The Nite Jewel project is a remarkable combination of revisionist Bronx pop and hazy musical impressionism. Like her ex-pop peers, Ariel Rosenberg and Geneva Jacuzzi, she records solely on portable 8-track cassette deck, often composing her songs by layered tape edits. In Nite Jewel’s case, however, the quality of her chosen medium seems to be neither a means nor an end, but rather a device to lend an ethereal kind of efficacy to the golden age of alternative disco. As influences, she has cited dance floor greats Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam and Debbie Deb, 90’s R&B, as well as Experimental, New Age, and ShoeGaze.
Want You Back
Nite Jewel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Did you think that I would give meaning to our lives
I just want you back
Here or there, but no one else is on my mind
I just want you back
Here or there, but no one else is on my mind
I can't hear you, you can't hear me, like it used to be
I just want you back
Here or there, but no one else is on my mind
I just want you back
Here or there, but no one else is on my mind
I just want you back
Again and again, disillusioned mind is on the loose
We could be one and have no fun, what do you choose
Don't be a man, don't be a friend, be under the sea
I can't hear you, you can't hear me, like it used to be
The lyrics to Nite Jewel's "Want You Back" are centered around a plea for a lost love to return. The opening lines "Did you think that we would get here and stand side by side / Did you think that I would give meaning to our lives" suggest that the singer and their lover have gone through a journey together and that the singer feels that they were instrumental in bringing meaning to their lives. The repetition of the line "I just want you back" highlights the desperation of the singer and how their whole world is focused on the person they want to return.
The lines "Don't be a man, don't be a friend, be under the sea / I can't hear you, you can't hear me, like it used to be" could suggest that the relationship has become too complicated and that the singer longs for the simplicity of their earlier days. The metaphor of being "under the sea" could represent the idea of being protected from the outside world, where they only have each other.
In the second verse, the lines "Again and again, disillusioned mind is on the loose / We could be one and have no fun, what do you choose" suggest that the singer has struggled to move on from their lost love and that they feel that they were better off together. The contrast between "disillusioned mind" and "have no fun" could indicate that the singer doesn't see a future without their lover and that they long for the passion and connection that they once had.
Overall, "Want You Back" is a heartfelt plea for a lost love to return and is built upon a foundation of simplicity, passion, and the desire for connection.
Line by Line Meaning
Did you think that we would get here and stand side by side
Did you think that we would make it this far and be together?
Did you think that I would give meaning to our lives
Did you think that I would give purpose to our existence?
I just want you back
I only want you, no one else will do
Here or there, but no one else is on my mind
I don't care where we are, as long as it's only you
Don't be a man, don't be a friend, be under the sea
Don't act like a typical man or friend, be unique and unconventional
I can't hear you, you can't hear me, like it used to be
We are disconnected, just like we used to be
Again and again, disillusioned mind is on the loose
Over and over, my mind is troubled and directionless
We could be one and have no fun, what do you choose
We could join together, but it may not be enjoyable, what's your decision?
I just want you back
I only want you, no one else will do
Here or there, but no one else is on my mind
I don't care where we are, as long as it's only you
Contributed by Brooklyn V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.