Elizabeth Clark Phair is an American singer and songwriter. Born in New Hav… Read Full Bio ↴Elizabeth Clark Phair is an American singer and songwriter. Born in New Haven, Connecticut, Phair was raised primarily in the Chicago area. After graduating from Oberlin College in 1990, she attempted to start a musical career in San Francisco, California, but returned to her home in Chicago, where she began self-releasing audio cassettes under the name Girly-Sound. The tapes led to a recording contract with the independent record label Matador Records.

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.

Satisfied
Liz Phair Lyrics

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I fell in love along the way, somewhere I couldn't stay
But it's nice to take a detour sometimes
You drove me out in your rented car, we didn't have to go too far
To look back on the city lights

Some things aren't that different
But other things, they change

You've got the world at your feet, with everything you need
Tell me, are you satisfied?
It all comes easily to you, with everything you do
Tell me, are you satisfied?

I came, I saw, I kicked its ass
I walked away, and I never looked back
I remember you, when you held my hair
As I puked, oh, everywhere

Some things aren't that different
But other things, they change

You've got the world at your feet, with everything you need
Tell me, are you satisfied?
It all comes easily to you, with everything you do
But tell me, are you satisfied?

I want to be like you
You want to be like me

You've got the world at your feet, with everything you need
But tell me, are you satisfied?
It all comes easily to you, with everything you do
But tell me, are you satisfied?

I felt it turn along the way, somewhere I couldn't stay
But tell me, are you satisfied?

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Liz Phair's "Satisfied" are about two people who are reflecting on their time together and how things have changed since then. The singer fell in love with someone, but for some reason, they couldn't stay together. Despite this, they enjoyed going on a detour and looking at the city lights together. The singer then questions the other person's satisfaction with their life, noting that they have the world at their feet and everything seems to come easily to them. The other person seems to have support and care for the singer as well, as seen in the line "I remember you, when you held my hair as I puked, oh, everywhere."

The song is a mix of bitterness and longing as the singer reflects on the past with a sense of regret. The line "I want to be like you, you want to be like me" highlights the fact that each person envies something about the other, but ultimately, they both feel unsatisfied with their lives.

Overall, "Satisfied" is an introspective song that explores how relationships can change people and how those changes can lead to feelings of dissatisfaction.

Line by Line Meaning

I fell in love along the way, somewhere I couldn't stay
I experienced love during the journey but couldn't remain in that place

But it's nice to take a detour sometimes
It's refreshing to change course occasionally

You drove me out in your rented car, we didn't have to go too far
You took me for a drive that wasn't too long in a hired car

To look back on the city lights
We stopped to admire the urban view

Some things aren't that different
There is a degree of consistency in certain aspects

But other things, they change
Other things have undergone transformation

You've got the world at your feet, with everything you need
You have everything you could wish for

Tell me, are you satisfied?
Are you content with that?

It all comes easily to you, with everything you do
You effortlessly succeed in everything you undertake

I came, I saw, I kicked its ass
I approached, observed, and succeeded in dominating

I walked away, and I never looked back
I left that behind and never reminisced