I Love You Too Death
MGMT Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Who is much more than a friend,
But never by my side?
All beginnings are an end,
In the blackness there's a light
Maybe you will only read
One or two letters at the most
Shipping crates might line the streets,
Every stranger is a ghost
Cashiers won't deduct the pain,
Loneliness sleeps on the couch
Only noticing the stain
Once the color's faded out
Let's go camping in the cold,
Make a fire, buy a tent
Envision leather getting old,
Re-send pigeons that were sent
Try to memorize your smell,
It reminds me of a field
Crickets clearer than a bell
Have all their guts recast in steel
Birds don't cry when echoes quit,
They trail off into the fog
Autumn hurts far less than sticks,
Knowing winter's five feet tall
Generations of defeat
All assuming your the worst
They never tied the cans
To the back end of a hearse
Take your hand against my own,
If there's a finger I can grip
Reassure me at the ace
Mine's a black heart you could flip
I've come to terms with what I have,
What's been given, what's been asked
Turn my back against the sea,
And beg the serpent for a dance
But in the red dirt muddy towns,
Celebration of the dark
Children walking hand in hand
With the pygmies in the park
I can't touch you only once,
You always leave me wanting more
So keep my feet within the house,
And stick my toes just past the door




Let me know when I'm in love,
Let me die when I'm in love

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to MGMT's "I Love You Too Death" present something that is very relatable to most people - the feeling of being in love with someone who isn't necessarily within reach. The song seems to describe the idea of being involved in a long-distance relationship or a relationship where one person has commitment issues. Although the person being sung to ("you") is cherished and considered to be more than a mere friend, they are never physically present with the singer. The singer acknowledges that all good things come to an end and that in darkness, there is always some form of light. This suggests that even though the relationship is not physically close, there is some feeling of hope in it.


Throughout the song, there are other examples of the theme of distance and detachment. The idea of shipping crates lining the streets and every stranger being a ghost may refer to the idea that the physical world is empty and meaningless without the love and connection of someone who is not present. Loneliness is described as sleeping on the couch, and there is a sense that the pain caused by being apart from this person is not understood by anyone around the singer. There is also a reference to camping in the cold and sending pigeons, which could suggest a desire to travel or to get lost in nature with someone special.


Line by Line Meaning

Who is much more than a friend,
Refers to a person who is very important to the singer in a non-romantic way but is not always physically present with the singer.


But never by my side?
Despite the importance of the person mentioned above, they are never around.


All beginnings are an end,
Everything must come to an end, even new beginnings.


In the blackness there's a light
In difficult situations, there is always a glimmer of hope or positivity present.


Maybe you will only read
It is possible that the person being addressed in the song might only read or hear a small portion of what the singer wants to say.


One or two letters at the most
Continues from the previous line to say that only one or two letters may be enough to convey what the singer wants to say to the person they're addressing.


Shipping crates might line the streets,
Implies that the streets may be empty or devoid of life and the only thing present is a line of shipping crates.


Every stranger is a ghost
In a lonely and isolating environment, any strangers that do cross paths or are present feel like ghosts or apparitions, adding to the sense of solitude.


Cashiers won't deduct the pain,
People in customer service or working as cashiers won't make the singer feel any better or help alleviate the pain the singer is feeling.


Loneliness sleeps on the couch
Loneliness is very present and feels comfortable in the singer's life, becoming an almost physical entity that doesn't leave.


Only noticing the stain
The singer only realizes or takes note of what is missing or the bad after things have already gone wrong or have been taken away.


Once the color's faded out
When things lose their vibrancy or color, the consequences become more apparent and the true nature of reality is revealed.


Let's go camping in the cold,
To further escape from reality, the singer suggests an outdoor activity that is more suited for the summer be done in the winter.


Make a fire, buy a tent
Continues from the previous line to give more detail on what the singer suggests doing for this camping trip in the winter.


Envision leather getting old,
Looking to the future, the singer suggests trying to anticipate or estimate what will happen when leather ages.


Re-send pigeons that were sent
Sending a message in a non-traditional way, as if returning to an older mode of communication.


Try to memorize your smell,
A reminder of a pleasant memory, the singer suggests trying to commit the scent of someone important to memory.


It reminds me of a field
The scent of someone important is linked in the singer's mind to a childhood memory of fields.


Crickets clearer than a bell
Nature is more honest than people; the clarity of the sound of crickets is used to contrast it with the dishonesty of human speech.


Have all their guts recast in steel
Continuing from the previous line, nature is pure because it is unchanged, whereas human emotions have been hardened or corrupted like metal.


Birds don't cry when echoes quit,
Unlike people who mourn the loss of something, birds don't feel any sadness or grief when echoes of their song fade away.


They trail off into the fog
Birds' sounds fade away naturally, without any need for ceremony or ritual, similar to the mist of fog slowly dissipating.


Autumn hurts far less than sticks,
Autumn is used as a metaphor for the aging process, which can be painful, but far less so than the damage caused by a physical hit or beating.


Knowing winter's five feet tall
Preparation for the future, to expect the worst or the toughest outcome, the singer suggests being aware that winter could be harsh and dangerous.


Generations of defeat
A sense of hopelessness, where no success can be achieved throughout many generations of a family/time period.


All assuming your the worst
Because of the sense of defeat that has existed for a long time, everyone assumes that the worst will happen or has happened.


They never tied the cans
They never celebrated with traditional, celebratory practices.


To the back end of a hearse
The lack of celebratory practices continues even after death, with no car cans being tied to the hearse carrying the body.


Take your hand against my own,
An invitation for physical touch or close proximity with the listener or the person being addressed in the song.


If there's a finger I can grip
The singer hopes to hold onto something tangible or physical because of its more lifelike or real nature, rather than the abstract concept of love or connection to another.


Reassure me at the ace
When all options have been laid out and the situation is at its most dire, the singer asks to be reassured that they can push through it, perhaps by a comforting comment.


Mine's a black heart you could flip
A metaphor referring to the possibility of something completely opposite happening, even with conditions that seem predetermined.


I've come to terms with what I have,
The singer has resolved to be content with what they have rather than reaching out for something far-fetched or impossible.


What's been given, what's been asked
By this line, the singer is asking to be grateful for what they have received and not take it for granted.


Turn my back against the sea,
Metaphorically, this line means to turn one's back on the endless possibilities or opportunities and instead go in a different direction that may have more stability.


And beg the serpent for a dance
The singer asks for a danger that is predictable or familiar, symbolized by the serpent that leads to further danger or harm.


But in the red dirt muddy towns,
Switch from suburban areas to rural places where the singer feels free to have fun and enjoy life.


Celebration of the dark
Having fun with the areas around their hometown despite being surrounded by darkness and ignorance.


Children walking hand in hand
Continuing from the previous line, there is a sense of community where children can safely roam and mingle with other individuals.


With the pygmies in the park
The great sense of community described in the previous line now includes other cultures, symbolized by pygmies.


I can't touch you only once,
Once the singer has touched or been in contact with the person being addressed, the desire to have that same feeling will endure and become addictive.


You always leave me wanting more
The person being addressed is powerful enough to make the singer want more and dependent on that person for personal satisfaction.


So keep my feet within the house,
Refers to the desire for stability and safety, trying to keep oneself from taking risks or going out of the comfort zone.


And stick my toes just past the door
Continues from the previous line to suggest the possibility of venturing outside the comfort zone or taking small risks.


Let me know when I'm in love,
The singer is asking the person being addressed to let them know when they have fallen in love because they are unsure or unable to recognize it themselves.


Let me die when I'm in love
The singer asks to die happy and content only after they have experienced and felt a deep sense of love, which is the true experience of happiness for them.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ANDREW WELLS VANWYNGARDEN, BENJAMIN NICHOLAS HUNER GOLDWASSER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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