In the first verse, Apple speaks directly to her partner, accusing him of wanting to "lick [her] wounds" and take credit for saving her. She reveals that he is the biggest obstacle in her life and is the source of her shame. Apple feels helpless, as if her partner is determined to bring her down, regardless of her efforts to defend herself.
The chorus is an expression of the intense anger and frustration that Apple feels towards her partner. She is exasperated by his lies and manipulation and knows that he will continue to use them against her. Despite her best efforts to stand up for herself, she feels powerless and defeated in the face of his constant attacks.
In the second verse, Apple expands on her feelings of helplessness, suggesting that her partner intentionally triggers her dark and dangerous side. He manipulates her emotions, causing her to feel like a wild animal that needs to be controlled, and then blames her for her own behavior.
Overall, "Limp" is a song about a relationship characterized by manipulation, control, and emotional abuse. Apple's lyrics suggest that she feels trapped and powerless in the face of her partner's toxic behavior, and that she is struggling to overcome his constant attacks on her self-esteem.
Limp
Fiona Apple Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You wanna lick my wounds
Don't you, baby?
You want the badge of honor when you save my hide
But you're the one in the way
Of the day of doom, baby
If you need my shame to reclaim your pride
I never did anything to you, man
No matter what I try, you beat me with your bitter lies
So call me crazy, hold me down
Make me cry; get off now, baby
It won't be long till you'll be lying limp in your own hands
You feed the beast I have within me
You wave the red flag, baby you make it run run run
Standing on the sidelines, waving and grinning
You fondle my trigger, then you blame my gun
And when I think of it, my fingers turn to fists
I never did anything to you, man
But no matter what I try, you'll beat me with your bitter lies
So call me crazy, hold me down
Make me cry; get off now, baby
It won't be long till you'll be lying limp in your own hands
And when I think of it, my fingers turn to fists
I never did anything to you, man
But no matter what I try, you'll beat me with your bitter lies
So call me crazy, hold me down
Make me cry; get off now, baby
It won't be long till you'll be lying limp in your own hands
In Fiona Apple's song Limp, she speaks about a toxic relationship where her partner wants to take advantage of her vulnerability and then become a hero by "saving" her. She calls out his manipulative behavior and points out that he is actually standing in the way of her own personal growth and self-discovery. She seems to be at a breaking point, as she states that even thinking about the situation causes her fingers to clench into fists. Despite her efforts to defend herself and set boundaries, he continues to attack her with hurtful words and lies that shake her confidence and sense of self. However, in the end, she sees him as someone who will eventually succumb to his own destructive behavior, leaving him "lying limp in (his) own hands."
One interpretation of the song is that it is a commentary on the dynamics between men and women, and the societal expectations that women should play the role of the victim in relationships. Fiona Apple seems to reject this idea, as she calls out her partner for trying to take advantage of her and asserts her own agency and power in the situation. Additionally, the lyrics suggest that the toxic behavior of one person can ultimately lead to their own downfall.
Line by Line Meaning
You wanna make me sick;
You desire to disgust me, to cause me to feel ill.
You wanna lick my wounds
You want to tend to and take advantage of my vulnerabilities.
Don't you, baby?
Do you not?
You want the badge of honor when you save my hide
You seek recognition and praise for rescuing me from danger.
But you're the one in the way
You are the obstacle preventing progress or recovery.
Of the day of doom, baby
Of the inevitable and catastrophic day of judgement.
If you need my shame to reclaim your pride
If you require me to feel guilty and ashamed in order to restore your self-respect.
And when I think of it, my fingers turn to fists
I become full of rage and anger just by the thought of it.
I never did anything to you, man
I have not wronged or harmed you, sir.
No matter what I try, you beat me with your bitter lies
Regardless of my efforts, you continue to harm me with your deceitful and malicious words.
So call me crazy, hold me down
Refer to me as insane and restrain me physically,
Make me cry; get off now, baby
Cause me to weep; stop your actions at once, sweetie.
It won't be long till you'll be lying limp in your own hands
It will not be much time until you suffer the consequences of your own wrongdoing.
You feed the beast I have within me
You fuel the animalistic and savage nature inside of me.
You wave the red flag, baby you make it run run run
You signal the start of a battle or conflict, causing it to escalate.
Standing on the sidelines, waving and grinning
You remain neutral yet incite conflict and bask in its chaos.
You fondle my trigger, then you blame my gun
You arouse the aggression within me, then accuse me of being violent.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Fiona Apple Maggart
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Pride317
Lyrics
You wanna make me sick
You wanna lick my wounds
Don't you baby?
You want the badge of honour
When you save my hide
But you're the one in the way
Of the day of doom,
Baby
If you need my shame
To reclaim your pride
And when I think of it,
My fingers turn to fists
I never did anything to you man
But no matter what I try,
You'll beat me with
Your bitter lies
So call me crazy,
Hold me down
Make me cry;
Get off now, baby
It won't be long till you'll be
Lying limp in your own hands
You feed the beast
I have within me
You wave the red flag,
Baby
You make it run
Run
Run
Standing on the sidelines,
Waving and grinning
You fondle my trigger,
Then you blame my gun
And when I think of it,
My fingers turn to fists
I never did anything to you man
But no matter what I try,
You'll beat me with
Your bitter lies
So call me crazy,
Hold me down
Make me cry
Get off now baby
It won't be long till you'll be
Lying limp in your own hands
And when I think of it,
My fingers turn to fists
I never did anything to you man
But no matter what I try,
You'll beat me with
Your bitter lies
So call me crazy,
Hold me down
Make me cry
Get off now baby
It won't be long till you'll be
Lying limp in your own hands
@kacanghijau166
Lyric
You wanna make me sick;
You wanna lick my wounds,
Don't you, baby?
You want the badge of honor when you save my hide
But you're the one in the way
Of the day of doom, baby
If you need my shame to reclaim your pride
And when I think of it, my fingers turn to fists
I never did anything to you, man
But no matter what I try
You'll beat me with your bitter lies
So call me crazy, hold me down
Make me cry; got off now, baby-
It wont be long till you'll be
Lying limp in your own hand
You feed the beast I have within me
You wave the red flag, baby you make it run run run
Standing on the sidelines, waving and grinning
You fondle my trigger, then you blame my gun
And when I think of it, my fingers turn to fists
I never did anything to you, man
But no matter what I try
You'll beat me with your bitter lies
So call me crazy, hold me down
Make me cry; get off now, baby-
It wont be long till you'll be
Lying limp in your own hand
@christinat2047
This whole record got me through my abusive marriage and subsequent divorce. It’s so personal that I feel uncomfortable listening to it around other people. It makes me feel exposed
@logan4x6
Who better to give you that power and resilience than Fiona Apple? Hope you can blast her music nowadays.
@erccm4
Glad you made it out safe. This album got me though my teens in a homophobic social environment located in the Bible Belt.
I watched my sister go though abuse and if I didn't have music like hers I'd be in prison for murder.
All the love and positive emotions I can muster headed your way as well as any other person that needs or wants them.
@LeeSolano
Same. Same exact story. Wow
@christinat2047
Eric Mobbs music is the universal language, I’m hopeful you are in a better environment as well. Safe and more accepting.
@christinat2047
Lisa Sol I’m hopeful you are safe and well
@KeelyBurnMusic
I'm completely obsessed with the production on this album! Everything sounds so GOOD. Not to mention the top notch lyrics, the drumming, the piano... Everything Fiona Apple writes is really a masterclass in songwriting, and to have such talented musicians backing her up, plus a producer who clearly knows what he's doing, really makes this album a standout.
@OBOBProductions
Fiona Apple is a genius, but dont forget the other half that is Jon Brion. He is one of the most under appreciated musical geniuses in modern music. Just look up his compositional work and you’ll be surprised how his sound is iconic. From Fiona Apple, to Mac Miller, to Aimee Mann, to his solo work, to films like Lady Bird or Punch Drunk Love
@KeelyBurnMusic
@OBPTY I always forget his name but thank you so much for reminding me! The production work on this album is truly amazing. Definitely want to dive down the Jon Brion rabbit hole at some point!
@cardigans98
there's a lot of memorable lines from this song like for example
"if you need my shame to reclaim your pride"
"when i think of it my fingers turn to fist"
"you fondle my trigger then you blame my gun"
this chick is so hardcore.