Bite The Hand
Julien Baker Lyrics
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I can't see you, the light is in my face
I can't touch you, I wouldn't if I could
I can't love you how you want me to
I can't love you how you want me to
I can't love you how you want me to
But you want what I can't give to you
Your hands are gravity while my hands are tied
I can't love you how you want me to
I can't love you how you want me to
I can't love you how you want me to
Who do you think you are?
Who do you think you I am?
What do you wanna say?
What do you think will change?
Maybe I'm afraid of you
Maybe I'm afraid of you
I'll bite the hand that feeds me
Bite the hand that feeds me
Bite the hand
Bite the hand
Bite the hand that needs me
Bite the hand that needs me
Bite the hand
Bite the hand
I can't love you how you want me to
I can't love you how you want me to
I can't love you how you want me to
I can't love you how you want me to
I can't love you how you want me to
I can't love you how you want me to
I can't love you how you want me to
I can't love you how you want me to
I can't love you how you want me to
I can't love you how you want me to
The song "Bite the Hand" by Julien Baker is a heartbreaking and poignant message about unrequited love. The song opens with the singer lamenting the distance between her and her lover. She can't hear them, see them, or touch them. The repetition of "I can't love you how you want me to" is a powerful admission of the singer's own incapacity to reciprocate the love that is being offered to her. This inability stems from the fact that the singer is simply not capable of giving her lover what she wants from her. The best she can offer is an understanding that the lover's desires are beyond her.
The lines "Here's the best part distilled for you/ But you want what I can't give to you/ Your hands are gravity while my hands are tied" are a further exploration of this theme. The singer knows what her lover wants from her, and she even tries to give them the best part of herself, but it's not enough. The metaphor of the hands, one tied and one pulling down, illustrates the unequal dynamic of the relationship. The lover is trying to pull the singer closer, but the singer's hands are tied, a clear representation of her inability to meet the lover's expectations.
Finally, the repetition of the lines "I'll bite the hand that feeds me/ Bite the hand that needs me" is a commentary on the singer's sense of unease or discomfort in the situation. She's aware that she is not able to give what is being asked of her, and in a desperate act of self-preservation, she will "bite the hand that feeds" her. In other words, she will act in ways that may hurt the lover in order to protect herself. The final repetition of the line "I can't love you how you want me to" is a somber reminder that this love story will not have a happy ending.
Line by Line Meaning
I can't hear you, you're too far away
I am unable to hear you because you are physically distant from me
I can't see you, the light is in my face
I am unable to see you because of the light shining in my face
I can't touch you, I wouldn't if I could
I am unable to physically touch you and even if I could, I would not
Here's the best part distilled for you
I am giving you the condensed version of the most significant part
But you want what I can't give to you
You desire something from me that I am incapable of delivering
Your hands are gravity while my hands are tied
You exert a strong pull on me but I am unable to fulfill your expectations
Who do you think you are?
I am questioning your self-importance and entitlement
Who do you think you I am?
I am questioning your perception of who I am
What do you wanna say?
I am asking for the message that you want to convey
What do you think will change?
I am inquiring about your expectations for the outcome of our interaction
Maybe I'm afraid of you
I am considering the possibility that I might be intimidated by you
I'll bite the hand that feeds me
I am willing to harm those who support me if they are also causing me harm or holding me back
Bite the hand that feeds me
I am repeating my willingness to turn on those who have helped me
Bite the hand
I am asserting my power to act against those who have power over me
Bite the hand that needs me
I am reiterating my belief that those who rely on me for support may also be controlling or limiting me
I can't love you how you want me to
I am acknowledging that I am unable to fulfill your romantic expectations
I can't love you how you want me to
I am repeating my recognition that I am not capable of loving you in the way that you desire
I can't love you how you want me to
I am affirming that I cannot provide you with the love that you demand
I can't love you how you want me to
I am reiterating that I am unable to fulfill your romantic desires
I can't love you how you want me to
I am stating once again that I am not capable of loving you in the way that you require
I can't love you how you want me to
I am emphasizing that I am unable to provide the kind of love that you demand
I can't love you how you want me to
I am concluding that I am not capable of giving you the love that you expect
I can't love you how you want me to
I am restating my inability to fulfill your romantic expectations
I can't love you how you want me to
I am ending with the recurring affirmation that I cannot love you in the way that you want
Lyrics © WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: Lucy Dacus, Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind