When asked about the meaning of the line "I'll dress like your niece," Thom had this to say: "the difference between young and old when people start to dress sensible and act their age. this person is offering not to do that to keep the other. alles klarr?"
According to Thom, the line "On lollipops and crisps" is from an article he read: "I read an article about a child who was between 5-8 yrs old who was left on his/her own for a week in a house when his parents left on hoilday and he lived on lollipops and crisps. True"
True Love Waits
Radiohead Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To have your babies
I'll dress like your niece
And wash your swollen feet
Just don't leave
Don't leave
I'm just killing time
Your tiny hands
Your crazy kitten smile
Just don't leave
Don't leave
And true love waits
In haunted attics
And true love lives
On lollipops and crisps
Just don't leave
Don't leave
The lyrics to Radiohead's song True Love Waits are both haunting and painful, describing the lengths someone is willing to go to keep the love of their life with them. The first two lines, "I'll drown my beliefs, to have your babies. I'll dress like your niece, and wash your swollen feet" suggest that they are willing to sacrifice everything they know in order to have a child with their partner. This could be seen as a representation of the power of love, as the desire to have a child with someone is a deep-rooted desire and demonstrates the lengths a person is willing to go to for the one they love.
The chorus repeats the phrase "just don't leave" over and over again, further emphasizing the idea that the singer will do anything to keep their partner with them. This could be interpreted as a metaphor for the fear of abandonment and the lengths we go to hold on to the people we love.
The final two lines of the song, "And true love waits, in haunted attics. And true love lives, on lollipops and crisps" are ambiguous but suggest that real love is a powerful emotion that can persist in strange places and under unusual circumstances. The idea that true love lives on something as humble as "lollipops and crisps" suggests that it doesn't require grand gestures or romantic settings to survive, but rather only the love and connection shared between two people.
Overall, True Love Waits is a deeply emotional and meaningful song that explores the lengths we go to hold on to the people we love, and the power and persistence of real love.
Line by Line Meaning
I'll drown my beliefs
I am willing to let go of my convictions and principles to have a chance with you.
To have your babies
I want to start a family with you and bear your children.
I'll dress like your niece
I want to please you and will go to great lengths, even if it means dressing like someone younger.
And wash your swollen feet
I will take care of you and tend to your needs, even if it is uncomfortable or unpleasant.
Just don't leave
I fear losing you and I desperately want you to stay with me.
I'm not living
I feel incomplete and unfulfilled without you in my life.
I'm just killing time
I am stuck in a meaningless existence without you, just passing time until I can see you again.
Your tiny hands
Your small and delicate hands are a symbol of your vulnerability and the need for protection.
Your crazy kitten smile
Your playful and carefree smile is endearing and makes me feel happy and alive.
And true love waits
Real and genuine love is patient, even if it means waiting for a long time.
In haunted attics
Love can be found in the unexpected and unusual places.
And true love lives
Genuine love is not just a feeling, but a way of living and being.
On lollipops and crisps
Love is simple, innocent, and joyful, like the treats of childhood.
Just don't leave
I want to hold on to you and our love, and I am afraid of losing it.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Edward John O'Brien, Jonathan Richard Guy Greenwood, Philip James Selway, Thomas Edward Yorke
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@miguelt3592
I'll drown my beliefs
To have your babies
I'll dress like your niece
And wash your swollen feet
Just don't leave
Don't leave
I'm not living
I'm just killing time
Your tiny hands
Your crazy kitten smile
Just don't leave
Don't leave
And true love waits
In haunted attics
And true love lives
On lollipops and crisps
Just don't leave
Don't leave
@Jimjam-lk4ud
I once came across a comment about both versions having two completely different meanings, the acoustic version is about the optism of a relationship and not wanting to lose that love while this version is about when you finally lose it and it’s nothing but a distant memory
@ThiefOfNavarre
That's cool. Never heard that before!
@roshbin3026
What do you prefer?
@Jimjam-lk4ud
@@roshbin3026 I like both tbh I think the acoustic versions more emotional and the album versions more relaxing and therapeutic
@callumalston5755
@@Jimjam-lk4ud I’ve always thought this version was sadder, like looking back on losing a true love
@carrickbend6184
I think this interpretation is specially relevant given that Thom wrote the song very early in his career, and finally released this studio version decades later. And I agree, the original version feels directed to someone, and this version feels like it's about the memory of that person.
@bornflippy1
" I'm not living, I'm just killing time " Damn, if that line doesn't just pound on your soul.
@mustafasadmansakib
Yeah but then it follows up with i’ll dress like your niece… wtf is that about I don’t even wanna know
@toad4ever103
You too, huh?
@err0rc0degames
Never have i related to a lyric so hard