In many of her songs, she incorporates humor into a narrative, some tracks ultimately becoming catchy anecdotes. Generally, her songs are unconventionally folk-like, using horn arrangements not found in tracks recorded by mainstream artists. Sobule also uses both satire and experience to sing about sexuality, depression, war, abandonment, and creed.
The Last Line
Jill Sobule Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I was yours and you were mine
Entwined we spiraled down so far together
Smoke and mirrors and rolled up bills
We had it all and then more still
But it was not enough to last forever
It was the last line
It was never as good as it felt as it burst
Oh but how we tried
Up to the last line
Hopes and dreams and promises
We talked of real estate and kids
We stayed in bed all day and half the night
But blinded by the disco ball
Locked inside the bathroom stall
You yelled at me
You thought I lost the vial
It was the last line
You were never as sweet as you were
When we kissed for the first time
Oh but how we tried
Up to the last line
Searching for a speck of dust
Just enough for both of us
I knew our love was over
You couldn't share
It was the last line
It was never as good as it felt as it burst
For the first time
Oh but how we tried
Up to the last line
Oh how we tried
Up to the last line
Jill Sobule's "The Last Line" is a melancholy and bittersweet recollection of a relationship that was once intense and passionate, but ultimately fell apart due to drug use. The lyrics describe the couple's initial attraction and whirlwind romance, but as the song progresses, it becomes clear that their love was doomed from the start. The repetitive use of the phrase "the last line" is a reference to the couple's shared addiction to cocaine, with each hit representing their desperate attempts to recapture the intense feelings of love they once shared. The song speaks to the power of addiction and how it can take hold of even the strongest relationships, ultimately leading to their downfall.
The imagery in the song is vivid and poignant, capturing the highs and lows of the couple's relationship. The first verse speaks of their entwined love, the smoke and mirrors of their drug-induced world, and how it was never enough. The second verse shows the cracks in their relationship, as they argue and fight over drugs, and how their dreams and promises were never realized. The chorus repeats the phrase "up to the last line," a haunting reminder of how addiction took everything from them, even their love.
Line by Line Meaning
Far away, another time
This was in the past, a distant memory
I was yours and you were mine
We were in a committed relationship
Entwined we spiraled down so far together
We were deeply involved in a self-destructive lifestyle
Smoke and mirrors and rolled up bills
Our lifestyle was fueled by drugs and money
We had it all and then more still
We had a lot of material possessions and opportunities
But it was not enough to last forever
Our lifestyle and relationship could not be sustained indefinitely
It was the last line
This was the final straw that ended our relationship
It was never as good as it felt as it burst
Our relationship was never as great as it seemed in the moment
For the first time
The first time we experienced a certain feeling or sensation
Oh but how we tried
We made a significant effort to make the relationship work
Up to the last line
We tried until the very end
Hopes and dreams and promises
We had aspirations and made commitments to each other
We talked of real estate and kids
We discussed potential future plans together
We stayed in bed all day and half the night
We spent a lot of time together, often intimately
But blinded by the disco ball
We were distracted by fleeting pleasures and temporary highs
Locked inside the bathroom stall
Our addiction had taken us to a low point
You yelled at me
Our relationship had become toxic, with arguments and accusations
You thought I lost the vial
We were so focused on getting our next fix that we accused each other of losing our drugs
You were never as sweet as you were
Our relationship became bitter and unkind over time
When we kissed for the first time
The beginning of our relationship was the high point
Searching for a speck of dust
We were desperate for any remnants of our drug use
Just enough for both of us
We were so dependent on each other that we needed the drugs to share
I knew our love was over
I recognized that our relationship and lifestyle was unhealthy and needed to end
You couldn't share
Our addiction had driven us apart
Oh how we tried
We put in substantial effort to make the relationship and lifestyle work
Up to the last line
We tried until the very end
Contributed by Taylor B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.