Nadler studied painting at the Rhode Island School of Design, where she began her performing career after writing songs for many years.
The foundation of her sound is her haunting mezzo-soprano, and a delicate 6-string acoustic guitar, often accompanied by a variety of instruments, including electric guitar, theremin, and piano. Nadler writes strange, yet classic, melancholy songs. Her voice is often bathed in a wash of reverb and space echo and creates a ghostly, atmospheric feeling to the music.
She has American Gothic leanings; her songs often take place in an imagined, idealistic time with a cast of characters of her own creation.
Official Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Marissa-Nadler/300932499775
Bandcamp: http://marissanadler.bandcamp.com/
Pitseleh
Marissa Nadler Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I got a joke I′ve been dying to tell you
The silent kid is looking down the barrel
To make the noise that I kept so quiet
I kept it from you, pitseleh
I'm not what's missing from your life now
I could never be the puzzle pieces
Before you do as the devil pleases
And give up the thing you love
But no one deserves it
The first time I saw you, I knew it would never last
I′m not half what I wish I was
I′m so angry, I don't think it′ll ever pass
And I was bad news for you, just because
I never meant to hurt you
In Marissa Nadler's song Pitseleh, the singer is anguished about a relationship that has come to an end. The first verse of the song sets the tone with the singer trying to avoid knowing where their ex-partner is. The lyrics, "I'll tell you why I don't want to know where you are" emphasizes on the fact that the singer has been avoiding their ex-partner. The song then delves into the singer’s emotions and how they kept their feelings from their partner, whom they address as "pitseleh".
The second verse of the song discusses the role that the singer was never meant to play in their partner's life. They go on to say that they could never complete them, and that they are not the missing piece of the puzzle that their ex-partner wants. The third verse is a reflection on the relationship, with the singer expressing that they were never meant to hurt their ex-partner. They knew it was never going to work from the beginning, and they are struggling to come to terms with it.
Overall, the song describes the pain that comes with a complicated and failed relationship. The singer regrets their mistakes and realizes that they could never have been what their partner wanted. Through her song, Nadler provokes feelings of heartbreak and sadness, while also emphasizing the difficulties and complexities of relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
I'll tell you why I don't want to know where you are
I don't want to know where you are because it's painful and I can't handle it.
I got a joke I've been dying to tell you
I have a joke to tell you to lighten up the mood.
The silent kid is looking down the barrel
A quiet and troubled person is on the verge of doing something dangerous.
To make the noise that I kept so quiet
They are ready to make their voice heard after keeping their feelings hidden for a long time.
I kept it from you, pitseleh
The person speaking kept their true feelings hidden from someone important to them.
I'm not what's missing from your life now
The singer realizes that they are not what the other person needs or wants in their life anymore.
I could never be the puzzle pieces
The singer knows that they don't fit into the other person's life and can't make it complete.
They say that god makes problems just to see what you can stand
It's believed that sometimes life throws challenges to test one's resilience and strength.
Before you do as the devil pleases
Before giving up and doing something bad or harmful.
And give up the thing you love
Before losing something that is precious and meaningful to oneself.
But no one deserves it
Even though life is challenging, nobody deserves to lose the things they love.
The first time I saw you, I knew it would never last
The artist knew from the beginning of the relationship that it won't work out in the long term.
I'm not half what I wish I was
The singer feels incomplete and unsatisfied with who they are and what they can offer.
I'm so angry, I don't think it'll ever pass
The singer is holding onto their anger and resentment towards something that happened.
And I was bad news for you, just because
The singer knows that they brought negativity and pain to the other person's life even though they didn't intend to hurt them.
I never meant to hurt you
The artist sincerely didn't intend to cause any pain or hurt the other person.
Writer(s): Elliott Smith
Contributed by Andrew N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.