Worse Things
Johnny Hollow Lyrics


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Once when I was all alone,
I called you, and you weren't at home
My heart fell like a stone, to the ground
To the ground, to the ground
Why, when morn had dawned on me,
And anger grew like ecstasy,
And Leda threw the swan on me and I fell to the ground,
To the ground, to the ground

-Chorus-
Oh, don't say "I want you",
Don't stay this way, believe me,
I wasn't trying to play the game
Where someone's to blame,
I'll stay the same 'til you change your mind
And you'll change your mind

I could have broken you,
I should have spoken for you
You should have seen it was turning me on
Don't you know it's true?
There are worse things, perverse things
You should answer when the phone rings
There are worse things I could do

Once when I was all alone,
I could not find the telephone
So instead I burned your pretty home to the ground
To the ground, to the ground





-Chorus-

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Johnny Hollow's song "Worse Things" are mysterious and enigmatic, leaving much room for interpretation. However, it seems to tell a story of a troubled relationship between two people where one person is desperately trying to reach out to the other, while the other is seemingly unresponsive or absent. The first verse describes the feeling of abandonment, with the singer calling but getting no response. The second verse speaks of anger and betrayal, with a reference to the Greek myth of Leda and the swan, which symbolizes seduction and deception. The chorus seems to be a plea for understanding and forgiveness, with the singer hoping that the other person will change their mind and come back to them.


The lyrics of "Worse Things" are full of symbolism and allusions, making it difficult to determine the exact meaning of the song. The line "I could have broken you, I should have spoken for you" could refer to a past argument or betrayal, where the singer wishes they had spoken up for the other person. The line "Don't you know it's true? There are worse things, perverse things" suggests that the singer is willing to do anything to keep the relationship alive, even if it means engaging in immoral or taboo behavior. The final verse, where the singer burns down the other person's home, is especially unsettling and adds to the sense of unease and imbalance in the relationship.


Overall, "Worse Things" is a haunting and visceral song that delves into the darker aspects of human relationships. It touches on themes of desperation, betrayal, and obsession, while leaving much room for interpretation.


Line by Line Meaning

Once when I was all alone,
One instance when I was by myself,


I called you, and you weren't at home
I called you, but you were not available at home to answer,


My heart fell like a stone, to the ground
I was heartbroken and devastated,


To the ground, to the ground
The extent of my heartbreak was profound,


Why, when morn had dawned on me,
At the break of day,


And anger grew like ecstasy,
I was consumed with overwhelming anger and rage,


And Leda threw the swan on me and I fell to the ground,
The memory of Leda's action affected me profoundly,


To the ground, to the ground
My emotional state was overwhelming and brought me down,


Oh, don't say "I want you",
Please don't express your desire for me,


Don't stay this way, believe me,
Please change your attitude because this can't go on,


I wasn't trying to play the game
I didn't mean to hurt you,


Where someone's to blame,
I don't want to play the blame game,


I'll stay the same 'til you change your mind
I will not change my actions until you change yours,


And you'll change your mind
And you will have a change of heart,


I could have broken you,
I had the power to hurt you,


I should have spoken for you
It was incumbent upon me to speak for you,


You should have seen it was turning me on
What was happening was arousing me,


Don't you know it's true?
You need to realize and accept this fact,


There are worse things, perverse things
There are worse and more twisted behaviours than what we're doing,


You should answer when the phone rings
You have to respond when the phone rings,


There are worse things I could do
I have committed terrible deeds, but I could do much worse,


Once when I was all alone,
There was a moment when I was by myself,


I could not find the telephone
I was unable to locate the telephone,


So instead I burned your pretty home to the ground
As a result, I resorted to burning your beautiful home to the ground,


To the ground, to the ground
I caused significant destruction and devastation,




Contributed by Anna B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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