My darling clementine
Peter Doherty Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My darling Clementine, you know I do
I bless and curse the day I found you
I wonder why
I got lost in the wonderland around you
sitting through the city in a yellow old van with you
...she took my love, what kind of fool am I
I keep love handy, I keep it near
And I take note of all of your witty reposts
And I follow with the famous quotes and
If i say I care, I really mean it
She's got the money, and she
She's moving on
She's thinking on
She's thinking on all the good advice
Because there's always good advice
The man with the golden arm rarely deals a joker
But he kept two aside, just for you
You burnt your fingers in the fire...ow
The song “My Darling Clementine” by Peter Doherty has a melancholic and nostalgic tone to it, despite its upbeat and catchy melody. The lyrics themselves are filled with contradictions and inner conflicts, as the singer expresses his deep love for Clementine but also curses the day he found her. The line “I wonder why I got lost in the wonderland around you” suggests that Clementine has a magnetic and enchanting presence that the singer finds both irresistible and dangerous.
The next line “Sitting through the city in a yellow old van with you” creates a vivid image of the singer and Clementine driving around town together, lost in their own world. However, the mood shifts dramatically as the singer laments “she took my love, what kind of fool am I”. This suggests that their relationship has come to an end, and the singer is left feeling foolish and regretful.
Despite the pain and heartbreak, the singer insists that Clementine is always welcome in their shared space. He keeps love handy and near, and takes note of her witty reposts and famous quotes. This creates the impression that the singer still cares deeply for Clementine, and is willing to overlook their past hurt to maintain some form of connection.
Line by Line Meaning
My darling Clementine, you know I love you
The singer is expressing his love for Clementine
My darling Clementine, you know I do
Reaffirming his love for Clementine
I bless and curse the day I found you
The singer feels both happy and sad that he found Clementine
I wonder why
The artist has a sense of uncertainty about his relationship with Clementine
I got lost in the wonderland around you
The artist feels entranced by Clementine and her world
sitting through the city in a yellow old van with you
The singer has fond memories of spending time with Clementine in a yellow van
...she took my love, what kind of fool am I
The singer feels foolish for giving his love to someone who may have taken advantage of it
But you're always welcome here
The artist wants Clementine to know that she is always welcome to be with him
I keep love handy, I keep it near
The artist keeps love close to his heart
And I take note of all of your witty reposts
The artist pays attention to Clementine's social media activity
And I follow with the famous quotes and
The singer is also interested in famous quotes
If i say I care, I really mean it
The artist means what he says when he expresses his care for Clementine
She's got the money, and she
Clementine has financial resources
She's moving on
Clementine is moving forward with her life
She's thinking on
Clementine is reflecting on her life choices
She's thinking on all the good advice
Clementine is considering the good advice she's received
Because there's always good advice
The artist believes that good advice is always available
The man with the golden arm rarely deals a joker
The singer is making an analogy that good fortune is rare
But he kept two aside, just for you
Despite the rarity of good fortune, the singer believes Clementine is one of the lucky ones
You burnt your fingers in the fire...ow
The artist believes Clementine has experienced some pain and is empathizing with her
Contributed by Aria M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@fuckingwine
Fucking love this. and Pete himself.