glad to be gone
He questions if they miss him or they are relieved to be away from him
saturday night was a lunar eclipse
The previous Saturday had a lunar eclipse
i sang am to sleep when song like this
He sings to his daughter to sleep with this song
well go to sleep my weary babies
His aim is to lull his kids to sleep
let the sounds roll on by
He tells his children to ignore the noises outside
tonight we're safe here in houston
They feel secure in Houston that night
with this your daddy's lullaby
The song is his own creation, aimed to help his kids sleep
your mother's got a new boyfriend now
Their mother has a new partner now
he seems allright
The mother's boyfriend seems acceptable
i wonder if he's reading them stories
He ponders whether the new partner reads stories to his children
and kissing them good night
He wonders whether his kids are getting care as he would
well babysitters say they miss me
The babysitters express that they miss the father
i know i should and hope it's true
He acknowledges that he should believe them and hopes they mean it
teachers says my daughter paints pictures of family
The singer's daughter draws pictures of her family, as told by her teacher
all in blue
These family pictures are mostly blue in colour
she says she cought him whispering to the window
The daughter caught the mother's partner whispering to the window
will daddy please come home
The daughter asks her father to come back home
i know i should call her up
He knows he should talk to his daughter
but what if his mother answers the phone
He is afraid of his ex-partner answering the phone instead of his daughter
Contributed by Liam C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Patrick Illes
can't even explain how hard this song hits me...
Patrick Illes
+Lyrics Video Synchronized it really is
Lyrics Video Synchronized
the song is good isn't?
Adib Ahmed Khan
This song will be forever gold ❤️❤️❤️
Saul Kahwage
Underrated song.
Lyrics Video Synchronized
no way, man
I like it so much
Homer Simpson
In the movie instead of a boyfriend it’s husband and instead of his daughter painting the family all in blue it’s his son
Samia Idrissi
I loooooooove it
A Mandal
love this song
Lyrics Video Synchronized
Me too!