forgive me
Jandek Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

You know evil, know it well
The tree gave up its fruit at once
Ah! My hand it burns
Scarred with these prints
They will live when I die, that is a fact
The blood will drain
Infection will mix with the blue corpse
But you have it here
You see how it is like the wind
At your back and at your face
Leaves drop or aching branches creak
You walk alone down boulevards




I take you to the sky
Take you to the sky [Repeat: x3]

Overall Meaning

In Jandek's song "Forgive Me," the lyrics reflect on the theme of evil and its consequences. The opening line, "You know evil, know it well," sets the tone for the song and suggests that the singer has experienced evil and its effects in a significant way. The following line, "The tree gave up its fruit at once," alludes to the biblical story of Adam and Eve and their temptation by the forbidden fruit. The singer's hand burns, scarred with prints of the evil that they have encountered, and they recognize that these scars will remain even after they die. The following lines reference blood, infection, and a blue corpse, conjuring up images of death and decay as a result of the evil that has been experienced.


However, the song's tone shifts in the final lines, as the singer takes the listener "to the sky" three times in repetition. This can be interpreted as a metaphorical ascension, as the singer seeks to rise above their experiences with evil and find a higher perspective. In this sense, the song could be seen as a lamentation for past mistakes but also a call for forgiveness and transcendence.


Line by Line Meaning

You know evil, know it well
You are familiar with evil, you have experienced it intimately


The tree gave up its fruit at once
The tree quickly surrendered its fruit to be taken


Ah! My hand it burns
My hand is in pain, it's as if it's on fire


Scarred with these prints
These marks have left permanent scars on my skin


They will live when I die, that is a fact
The things I have done will continue to exist even after I am gone


The blood will drain
Blood will leave my body


Infection will mix with the blue corpse
Infection will combine with my lifeless body


But you have it here
But you possess it in the present


You see how it is like the wind
You understand how it is similar to the wind, in its unpredictable nature


At your back and at your face
Blowing against you from behind and in front of you


Leaves drop or aching branches creak
Leaves are falling or the branches on trees are groaning with pain


You walk alone down boulevards
You travel alone through the streets


I take you to the sky
I elevate you to great heights


Take you to the sky [Repeat: x3]
Repeating the previous line that the singer is going to lift you up high




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BERT KAEMPFERT, HERBERT REHBEIN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Virgo Sagittarius

You know evil, know it well
The tree gave up its fruit at once
Ah! My hand it burns
Scarred with these prints
They will live when I die, that is a fact
The blood will drain
Infection will mix with the blue corpse
But you have it here
You see how it is like the wind
At your back and at your face
Leaves drop or aching branches creak
You walk alone down boulevards
I take you to the sky
Take you to the sky

michaelslowmin

Get some serious sonic youth vibes from this guy. He always has that eerie glare in all his pics. Truly unsettling shit tho. I like it!

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