Perfect Depth
Pavement Lyrics


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Slow-Mo
Got his hand stuck in the kitchen sink
It was his birthday tomorrow
And he couldn't resist
But he never found a sign on his second skin
At least he knows how the other half lives
Inside a little room about four inches wide
With windows glued shut,
And air that stinks
But he only saw the kitchen
And the bath
He should be thankful
So thankful

That all's ok with her

And I wasted
No one's precious time
Like I wasted, I wasted all
Your precious time, precious time
Was a sorry thing to do
Was a sorry thing for you




'cause I wasted,
I wasted it all on you!

Overall Meaning

The song "Perfect Depth" by Pavement is a contemplative and introspective piece that revolves around a man named Slow-Mo who appears to be stuck between two different worlds. The song starts off with a description of Slow-Mo getting his hand stuck in the kitchen sink, which is a metaphor for his inability to move forward in life. It's his birthday tomorrow, yet he is not excited for it, and he is stuck in a state of hopelessness.


The lyrics then allude to a seemingly impossible situation where Slow-Mo has found himself in a 'little room about four inches wide with windows glued shut, and air that stinks.' These lyrics imply that Slow-Mo is trapped in a confined space, both physically and psychologically. However, despite his circumstances, he is grateful for what little he has and has learned to appreciate the small things.


The second part of the song takes on a different tone as the singer reflects on the mistakes he has made in his relationship. He reminisces about how he wasted his partner's time and how sorry he is for what he's done. Overall, the song is about people who find themselves stuck in situations but have learned to appreciate small things while others can learn from past mistakes.


Line by Line Meaning

Slow-Mo
Introducing Slow-Mo as the subject


Got his hand stuck in the kitchen sink
Slow-Mo's hand got stuck in the kitchen sink


It was his birthday tomorrow
The following day was Slow-Mo's birthday


And he couldn't resist
Slow-Mo couldn't resist doing something


But he never found a sign on his second skin
Slow-Mo didn't find any sign on himself


At least he knows how the other half lives
Slow-Mo has gained an understanding of what others go through


Inside a little room about four inches wide
Slow-Mo was inside a small room measuring four inches wide


With windows glued shut,
The windows were stuck shut


And air that stinks
The air inside the room is unpleasant


But he only saw the kitchen
From the small room, Slow-Mo could only see the kitchen


And the bath
The bathroom was also visible


He should be thankful
Despite the unpleasant circumstances, Slow-Mo should still be grateful


So thankful
Emphasizing how essential it is that Slow-Mo be grateful


That all's ok with her
Everything is fine with the girl, as she is not stuck in a small room


And I wasted
The singer admits to wasting


No one's precious time
The time of no one in particular was wasted


Like I wasted, I wasted all
The artist is emphasizing the amount of time he wasted


Your precious time, precious time
Specifically wasted the listener's precious time


Was a sorry thing to do
The singer regrets wasting the listener's time


Was a sorry thing for you
Acknowledging that the listener was negatively affected by the wasted time


'cause I wasted,
Explaining the reason for the previous actions


I wasted it all on you!
The entire time was wasted on the listener




Lyrics © WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC

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