Discography
* Merge, 1993 (Elektra)
* Information Superdriveway, 1995 (Elektra)
* The Lost Elephant, 1999 (Tooth & Nail)
Traces
For Love Not Lisa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Is that the way you move
You turn off your good face
Is that the way you choose it
And you've learned to hate most
Is that the way you breed
In and out motion
Is that the way you feed feed
And now you throw out all emotion
Is that the way you move me
Turn terror slowly
Is that the way you kill me
It's you
And all the things you do
Separated and overcome
Is that the way you live
You pull words out of thin air
Is that the way you give
Kiss the hands of the prophets
Burned beyond belief
Turn tricks with the followers
Left the traces of you
And the words of the poets
You feel that they're your own
At the end of a pot line
It's you and what you do
The lyrics of For Love Not Lisa's song Traces are somewhat cryptic, making full interpretation difficult. However, some lines are somewhat clearer than others, and the overall impression suggests feelings of isolation and detachment. The imagery of being "deep rooted in exile" indicates a loss of connection with others, and this is confirmed by the lines "Separated and overcome / Is that the way you live." The repeated question "Is that the way you...?" suggests a sense of bewilderment, as though the singer is trying to make sense of someone's behavior but cannot understand it.
The middle section of the song is particularly intriguing, with phrases such as "Kiss the hands of the prophets / Burned beyond belief / Turn tricks with the followers / Left the traces of you." This seems to suggest a sense of betrayal, with the implication that the person being addressed has turned their back on a former belief system or moral code. The image of "left the traces of you" is particularly striking, suggesting that the singer has been hurt or damaged in some way by this person's actions.
The final lines are more straightforward, with the singer suggesting that everything in the song comes down to "you and what you do." This reinforces the sense of isolation and detachment that pervades the song, suggesting that the singer feels adrift and disconnected.
Line by Line Meaning
You're deep rooted in exile
You're feeling isolated and disconnected from the world around you.
Is that the way you move
Is your behavior a direct result of feeling disconnected?
You turn off your good face
You hide your true emotions from others.
Is that the way you choose it
Do you consciously choose to hide how you feel?
And you've learned to hate most
You've developed a negative attitude towards many things.
Is that the way you breed
Is your negative attitude affecting how you interact with others?
In and out motion
You're in a continuous cycle of negative behavior.
Is that the way you feed feed
Is this negative cycle a result of how you're constantly feeding your negative thoughts?
And now you throw out all emotion
You've become numb and detached from your emotions.
Is that the way you move me
Is your emotional detachment affecting how you interact with me?
Turn terror slowly
You slowly create fear and terror in those around you.
Is that the way you kill me
Are you intentionally causing harm to me?
It's you
All of these negative behaviors are a direct result of you.
And all the things you do
All of your negative actions and attitudes are having a detrimental effect on those around you.
Separated and overcome
You're feeling disconnected and overpowering those around you.
Is that the way you live
Is living disconnected and overpowering others a conscious decision for you?
You pull words out of thin air
You say things without any factual basis or evidence.
Is that the way you give
Do you give false information intentionally?
Kiss the hands of the prophets
You show admiration and respect for those in power.
Burned beyond belief
You've experienced a significant and damaging loss of faith.
Turn tricks with the followers
You manipulate and take advantage of those who follow you.
Left the traces of you
Your negative behavior and actions have left a lasting impact on those around you.
And the words of the poets
You're inspired and moved by poetic language.
You feel that they're your own
You strongly identify with the poetic language and it feels like it's speaking directly to you.
At the end of a pot line
At the end of your life, when you look back on everything.
It's you and what you do
All of your negative behavior and actions will define you at the end of your life.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind