Between The Lines
Janis Ian Lyrics

There's never much to say
There's nothing truly significant to communicate

Between the moments of our games and repartee
During the times we're interacting and joking around

There's never much to read
There's little that's truly expressive

Between the lines of what we need and what we'll take
In what we want and what we actually do

There's never much to talk about or say aloud
There's not much worth discussing or expressing verbally

But say it anyway
But still express it regardless of its significance

Of holidays and yesterdays, and broken dreams
Of past experiences and failed aspirations

That somehow slipped away
That we lost unexpectedly

In books and magazines on how to be and what to see
In published materials that dictate ideal behaviors and standards of living

While you are being
While you're alive and present

Before and after photographs
Images depicting how things were before and after a certain time

Teach how to pass from reaching to believing
Teach how to go from hoping and aiming to having faith in something

We live beyond our means on other people's dreams
We live extravagantly using borrowed ideals and aspirations

And that's succeeding
And that's considered to be successful

Between the lines of photographs I've seen the past
By examining pictures I've come across the past

It isn't pleasing
It's not exactly pleasant

So strike another match
Let's light another match to set the mood

We'll have another cup of wine
Let's share another glass of wine

And dance until the evening's dead
And dance until the night ends

Of too much song and time
Of too much music and time spent together

There's never much to talk about
Nothing too significant worth discussing

Or read between the lines
Or to interpret beyond the surface level of our communication

Of what we dream about
Of what we desire

When we're apart
When we're separated from one another

And no one's looking on
Without anyone else watching us

To say you're mine
To validate our relationship to others

It was a good year then, it was a good year then
That year we had was good, it was good

We all remember
We all recall that period

The time you threw the looking glass and seemed a fool
The time you threw the mirror out and seemed foolish

Or very clever
Or quite intelligent

Don't spoil it all, I can't recall a time
Don't ruin everything, I can't remember a time

When you were struck without an answer
When you were stumped and had no reply

We'll live a quiet peaceful time between the lines
We'll live a peaceful and harmonious lifestyle without external pressure

And go together
And do it together

And I'm striking up the band to play our last hurrah
I'm gathering the band to play our ultimate celebration

We'll dance until we've killed another evening off
We'll dance until we've used up all the time in the night

Don't think of anyone but me
Do not entertain thoughts of anyone apart from me

I'll have no lovers on the side
I won't cheat on you with someone else

Tonight is all we've ever dreamed about
Tonight, everything we've ever desired could happen

For once let's get it right
Let's make everything perfect for once

We'll go down flying in the end
We'll ultimately fall, but with grandeur

Through another bottle in between the lines
Amidst conversing and socializing, we'll drink another bottle

I'll go down like a ship of state
I'll leave this world with a sense of dignified purpose

Let's be gracious now
Let's show gratitude and fairness in all our actions

Between the lines
In the space where things are not directly stated