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.
Closer To You
Liz Phair Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Do you think I wander through, half-blind?
I see the things you hide
The fear you have inside is nothing new
But I would never want to find out
Everything about you
Cause I would never want to find out
Your mind is a place I don't need to embrace
What you've got in your heart is enough
For me to start breaking through
Closer to you
Closer to you
I love you as you are
Here and not too far
Out of view
I love the way you walk
To hear it when you talk
Like you do
But I would never want to choose
What I like best
About you
Cause I would never want to spoil
That mystery
With a clue
Your mind is a place I don't need to embrace
What you've got in your heart is enough
For me to start
With enough holes in my soul
I don't need your rock-n-roll to stay in tune
And open to you
Open to you
Oh the abyss
Mess of all those frustrating fools
They wander all around
Black and white, no sound, no improvements
But I see something on a TV
With a smell and a choice
When I feel yours and my heart beating
With the wealth of the universe
Your mind is a place I don't need to embrace
What you've got in your heart is enough
For me to start making your happiness my own
Open up and let me show what I can do
When I am closer to you
Closer to you
Liz Phair's song 'Closer To You' is a musing on the complexity and mystery of human nature. The lyrics are a reflection of the singer's observation of the person they love and admiration for their qualities, but also their recognition of the fact that there are parts of this person's personality that are hidden, and that they themselves are not privy to. Phair sings about how she sees both the good and bad in her lover, but she chooses not to dive deep into his mind since she believes it's a place she doesn't need to embrace. She is satisfied with what she knows and the mystery that exists between them.
The song's chorus is a declaration of Phair's commitment to her lover. She loves him as he is and doesn't want to ruin the mystery by finding out everything about him. She wants to get closer to him and understand him better, but she doesn't want to risk losing what they have by diving too deep.
Overall, 'Closer To You' is a song about love and acceptance, and the willingness to embrace the mystery that exists between two people. The lyrics touch upon the idea of the unknown being a source of excitement and wonder, and the importance of cherishing what we do know about the people we love.
Line by Line Meaning
I see the things you do
I notice and observe the actions that you take
Do you think I wander through, half-blind?
Do you believe that I am unaware of the things that you do?
I see the things you hide
I notice and observe the things that you keep hidden
The fear you have inside is nothing new
The feelings of apprehension and nervousness that you are experiencing have been felt by many before you
But I would never want to find out
Everything about you
I am content with not knowing everything about you
Cause I would never want to find out
What I thought wasn't true
I prefer not to discover anything about you that may contradict or undermine what I already know or believe about you
Your mind is a place I don't need to embrace
What you've got in your heart is enough
For me to start breaking through
Closer to you
Closer to you
I don't need to fully understand or approve of your thoughts and beliefs for me to want to get closer to you emotionally
I love you as you are
Here and not too far
Out of view
I adore and appreciate you just the way you are, even if you aren't always within sight
I love the way you walk
To hear it when you talk
Like you do
I appreciate the unique and charming qualities of your gait and voice
But I would never want to choose
What I like best
About you
I don't want to single out or prioritize any particular traits or qualities that I admire about you
Cause I would never want to spoil
That mystery
With a clue
I don't want to spoil the magic and allure of getting to know you by trying to understand every aspect of you
With enough holes in my soul
I don't need your rock-n-roll to stay in tune
And open to you
Open to you
I am vulnerable and imperfect in my own way, but I don't need external validation or influence to remain receptive and open to knowing you
Oh the abyss
Mess of all those frustrating fools
They wander all around
Black and white, no sound, no improvements
I observe and lament over the chaotic and senseless actions of others who seem lost and unchanging
But I see something on a TV
With a smell and a choice
When I feel yours and my heart beating
With the wealth of the universe
I find something meaningful in a world filled with distractions and noise, especially when I feel connected to you on a deep level
Your mind is a place I don't need to embrace
What you've got in your heart is enough
For me to start making your happiness my own
Open up and let me show what I can do
When I am closer to you
Closer to you
Even if I don't fully understand or accept your thoughts and beliefs, I am still capable of empathizing with and supporting you emotionally, and I am willing to put in the effort to prove it if you let me get closer to you
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Peermusic Publishing, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: David Siegel, Steve Morales, Gerina Di Marco, Ariadna Sodi Miranda
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind