Though born in Dayton, Ohio, Barlow was raised in Jackson, Michigan and then Westfield, Massachusetts. He is widely considered to be among the most prolific and ground-breaking indie musicians of the 1990's. He's best known for his work with Sebadoh, The Folk Implosion and Dinosaur Jr.'s original and current lineup. Many labels have been applied to his unique brand of acoustic rock, including lo-fi, folk-pop and folkcore. Barlow's latest album, his second official solo effort under his own name, is titled Goodnight unknown.
Confused
Lou Barlow Lyrics
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Fading into view
Rise and fall, don't we all, love to be confused
Make it natural naked fun
Force it make it wrong
Wait a day, a year, far too long
Don't you feel abused?
Drifting through the night, nodding at the moon
Waited till the day withdrew, confused
Are you here to give it back?
Are you afraid I won't let go?
That I'm a warm denier, a cold desire
Remote without control
Cross the border through your room and into mine
If there's something you want
Let it tell you what to do
Tonight let's feast on you, confused
In Lou Barlow's song Confused, the lyrics suggest a sense of bewilderment and a lack of clarity in the singer's life. The opening lines show that the singer has experienced various extremes of emotion and has struggled with finding balance in their life. The line 'love to be confused' seems to suggest that the singer is somewhat comfortable with this feeling despite the confusion causing unrest in their life.
The middle section of the song talks a lot about the idea of pushing boundaries and stepping out of one's comfort zone. The lines 'Make it natural naked fun, force it make it wrong' suggest that the singer is trying to explore and experiment with new things, even if they don't necessarily feel totally comfortable doing so. The following lines 'Wait a day, a year, far too long, don't you feel abused?' seem to imply that the singer has perhaps waited too long to make these changes and is starting to feel exhausted by their confusion.
The final verse of the song appears to be a plea for help, with the singer asking if the person they're addressing is there to give them support or if they are afraid that the singer won't be able to change. The lines 'If there's something you want, let it tell you what to do, Tonight let's feast on you, confused' suggest that the singer is ready to let go of their confusion and embrace something new but needs the guidance and encouragement of others to do this.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been up, down, knees, cloud
I have gone through a lot of emotional ups and downs, feeling confused and disoriented.
Fading into view
Starting to become aware of my surroundings and myself.
Rise and fall, don't we all, love to be confused
It's human nature to experience highs and lows and the confusion that comes along with it.
Make it natural naked fun
Let's have spontaneous and real fun.
Force it make it wrong
Let's do something we know is wrong and push ourselves to new limits.
Wait a day, a year, far too long
Sometimes we wait too long for good things, and it can be frustrating.
Don't you feel abused?
Do you feel mistreated or taken advantage of?
Drifting through the night, nodding at the moon
Feeling lost and disconnected while being lost in my thoughts at night.
Waited till the day withdrew, confused
I kept waiting and hoping for something to happen before realizing it was time to move on.
Are you here to give it back?
Are you hoping to receive something in return for what you have given?
Are you afraid I won't let go?
Are you worried that I won't be able to move on from a past event or person?
That I'm a warm denier, a cold desire
I appear warm and friendly, but I am cold and distant when it comes to getting too close to people.
Remote without control
I am distant and hard to reach, and have no power or control over what happens.
Cross the border through your room and into mine
Venturing out of my comfort zone and taking risks to grow and explore new things.
If there's something you want, let it tell you what to do
Let your instincts guide you toward what you truly desire.
Tonight let's feast on you, confused
Let's indulge in the feeling of being confused and lost, and embrace it as part of the human experience.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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