How Insensitive
LIVING ROOM - Iggy Pop Lyrics
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When you told me that you loved me
How unmoved and cold I must have seemed
When you told me so sincerely
Why you might have asked
Did I just turn and stare away in icy silence?
What was I to do?
Now I'm alone
And I see all the heartache in your last look
Vague and drawn and sad I see it still
All the memory of that last look
Why you might have asked
Did I just turn and went in icy silence?
What was I to do?
What can you do when a love affair is over?
In "How Insensitive," Iggy Pop portrays the heartache of a person who has been informed by their lover about their love for them, but they feel disconnected and unable to react in any way. Iggy Pop is lamenting about how insensitive and cold he appeared when he was informed the news. He makes use of the term "insensitive" multiple times to emphasize the emotional numbness he felt at the time.
The lyrics also imply that the lover's heartache is much more apparent to them after disconnecting from the relationship, as they can only see all the pain in their lover's final look. The lyrics show a sense of regret for not responding with the same emotions that were displayed while confessing love. The song's theme is about lost love and how difficult it is to move on after a break-up.
Line by Line Meaning
How insensitive I must have seemed
I realize now that I acted in a callous and unfeeling way
When you told me that you loved me
At the time of your confession of love, I didn't express compassion
How unmoved and cold I must have seemed
I understand that I appeared distant and unemotional
When you told me so sincerely
Despite the honest way you told me of your emotions, I lacked warmth
Why you might have asked
Perhaps you wondered, as I do now, why I acted as I did
Did I just turn and stare away in icy silence?
I acknowledge the hurt I caused by responding to your love with a blank, aloof expression
What was I to do?
I regret not being able to act differently in that situation
What can you do when a love affair is over?
Despite hindsight, I understand that not all relationships can be mended
Now I'm alone
With the passage of time, I am left to reflect on our relationship
And I see all the heartache in your last look
Looking back, I am able to recognize the pain you felt as our relationship ended
Vague and drawn and sad I see it still
Your last expression of sorrow remains in my memory as an indistinct, melancholic image
All the memory of that last look
Your endearing look has come to symbolize the final moments of our love affair
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Antonio Carlos Jobim, Norman Gimbel, Vinicius De Moraes
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind