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.
Divorce Song
Liz Phair Lyrics
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It was late at night and we'd been driving since noon
But if I'd known how that would sound to you
I would have stayed in your bed for the rest of my life
Just to prove I was right
That it's harder to be friends than lovers
And you shouldn't try to mix the two
Then you know that the problem is you
And it's true that I stole your lighter
And it's also true that I lost the map
But when you said that I wasn't worth talking to
I had to take your word on that
But if you'd known how that would sound to me
You would have taken it back
And boxed it up and buried it in the ground
Boxed it up and buried it in the ground
Boxed it up and buried it in the ground
Burned it up and thrown it away
You put in my hands a loaded gun
And then told me not to fire it
When you did the things you said were up to me
And then accused me of trying to fuck it up
But you've never been a waste of my time
It's never been a drag
So take a deep breath and count back from ten
And maybe you'll be alright
And the license said you had to stick around until I was dead
But if you're tired of looking at my face, I guess I already am
But you've never been a waste of my time
It's never been a drag
So take a deep breath and count back from ten
And maybe you'll be alright
In Liz Phair's song "Divorce Song," the singer is reflecting on a past relationship that has ended in divorce. The song begins with the singer recounting a moment when they asked for a separate room while on a road trip with their partner. The implication is that the request for space was the beginning of the end of the relationship, as it was a sign that the couple had grown distant and unable to be close with each other. The singer expresses regret for not realizing the significance of the moment at the time, and staying in the same bed with their partner just to prove a point.
The chorus of the song serves as a warning against mixing friendship and romance. The singer suggests that it is difficult to maintain both and that attempting to do so will only lead to unhappiness. They go on to admit to stealing their partner's lighter and losing the map, but also resent their partner for saying that they were not worth talking to. The song ends with the singer addressing their partner directly, acknowledging that the relationship has run its course, but expressing gratitude for the time they spent together.
Line by Line Meaning
And when I asked for a separate room
When I requested a separate room from you
It was late at night and we'd been driving since noon
It was late and we had been on a long drive since the afternoon
But if I'd known how that would sound to you
If only I knew it would sound bad to you
I would have stayed in your bed for the rest of my life
I would have remained in your bed all my life just to prove my point
Just to prove I was right
I only wanted to prove that I was correct
That it's harder to be friends than lovers
It's challenging to be just friends after being lovers
And you shouldn't try to mix the two
It's not advisable to mix both as it could end up badly
'Cause if you do it and you're still unhappy
If you try and mix both, and you're still not content
Then you know that the problem is you
The problem might be from your end
And it's true that I stole your lighter
Admittedly, I took your lighter without your consent
And it's also true that I lost the map
I regret to say I lost the map
But when you said that I wasn't worth talking to
It hurt me the most when you told me I wasn't worth talking to
I had to take your word on that
I was forced to accept your statement as a fact
But if you'd known how that would sound to me
If you had any idea how hurtful that sounded
You would have taken it back
You would have retracted your statement
And boxed it up and buried it in the ground
You would have concealed it inside a box and buried it
Burned it up and thrown it away
Or you would have discarded it by burning it
You put in my hands a loaded gun
You handed over to me a dangerous weapon
And then told me not to fire it
And warned me not to pull the trigger
When you did the things you said were up to me
Yet you did things manipulating me into believing that it was my decision
And then accused me of trying to fuck it up
And then blamed me for ruining matters
But you've never been a waste of my time
I don't regret spending time with you
It's never been a drag
It's been an enjoyable experience
So take a deep breath and count back from ten
So take a moment to breathe and count from ten to release your tension
And maybe you'll be alright
Perhaps you can come out unscathed by it all
And the license said you had to stick around until I was dead
The license required you to be with me until my death
But if you're tired of looking at my face, I guess I already am
But if the sight of me annoys you, it appears as though I'm dead to you already.
But you've never been a waste of my time
I don't regret spending time with you
It's never been a drag
It's been an enjoyable experience
So take a deep breath and count back from ten
So take a moment to breathe and count from ten to release your tension
And maybe you'll be alright
Perhaps you can come out unscathed by it all
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: LIZ PHAIR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind