Mother's Day
Ezra Furman & The Harpoons Lyrics

She died with a smile right under her nose
The woman died with a smile on her face, most likely due to a drug overdose

The drive-by victim of a big drug overdose
The woman was a victim of a drive-by drug overdose

She was a whore from the ol' street corner uptown
The woman was a prostitute who worked on a street corner uptown

I'm the only one who came to see 'em lower her down
The singer was the only one who attended the woman's funeral

I saw her last light shining
The singer saw a glimpse of the woman's spirit before she died

She always said go to prom and quit your whining
The woman advised the singer to stop complaining and enjoy life

I must confess I didn't know just what she meant then
The singer did not understand the woman's advice at the time

One time I seen it was a marriage she ran away from
The singer witnessed the woman running away from a marriage

I saw the jewelry when she got her upper button undone
The singer noticed the woman's jewelry when she undid her shirt button

I linked the crime to the corner where we met
The singer connected a crime to the street corner where he met the woman

I wanted some but she said I wasn't young enough yet
The woman rejected the singer's advances because he was too young

I'm on another merry-go-round
The singer feels like he is stuck in a cycle of repeating mistakes

And I scream but I don't make a sound
The singer feels trapped and powerless to change his situation

Virginia was just another person I found
The woman's name was Virginia and she was just another person the singer met

We've come a long way in a sense We've lost a lot of innocence
Society has progressed in some ways, but has also lost its innocence along the way

Don't try to keep us in a fence We'll break through
People will not be held back or contained, they will break free

I guess I kill a little somethin' every place I go
The singer feels like he has a negative impact on every place he visits

Boys, you can stutter but don't you ever stop that flow
The singer encourages boys to keep talking, even if they stutter

And girls, you just keep on teasin' us guys with your eyes
The singer encourages girls to flirt with guys using their eyes

Virginia did it every day until the day she died
The woman named Virginia was a flirt and used her eyes to attract guys until she died

Several scenes are based on IQ
The singer alludes to several intellectual references in the song

I'd like to say I never liked you
The singer wants to say he never liked someone

But one thing I learned, don't you ever lie You'll get burned
The singer learned the lesson that lying will eventually come back to haunt you

I know I'll see you in the future when I least expect
The singer believes he will see someone again in the future unexpectedly

I know a victim of a right-turn cynical wreck
The singer knows someone who was in a car accident caused by a cynical driver turning right

But memory is strange and it fades away
The power of memory is strange and it fades over time

I think I love you but who is anybody to say?
The singer thinks he loves someone, but acknowledges that it may not mean anything

It's all the shots I've taken
The singer blames his troubles on the negative experiences he has had

Somebody better bring a keg in
The singer suggests that someone bring in a keg of alcohol to cope with their problems

'Cause I think it's startin' to rain On your wedding day
The singer thinks it's starting to rain on someone's wedding day, which is a bad omen