(1) Lovers are the brain child of gifted lyricist and heartbroken hero Carolyn Berk (CUBBY), the doe-eyed, silken voiced vagabond whose intimate tales of love and loss have garnered her overwhelming critical acclaim. Torrents of emotion fill each song on Lovers' sophomore release, The Gutter and the Garden, but an unflinching, underlying kindness runs throughout. Achingly beautiful string arrangements, subtle vocal harmonies, and layered soundscapes create a perfect musical accompaniment to Berk's breath-taking imagery and nuanced narratives.
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Lovers have successfully followed their brilliant debut release Starlit Sunken Ship, over which the Boston Phoenix raved, "Carolyn Berk's songs are full of breathless melancholy and a sinking, infinite sadness. In them you hear hints of the circus-funeral magic-realist run-on folk song of Neutral Milk Hotel, the dreamy twilight grandeur of Mazzy Star, Bright Eyes' last-gasp heartstring soliloquies, and the ghosthaunted majesty of Magnetic Fields' loneliest highways. But I'll be damned if Berk isn't a more entrancing spell caster than any of them."
(2) Swedish project that released one album in 2013, Addicted To Drugs.
Boxer
Lovers Lyrics
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The lyrics of "Boxer" by Lovers addresses the uncertainty and ambiguity that can arise in relationships. The singer seems to feel lost and confused, unsure of where they stand with their lover. The opening lines, "what a drag not to know how you are, or which of us got the raw deal," suggests that there has been some sort of conflict, but the singer is not sure who has come out worse. The following lines reveal a sense of guilt and self-doubt, with the singer questioning whether they have hurt their partner ("I was a dagger but in whose heart? I was the dirt beneath whose wheel?").
The chorus of the song contains a series of refrains, with the singer addressing different aspects of their relationship. They plead with the "boxer" not to knock them down, ask the "writer" not to write them out, and express a desire to not remain estranged from the person they love. However, the line "lover, are we going separate ways? and don't I get a say?" suggest that there is a fear that the relationship may be coming to an end, and the singer feels powerless to prevent it.
The final line of the song, "today I'm thinking of you in a new way," suggests that the singer may be starting to see their relationship from a different perspective. Perhaps they are beginning to understand their partner's point of view, or are reflecting on their own behavior and how it has impacted the relationship. The lyrics of "Boxer" are a poignant reminder of the complexity of human connection, and how even the strongest relationships can be undermined by misunderstandings and miscommunication.
Line by Line Meaning
What a drag not to know how you are, or which of us got the raw deal.
It's sad and frustrating not to know how you're doing, and also not to know if either of us got a bad deal in our relationship.
I was a dagger but in whose heart?
I may have been hurting you, but I don't know if you were hurting me too.
I was the dirt beneath whose wheel?
I felt like I was being stepped on by someone, but I don't know if it was you or someone else.
Boxer, don't knock me down.
Please don't hurt me or make me feel worse than I already do.
Writer, don't write me out.
Please don't forget about me or pretend like I wasn't important to you.
Stranger, let's not stay estranged.
Even if we don't know each other well or are currently apart, let's try to reconnect and not stay distant.
Lover, are we going separate ways?
I'm worried that we might be drifting apart as a couple and I don't want that to happen.
And don't I get a say? Hey, hey, hey.
I want to have a say in our relationship and how we move forward, I don't want to be ignored or overlooked.
I tore the banner around your heart.
I may have unintentionally hurt you or damaged our relationship in some way.
I tore the banner that said "ideal".
I may have exposed and shattered our idealized vision of our relationship, and that makes me feel guilty.
Today I'm thinking of you in a new way.
I'm trying to look at our relationship from a different perspective and hoping to find a way to move forward in a positive way.
Contributed by Landon K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.