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.
Chopsticks
Liz Phair Lyrics
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He said he liked to do it backwards
I said, "That's just fine with me,
That way we can fuck and watch TV."
It was four a.m. and the light was gray, like it always is in paperbacks
He asked if I liked playing jacks
I told him that I was good to sixes
I told him that I knew Julia Roberts when I was twelve at summer camp
We didn't say anything after that
I dropped him off and I drove on home
'Cause secretly I'm timid
The lyrics of Liz Phair's song Chopsticks tell the story of a sexual encounter between the singer and a man she met at a party. The man tells her how to drive him home, and when they arrive, he suggests doing it "backwards." The singer agrees, saying that this way they can "fuck and watch TV." The time is described as being four a.m. and the light is gray, a reference to the bleakness of the situation. The man asks if the singer likes playing jacks, and she replies that she's only good up to sixes. But then the situation takes a turn for the worse, and the singer reveals that she once knew Julia Roberts when she was twelve. The encounter ends awkwardly, and the singer drives home with a sense of timidity.
At its core, Chopsticks is a song about trying to connect with someone on a sexual level. The man and the singer seem to be in different places emotionally and intellectually, which creates tension between them. The lyrics reveal how the singer is ultimately unable to bridge the gap between herself and her partner, ending in a feeling of awkwardness and disconnection.
Line by Line Meaning
I met him at a party and he told me how to drive him home
We first met at a party, and he asked me to drive him home.
He said he liked to do it backwards
He told me that he enjoyed doing things in reverse.
I said, "That's just fine with me,
That way we can fuck and watch TV."
I agreed to his suggestion, and we could have sex while watching TV.
It was four a.m. and the light was gray, like it always is in paperbacks
The time was early morning, and the light had the usual gray color like in novels.
He asked if I liked playing jacks
He inquired about my preference for playing jacks.
I told him that I was good to sixes
I informed him that I could play the game up to six counts.
But all hell broke loose after that
Things got out of hand and went wild after that conversation.
I told him that I knew Julia Roberts when I was twelve at summer camp
I shared with him that I had encountered Julia Roberts when I was twelve and attended summer camp.
We didn't say anything after that
There was no further conversation between us after I spoke about Julia Roberts.
I dropped him off and I drove on home
I left him at his destination and went home alone.
'Cause secretly I'm timid
The reason behind my actions is that I am inherently shy and nervous.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: PHAIR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind