"It was the only way I could get my sadness out," Derek told a fanzine in 2007 when interviewed about the demo version of the upcoming Roy & Derek album. "Things just didn't work out because she was so absorbed in her own world. She didn't care about anyone but herself and her emo attitude... I was an emo too but I knew when the lifestyle ended and real personality began. She didn't understand there was a difference and I couldn't live with that. When someone's life revolves around making themselves miserable then you know you should keep away from that person."
I'm In Love With An Emo Girl
Roy & Derek Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And my heart fell at your feet
I can't help it if I'm still in love with you
Somebody else stood by your side
And he looked so satisfied
I can't help it if I'm still in love with you
As I brushed your arm and walked so close to you
The-en suddenly I got that old-time feelin'
I can't help it if I'm still in love with you (still in love with you)
(Today I passed you on the street)
Today I passed you on the street
(And my heart fell at your feet)
And my heart fell at your feet
I can't help it if I'm still in love with you
(Somebody else stood by your side)
Somebody else stood by your side
(And he looked so satisfied)
And, ya know, he looked so satisfied
I can't help it if I'm still in love with you
Oh, it hurts to know another's lips will kiss you
And hold ya just the way I used to do
Oh-oh-oh-oh heaven only knows how much I miss, how much that I miss ya
I can't help it if I'm still in love with you
(Still in love with you)
The lyrics to "I'm In Love With An Emo Girl" by Roy & Derek are actually a reference to the classic song "I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love With You)" by Hank Williams. The song is about seeing an ex-lover on the street with someone else and feeling nostalgic for the past. The singer is consumed with the painful realization that someone else will now have the pleasure of being with the person they still love. The feeling is so strong that it causes them physical distress, with the heart falling at the lover's feet. The lyrics express the singer's longing for the lover and how difficult it is to accept that they are now with someone else.
The lyrics of "I'm In Love With An Emo Girl" recontextualize Hank Williams' "I Can't Help It" within the specific subculture of Emo. The lyricist shares the same feelings of unrequited love as the singer in the original song, but the girl he loves is now an emo girl. Emo is a subculture associated with emotional, introspective music and fashion that includes dark clothes, piercings, and dyed hair. By referencing this specific group, the lyricist attempts to create a mood of melancholy and heartache that is unique to the emo subculture.
Overall, "I'm In Love With An Emo Girl" is a song that explores the pain of unrequited love and the difficulty of moving on from a past relationship. The lyrics express feelings of nostalgia, heartache, and melancholy that are common to many people, but the reference to the emo subculture gives the song a specific emotional resonance.
Line by Line Meaning
Today I passed you on the street
Encountering you in person, walking past you on the street
And my heart fell at your feet
Feeling intense emotions of love and attraction at the sight of you
I can't help it if I'm still in love with you
Being unable to control the ongoing love and affection towards you
Somebody else stood by your side
Seeing another person accompanying you
And, ya know, he looked so satisfied
Observing the other person to be content and happy
Oh, it hurts to know another's lips will kiss you
Experiencing emotional pain at the thought of someone else kissing you
And hold ya just the way I used to do
Imagining someone else holding you in a similar way to how I used to
Oh-oh-oh-oh heaven only knows how much I miss, how much that I miss ya
Expressing the depth of longing and desire to be with you again
I can't help it if I'm still in love with you
Reiterating the inability to control feelings of love and attraction towards you
A picture from the past came slowly stealin'
Recalling a memory from the past
As I brushed your arm and walked so close to you
Remembering an intimate moment where physical contact was made
The-en suddenly I got that old-time feelin'
Experiencing a wave of nostalgia and reminiscence
I can't help it if I'm still in love with you (still in love with you)
Repeating the central theme and message of the song: being unable to control ongoing feelings of love and attraction towards you.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Hank Williams, Sr.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind