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.
Valentine
Liz Phair Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If you're rolling over here
I bet the farm that you can read my mind
Scanning through the classifieds
You're on the up and up
Do you do you want it
Bad enough to get it
And if you really get it
These guys
Take getting used to
These guys
Aren't made like they used to
Valentine
If you're gonna bring me one
Then I'm gonna pay for it
Every time there's no getting round it
When you're on the up and up
Do you do you want it
Bad enough to get it
And if you really get it
Will you have the foresight to quickly give it up
These guys
Take getting used to
These guys
Aren't made like they used to
These guys
Aren't taking chances
These guys
Are doing what the man says
On the eighteenth hole
You dropped Justin off
To let me see the dirty stuff
And in my notes
You're almost professional
You're on of them on the up and up
And later in bed
You asked to excuse yourself
Driven to increase your wealth
Cause in your head
You know I'm professional
Cause I know how to give it up
These guys
Take getting used to
These guys
Aren't made like they used to
These guys
Make it their business
These guys
Collect all the interest
Valentine
If you're rolling over me
I'm walking through you
To the next in line
And he's gonna tell me baby
I'm on the up and up
Do you do you want it
Bad enough to get it
And if you really get it
Well I bet the farm bet you wouldn't know what to do
In Liz Phair's song "Valentine," the lyrics express a sense of detached cynicism towards the men in her life. She suspects they have the ability to read her mind and manipulate her, which makes her feel uneasy. The song implies a transactional relationship where the men in her life want something from her, and she wonders if they are willing to work hard enough to get it. However, she also wonders if they will have the sense to give up once they do achieve it. She seems to be unimpressed with the men in question and their lack of charisma, professionalism, and originality. The repetition of the line "These guys take getting used to" emphasizes the detachment she feels.
Overall, the lyrics of "Valentine" can be interpreted as an anthem of self-reliance, where Liz Phair is uninterested in surrendering power to the men she encounters. She is suspicious of their motives and their abilities, and she is unwilling to make compromises to make them happy. She is looking for someone who is professional, who can communicate with her on an intellectual level, and who has integrity. She values herself and what she has to offer and is looking for someone who can match her.
Line by Line Meaning
If you're rolling over here
If you're in bed with me
I bet the farm that you can read my mind
I trust you enough to know what I'm thinking
Scanning through the classifieds
Looking for opportunities
You're on the up and up
You're honest and reliable
Do you do you want it
Do you really desire it
Bad enough to get it
Enough to do anything to achieve it
And if you really get it
And if you actually receive what you want
Will you have the foresight to quickly give it up
Will you be wise enough to let go of it before it consumes you
These guys
Men in general
Take getting used to
Take time to understand
Aren't made like they used to
Are different from what they used to be
If you're gonna bring me one
If you're going to give me a valentine
Then I'm gonna pay for it
Then I'll pay for my own gift
Every time there's no getting round it
Every time it's unavoidable
These guys
Men in general
Aren't taking chances
Aren't willing to take risks
Are doing what the man says
Are following orders
On the eighteenth hole
At the end of the game
You dropped Justin off
You left me alone with Justin
To let me see the dirty stuff
To show me some illicit material
And in my notes
And according to my observations
You're almost professional
You're very good at what you do
And later in bed
And later in the bedroom
You asked to excuse yourself
You asked to leave
Driven to increase your wealth
Motivated to become richer
Cause in your head
Because you believe
You know I'm professional
You are aware of my expertise
Cause I know how to give it up
Because I know how to let go of things
Make it their business
Make it their priority
Collect all the interest
Take all the money they can
If you're rolling over me
If you're trying to take advantage of me
I'm walking through you
I will not let it happen
To the next in line
To the next person who shows interest
And he's gonna tell me baby
And he will likely give me sweet talk
Well I bet the farm bet you wouldn't know what to do
I'm confident that you would not know how to handle the situation
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind