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.
Go On Ahead
Liz Phair Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You have a good time there
You make me feel funny
I'm no ordinary lover or friend
I believe we have things to do
I believe in myself and I believe in you
I believe when I sleep you are near to me
You walk out of the room with your hands so deep in your pockets,
I don't recognize you
You say you're a ghost in our house and I realize
I do think I see through you
So, you go on ahead, honey
You have a good time there
You make me feel funny
I'm no ordinary lover or friend
It's death in our love that has brought us here
It's a birth that has changed our lives
It's a place that I hope we'll be leaving soon
And I fear for the year in his eyes
And it goes around in circles
One night is lovely, the next is brutal
And you and me are in way over our heads with this one
It's hard to admit it
But you hold me and I can't feel you
We hurt but we smile
I promise I'll make it back when the summer has warmed me awhile
You go on ahead, honey
You have a good time there
You make me feel funny
I'm no ordinary lover or friend
I believe we have things to do
I believe in myself and I believe in you
I believe when I sleep you are near to me
When you sleep I am near to you
In "Go On Ahead," Liz Phair sings about a relationship that has run its course, but both partners are still trying to make it work. The song opens with the repetition of the title line, "you go on ahead, honey," which sets the tone for the rest of the lyrics. Phair acknowledges that her partner will continue on with their life, but she wants to believe that they still have things to do together. She sings, "I believe in myself, and I believe in you," highlighting her wish to keep their relationship alive. Phair also mentions the paradox of feeling "funny" around her partner - it's clear that their love has fizzled out, but it's hard to let go of the connection they once had.
The second verse of the song reveals some tension within the relationship. Phair describes her partner's behavior as a "ghost in our house" and notes that she can see through them. This metaphor suggests that her partner is no longer fully invested in the relationship and has become distant. However, Phair still keeps up hope, talking about how they sleep near each other and how she believes they still have things to do together.
As the song progresses, Phair mentions both death and birth as forces that have brought them to their current situation. The chorus repeats again, emphasizing the fact that her partner is moving on without her. Phair paints a picture of the rollercoaster-like nature of their relationship - some nights are "lovely," while others are "brutal." But despite the pain they both feel, they keep holding onto each other.
Overall, "Go On Ahead" is a bittersweet song about a relationship that is on its last legs. Phair examines the complexities of love and how difficult it can be to let go of someone you once loved deeply.
Line by Line Meaning
You go on ahead, honey
I am letting you go and have fun on your own
You have a good time there
I am giving my blessing and hoping that you enjoy yourself
You make me feel funny
Your absence is making me feel uneasy and uncertain
I'm no ordinary lover or friend
I am different from other people in your life, and our relationship is not commonplace
I believe we have things to do
I have faith that there is a purpose to our relationship
I believe in myself and I believe in you
I have confidence in our individual abilities and our relationship as a whole
I believe when I sleep you are near to me
Even when we are apart, I feel that our connection is strong
When you sleep I am near to you
I feel that even in your dreams, you are thinking of me and our relationship
You walk out of the room with your hands so deep in your pockets,
You leave with a sense of resignation and sadness
I don't recognize you
You seem like a stranger to me, emotionally distant
You say you're a ghost in our house and I realize
You feel like a haunting presence, unable to fully engage with me
I do think I see through you
I perceive your emotional struggles and pain
It's death in our love that has brought us here
Our relationship has been damaged and changed by traumatic events
It's a birth that has changed our lives
We have undergone a significant transformation as a result of these experiences
It's a place that I hope we'll be leaving soon
I am looking forward to moving on from this difficult time in our relationship
And I fear for the year in his eyes
I am concerned about the impact of our struggles on your emotional well-being
And it goes around in circles
Our relationship feels like a constant cycle of ups and downs
One night is lovely, the next is brutal
Our experiences together can be both beautiful and painful
And you and me are in way over our heads with this one
We are struggling to cope with the intensity of our emotions and experiences
It's hard to admit it
We are finding it difficult to acknowledge the extent of our problems
But you hold me and I can't feel you
Even when we are physically close, we are emotionally distant
We hurt but we smile
We are pretending that everything is okay even when it's not
I promise I'll make it back when the summer has warmed me awhile
I pledge to return to you when I am ready, after I have healed and moved on from this painful time
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: PHAIR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind