In the chorus, she pleads to have the first taste of a romantic relationship and asks the other person to take the initiative and start pursuing her. She acknowledges that although she will let them win, they must make the effort to start the chase.
The second verse suggests that this person's love is causing her to feel emotional pain, but it also makes her feel alive and building memories. However, she is frustrated that they haven't communicated explicitly, and she is left filling in the blanks and creating her own memories.
The breakdown suggests that the idea of being full of love is not as heavy as the feeling of being empty, implying that she desires a deep and fulfilling relationship.
The song overall conveys a sense of longing and desire for a romantic relationship with someone. The lyrics suggest that the speaker is willing to take a risk to pursue the relationship, but they need the other person to reciprocate their feelings and take the first step.
The First Taste
Fiona Apple Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Waiting for the black to replace my blue
I do not struggle in your web
Because it was my aim to get caught
But daddy longlegs, I feel
That I'm finally growing weary
Of waiting to be consumed by you
Give me the first taste
Let it begin
Heaven cannot wait forever
Darling, just start the chase
I'll let you win
But you must make the endeavor
Oh, your love give me a heart contusion
Adagio breezes fill my skin with sudden red
Your hungry flirt borders intrusion
And I'm building memories
On things we have not said
Full is not heavy as empty
Not nearly my love
Not nearly my love
Not nearly
Give me the first taste
Let it begin
Heaven cannot wait forever
Darling, just start the chase
I'll let you win
But you must make the endeavor
The first taste
Let it begin, heaven cannot wait forever
Start the chase, I'll let you win
But you must make the endeavor
“The First Taste,” a song by Fiona Apple, contains lyrics that are open to interpretation. The opening lyrics suggest that the singer is introspective and is possibly experiencing existential thoughts. She lies in a bed, thinking about the future, and seems to be waiting for something to happen – represented by the idea of the "black" replacing "blue." She then refers to herself as being caught in a web, presumably by the one she loves. The use of the daddy long-legs metaphor is interesting because it suggests that the singer feels vulnerable in this web. Despite this, she is growing weary of waiting to be consumed by her lover.
The rest of the song is focused on the singer's desire for her lover to make the first move. She wants him to give her a taste of love, but he has to put in the effort. The chorus repeats the idea that "heaven cannot wait forever." Interestingly, the singer acknowledges that she is willing to let her lover win the chase, but he has to make an effort. The final lines of the song suggest that the singer would rather be full than empty.
Overall, “The First Taste” is a song about desire, vulnerability, and the desire for more in life. It is the cry of a person who wants to be loved, but also wants to be an active participant in that love. The song leaves the listener with a sense of longing and a desire for something more significant.
Line by Line Meaning
I lie in an early bed thinking late thoughts
I'm lying in bed, but my mind is still racing with thoughts and I can't sleep.
Waiting for the black to replace my blue
I'm waiting for the darkness of sleep to replace the blue of my thoughts before I go to bed.
I do not struggle in your web
I'm not fighting against being caught up in your love and the intensity of the relationship.
Because it was my aim to get caught
I wanted to fall in love with you, and now that I have, I'm willing to let myself be consumed by it.
But daddy longlegs, I feel
I feel like I've been caught up in your love for a long time.
That I'm finally growing weary
I'm starting to feel tired of waiting for more from our relationship.
Of waiting to be consumed by you
I'm tired of waiting for you to fully commit to our relationship and take it to the next level.
Give me the first taste
I'm asking you to take the first step in our relationship by showing me your love.
Let it begin
Let our relationship start moving forward and become deeper than before.
Heaven cannot wait forever
We can't put off taking our relationship to the next level forever because time is fleeting.
Darling, just start the chase
I'm encouraging you to pursue me and show me that you want to be with me.
I'll let you win
I'll allow myself to fall in love with you and let our relationship grow deeper.
But you must make the endeavor
However, you need to show me that you're willing to put in the effort to make our relationship work.
Oh, your love give me a heart contusion
Your love is so intense that it's both pleasurable and painful at the same time, like a bruise on my heart.
Adagio breezes fill my skin with sudden red
The excitement of being with you feels like a sudden gust of wind and fills my skin with a vibrant red color.
Your hungry flirt borders intrusion
While I enjoy your affectionate behavior, sometimes it feels too much like an invasion of my personal space.
And I'm building memories
Even though we haven't had many life-changing experiences together, I'm creating meaningful memories with you.
On things we have not said
Our conversations are deep and meaningful, but there are still thoughts and feelings that we haven't yet shared with each other.
Full is not heavy as empty
Having a full, deep relationship is much more rewarding and fulfilling than being alone and feeling empty inside.
Not nearly my love
My love for you is so deep and intense that 'full' doesn't even come close to describing how much I care about you.
The first taste
I'm still craving more of your love and hoping for a deeper level of intimacy in our relationship.
Let it begin, heaven cannot wait forever
I'm ready for our relationship to take the next step, and I don't want to wait any longer to make it happen.
Start the chase, I'll let you win
I want you to take the lead in our relationship, and I'll allow myself to fall deeper in love with you.
But you must make the endeavor
You have to show me that you're willing to take action and put in the effort to make our relationship work.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: FIONA APPLE MAGGART
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind