Inara George, who is also a member of The Bird and The Bee recorded her lat… Read Full Bio ↴Inara George, who is also a member of The Bird and The Bee recorded her latest album "An Invitation", released in 2008 with legendary Beach Boys collaborator Van Dyke Parks, who is also a personal friend.
The album has only officially been released in the USA at the time of writing, but can be purchased legitimately outside the US through online retailers or ebay

Tell Me That You Love Me
Inara George with Van Dyke Parks Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I know where you live
It's on the back of your envelope
I'm in the back of your car
Across the universe

Cover me up
I'm like a pet salamander
Just cut a few holes for some air

Carry me everywhere

Tell me that you love me

I'm splitting hairs
Dissecting the good from the bad ones
Playing repeat in my head

I'm on the telephone talking too loud
Hunting and pecking my enemies
Speaking in tongues till I'm blue
Trying to catch up to you

Tell me that you love me

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "Tell Me That You Love Me" by Van Dyke Parks are complex and multi-layered. The song starts off with a stalking-like imagery of "I know where you live, it's on the back of your envelope, I'm in the back of your car, across the universe". This imagery, while it starts off unsettling, flips into the image of wanting to be covered up like a pet salamander and carried everywhere. The line "tell me that you love me" is repeated throughout the song, almost like a plea for affirmation and security.

The following lyrics, "I'm splitting hairs, dissecting the good from the bad ones, playing repeat in my head" indicate a sense of overthinking and possibly anxiety on the part of the singer, which is further emphasized by "I'm on the telephone talking too loud, hunting and pecking my enemies, speaking in tongues till I'm blue, trying to catch up to you". These lyrics highlight a sense of desperation to be understood and appreciated.

Overall, "Tell Me That You Love Me" can be interpreted as a song about the complexities of relationships and the need for validation and reassurance. The imagery used in the lyrics paints a portrait of longing and a sense of uncertainty, while the repetition of the line "tell me that you love me" drives home the central theme of the song.

Line by Line Meaning

I know where you live
I have your address and I know where you reside

It's on the back of your envelope
Your address is written on the envelope of your letter

I'm in the back of your car
I'm sitting at the backseat of your vehicle

Across the universe
Far away, beyond the stars

Cover me up
Wrap me around

I'm like a pet salamander
I'm small and vulnerable like a pet amphibian

Just cut a few holes for some air
Just allow some room for me to breathe

Carry me everywhere
Take me with you wherever you go

Tell me that you love me
Express your affection and devotion to me

I'm splitting hairs
I'm overanalyzing, being overly critical

Dissecting the good from the bad ones
Trying to distinguish the positives from the negatives