Heart Paper Lover
Marissa Nadler Lyrics

The lyrics to "Heartpaper Lover" by Marissa Nadler are complex with a strong emotional punch. The song seems to deal with loss and heartbreak. The first verse describes how the two people in the relationship were gone and how everything around them, even the flowers, had died. She returns to the idea of loss by describing how she had everything but had to resort to using songs again. The next reference is to the loss of the other person's heart and the way that she has woven that into her own feelings. She moves on to describe the "life seems so empty" feeling without the other person, emphasizing the tremendous impact that their absence has had on her. The refrain of the song is "Heartpaper lover, are you gone again? Are you mine again?" Underneath the surface of this refrain is the idea that the heart that was once hers has become fragile as paper- representing something that was once passionate and alive but is now easily broken.

The second verse turns away from loss slightly, emphasizing the contrasts between light and dark. The green grass and the strong yellow sun are described, but these comforting images are offset by the idea of burning papers and the loss of a heart. The feeling of emptiness returns as the last lines repeat the refrain with some slight variation. "Heartpaper lover, are you mine again? Heartpaper lover, are you gone again?"

Overall, the song seems to describe the pain of a break-up or a separation that has left the singer feeling alone, empty, and without hope. There's a sense that despite the hurt, the singer is still reaching out to the heart of their lover, hoping for greater clarity and understanding.