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.
Explain It to Me
Liz Phair Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Keeps getting harder
Give 'em your medicine
Fame injection
Tell him to jump higher
Tell him to run farther
Make him measure up
Piece it together
It's like weather
Watch him travel
Kiss the gravel
Tell him to jump higher
Tell him to run farther
Make him measure up
Ten times longer than you ever should
You never could explain them to me
Explain them to me
The lyrics in "Explain It to Me" by Liz Phair paints a picture of a struggle, where the singer has put her "head underwater" and finds it increasingly difficult to keep going. She urges someone, possibly a lover or confidant, to "give 'em your medicine" - it's possible that this refers to the ways in which success and the pressures that come with it have taken over her life. She is struggling to keep up with the demands placed on her, and it feels like she's being pushed to her limit.
The song also references measurement and expectation, as she tells someone to "tell him to jump higher" and to "run farther" - to measure up to standards that are "decades longer" than what she believes is necessary for success. It's as if she's watching people around her push harder and harder for their achievements, but she can't quite comprehend why the stakes are so high.
Overall, "Explain It to Me" is a commentary on the pressures of fame and the expectations and demands that come with it. It's a reminder that success isn't as simple as it may seem from the outside, and that even with all the accolades in the world, it's still possible to feel like you're drowning.
Line by Line Meaning
Head underwater
Feeling overwhelmed and suffocated, experiencing difficulty in coping with life's challenges.
Keeps getting harder
Despite trying to manage the difficulties, the problems and troubles keep increasing in intensity and complexity.
Give 'em your medicine
Trying to cope by resorting to one's go-to coping mechanism or addiction, whether it be alcohol, drugs, or other vices.
Fame injection
Succumbing to societal pressures to attain fame and success to combat personal struggles, which may bring temporary relief but not necessarily true happiness.
Tell him to jump higher
Putting pressure on oneself or others to constantly perform better, even in the face of mounting difficulties.
Tell him to run farther
Encouraging one to push further beyond their limits, even if it may be detrimental to their health or wellbeing.
Make him measure up
Subjecting oneself or others to unrealistic standards or expectations of perfection, which can lead to feelings of inadequacy and failure.
Decades longer than you
Comparing oneself to others who have achieved more success or lived longer, leading to feelings of inferiority and self-doubt.
Piece it together
Trying to make sense of life's struggles and challenges, and attempting to find meaning and purpose behind them.
It's like weather
Comparing the ups and downs of life to unpredictable and ever-changing weather patterns, which can be both beautiful and destructive.
Watch him travel
Observing others' journeys and experiences, and learning from them in order to gain perspective and understanding of one's own situation.
Kiss the gravel
Acknowledging the harsh realities and hardships of life, and accepting them as a natural part of the human experience.
Ten times longer than you ever should
Feeling overwhelmed by the expectations placed upon oneself, especially when those are unrealistic or impossible to achieve.
You never could explain them to me
Feeling unable to fully articulate or comprehend the depth and complexity of one's struggles, and yearning for someone to understand and relate to them.
Explain them to me
Expressing a desire for someone to help make sense of the challenges and difficulties faced in life, and to provide insight and understanding.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: LIZ PHAIR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind