Phair's 1993 debut studio album, Exile in Guyville, was released to acclaim; it has been ranked by Rolling Stone as one of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Phair followed this with her second album, Whip-Smart (1994), which earned her a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance, and Whitechocolatespaceegg (1998). Ten years after the release of her debut, Phair's fourth album, Liz Phair (2003), released on Capitol Records, moved towards pop rock, earning her a mainstream audience but alienating critics.
After the release of her fifth album, Somebody's Miracle (2005), Phair left Capitol and released her sixth album Funstyle independently in 2010. In 2018, it was announced that Matador Records would be releasing a retrospective set for Phair's debut album Exile in Guyville which includes remastered recordings from her original Girly-Sound demo tapes. Phair released her seventh studio album, Soberish, in 2021.
Beg Me
Liz Phair Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Back up slowly inside
Breathe too loud and I'll kill you
Get down on your knees and beg me
Beg me, beg
Beg me, beg me, beg
Take off all of your clothes
Move one inch and I'll shoot you
Make like a woman and beg me
Beg me, beg
I said, beg me, beg me, beg
Every night on TV
I see things that should make me blush
Looks like it's going to be another open season
Open season on us
Open season, open season on us
It's the first hot day of the summer
Looks like there's gonna be thunder
I've been sitting here all afternoon
Watching the clouds
You can see the sky from my window
Can feel the wind and smell the rain
And I don't see what difference it makes
If I'm a man or a woman
The lyrics to Liz Phair's song "Beg Me" depict a woman who has reached the limits of her patience with her lover. She threatens to harm him if he doesn't obey her commands and ultimately submits to her will. The first verse sets the tone for the song with a threatening ultimatum. The partner must not move too quickly or breathe too loudly, or else they will face the consequences.
The second verse is even more ominous with the command to undress and lie face down on the bed. The imagery is sexual but also has a violent undertone. Liz Phair's delivery of the lines is cold and calculating, adding to the unsettling feeling of the song. The chorus repeats the command to beg while the bridge shifts towards a commentary on modern society. The line "every night on TV, I see things that should make me blush" suggests a desensitization to violence, particularly towards women. The metaphor of open season on us is a direct reference to women being prey for men, a sad reality that still exists today.
The final verse takes us back to the physical environment where the singer watches the clouds and nature outside. The line "And I don't see what difference it makes if I'm a man or a woman" is a pointed statement about gender identities and the arbitrary societal constructs that label individuals. Liz Phair's delivery is matter-of-fact, as if stating an obvious truth.
Line by Line Meaning
Take one more step and it's over
Stop right there or you'll regret it
Back up slowly inside
Retreat slowly and don't turn your back
Breathe too loud and I'll kill you
Be silent, or face the consequences
Get down on your knees and beg me
Submit to my authority and plead for mercy
Beg me, beg
Repeated emphasis on pleading with me
Take off all of your clothes
Undress completely
Lie face down on the bed
Eager to assume a submissive position
Move one inch and I'll shoot you
Remain completely still or face deadly consequences
Make like a woman and beg me
Submit and plead with me in a stereotypically feminine way
Every night on TV
Observing disturbing and potentially shameful material nightly
I see things that should make me blush
Suggestive or immoral messages being portrayed on TV is a social taboo
Looks like it's going to be another open season
Implying how society is open to watching such content without much opposition
Open season on us
Commenting how people are vulnerable to having their private lives exposed and being judged by others
It's the first hot day of the summer
The beginning of a new, possibly uncomfortable or unpleasant era
Looks like there's gonna be thunder
Foreshadowing impending conflict or confrontation
I've been sitting here all afternoon
Brooding over negative thoughts or planning actions
Watching the clouds
Engaged in thought and reflection
You can see the sky from my window
Directly witnessing the beauty and perfection of nature
Can feel the wind and smell the rain
Heightened sensory awareness and appreciation of nature
And I don't see what difference it makes
Questioning the importance of societal expectations regarding gender
If I'm a man or a woman
Identity is more than just conforming to societal expectations
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
john laperriere
One of my all time favorites, the guitar is other worldly amazing!