Landing their first record deal with Twin/Tone in 1984, Soul Asylum recorded a total of four albums for the local label: Say What You Will... Everything Can Happen in 1984 (later reissued as Say What You Will, Clarence... Karl Sold the Truck), Made To Be Broken in 1986, While You Were Out in 1986, and the EP Clam Dip and Other Delights in 1988. The band then switched to A&M, releasing Hang Time in 1988 and And the Horse They Rode In On in 1990 under that label. Although they enjoyed some success as a live band, Soul Asylum suffered from low album sales and considered disbanding.
In 1992, they signed with Columbia Records to produce Grave Dancers Union, a record that would come to transform them from underground college rockers to international superstars. The first two singles off the album, Somebody To Shove and Black Gold, both came in at high positions at the Modern Rock and Album Rock charts, but it was the album's third track and it's video of missing teens that led them to their major breakthrough. Runaway Train peaked at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100, raised album sales to double-platinum level, and won Soul Asylum the Grammy Award for Best Rock Song in 1994.
In 1995, Soul Asylum followed up the success of Grave Dancers Union with Let Your Dim Light Shine, which climbed to #6 on the Billboard 200 and featured the #1 Modern Rock track Misery. After releasing Candy From A Stranger in 1998, the band members took a break from recording and didn't release a new studio album for the better part of seven years. During the interim singer Dave Pirner released a solo album and Dan Murphy toured and recorded with Golden Smog.
They reunited in 2004 to record their ninth full-length album, The Silver Lining, brought together by the news of Mueller being diagnosed with throat cancer. Up until this point, Soul Asylum had always included Murphy, Mueller, and Pirner, despite several line-up changes. This changed on June 17th, 2005, when Mueller passed away after finishing his work on several tracks on the new album. The Silver Lining was released in 2006 and dedicated to Karl Mueller's life and memory, with Murphy expressing that, "For me, this record is Karl."
In late 2005, ex-Replacements bassist (and current Guns N' Roses bassist) Tommy Stinson and former Prince drummer Michael Bland joined Soul Asylum in tribute to the late Karl Mueller. They completed their American tour in support of The Silver Lining in late 2006. In November and December 2006 they opened for Cheap Trick on their American tour. On March 10th, 2007, Soul Asylum joined Cyndi Lauper, Mint Condition, and Lifehouse to hold a concert to benefit Wain McFarlane, the leader of the legendary reggae band Ipso Facto, to help pay for the expenses of a kidney transplant.
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Bittersweet Heart
Soul Asylum Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm like a seeing-eye dog and I can't even see
They're naked and they're following my master who is blind
And my mind's gone to pieces, I could use some piece of mind
So I picked up the pieces and I made a new start
Stole an old stiletto, started stabbing in the dark
I can't live without it, I would surely fall apart
Bittersweetheart
Better get yourself a little street smart
Bittersweetheart, sad but true
It's a bittersweetheart that's a hard heart to cure
It's just my bittersweetheart
It's like a suicide mission when you can't see no end
Tired of compliment-fishing and impressing your friends
I never kissed no one just to kiss and tell
It's a little bit of heaven and a whole lot of hell
In the eye of the beholder is a beautiful start
But you always seem to end up with a bittersweetheart
There's a darkness looming but the sun is shining bright
I can live to see the morning if I stay up all night
Bittersweetheart
Without a shortcut, without a head-start
Bittersweetheart, sad but true
It's a bittersweetheart that's a hard heart to cure
My bittersweetheart
It's the hardest part
Bittersweetheart
Are you in there, are you beating
Beating me up until I'm bleeding
How much blood can you spare
Bittersweetheart
Think just a drink might get you to the good part
Lyin' in bed just a'wonderin' what to do,
It's a bittersweetheart that'a a hard heart to cure
In time inside you find you always wind up with a bittersweetheart
The lyrics of Soul Asylum’s “Bittersweetheart” depict the struggles of a person who is unable to break free from the hold of their toxic relationship. The opening lines suggest that the other person always wants the best of the singer, leaving them feeling like a blind seeing-eye dog that can’t even see. The imagery of the naked followers and the master who is blind suggests that the singer feels used and manipulated. The person’s mind is in pieces, and they could use some peace of mind. However, they can only pick up the pieces and make a new start with an old stiletto, stabbing in the dark.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the nature of the relationship as bittersweet, which is both sad and true. The singer knows that their bittersweetheart is a hard heart to cure, and the chorus suggests that they need to get street-smart to deal with this person. The second verse talks about how the singer is tired of trying to impress others and that they never kiss and tell. The final lines of the song talk about how, despite the darkness looming, the singer can see the sunshine, but they need to stay up all night to make it to the morning.
Line by Line Meaning
Why you always want to get the best of me
I feel like you're constantly trying to outdo me or make me feel inferior.
I'm like a seeing-eye dog and I can't even see
I feel lost and directionless, like I don't even have the basics to guide me.
They're naked and they're following my master who is blind
People are blindly following someone who can't even see themselves and it makes me feel uncomfortable.
And my mind's gone to pieces, I could use some piece of mind
My thoughts are scattered and I need clarity and peace of mind.
So I picked up the pieces and I made a new start
I took control of my life and started fresh after going through a tough time.
Stole an old stiletto, started stabbing in the dark
I'm taking chances and making moves without knowing what the outcome will be.
I can't live without it, I would surely fall apart
Whatever 'it' is, I feel dependent on it and I fear not having it will lead to my downfall.
But it's hard to make arrangements 'round a bittersweetheart
Dealing with someone who is both good and bad (bittersweet) is difficult and complicated.
Bittersweetheart
Repeating the title of the song which describes the complicated nature of someone or something.
Better get yourself a little street smart
It's important to become more savvy and wise about life and how to navigate it.
Bittersweetheart, sad but true
Reiterating how something/someone can be both good and bad, but it doesn't make it any less difficult.
It's a bittersweetheart that's a hard heart to cure
It's tough to change or get away from something/someone that has both good and bad qualities.
It's just my bittersweetheart
Acknowledging that the theme of the song is describing something/someone in their own life.
It's like a suicide mission when you can't see no end
Taking risks without a clear goal or endpoint can be dangerous and self-destructive.
Tired of compliment-fishing and impressing your friends
Feeling exhausted and frustrated by the constant need for validation from others and trying to impress them.
I never kissed no one just to kiss and tell
I value my privacy and don't share intimate details with others.
It's a little bit of heaven and a whole lot of hell
This situation/person is both good and bad, but the bad seems to overshadow the good.
In the eye of the beholder is a beautiful start
Initial impressions can seem positive and beautiful.
But you always seem to end up with a bittersweetheart
Despite good beginnings, things end up becoming complicated and difficult.
There's a darkness looming but the sun is shining bright
Despite a seemingly positive outlook, there is something ominous lurking beneath the surface.
I can live to see the morning if I stay up all night
If I work hard and stay alert, I can make it through difficult times and have a better tomorrow.
Without a shortcut, without a head-start
Success and happiness are not easily achieved and require hard work and dedication.
Are you in there, are you beating
Asking if someone's heart is still alive and feeling.
Beating me up until I'm bleeding
The turmoil and drama of this situation/person is taking a toll on my emotional well-being.
How much blood can you spare
Wondering if this situation/person will continue to drain me emotionally.
Think just a drink might get you to the good part
Using alcohol as a coping mechanism to deal with the difficulties of this situation/person.
Lyin' in bed just a'wonderin' what to do
Feeling unsure and stuck, not knowing how to proceed.
In time inside you find you always wind up with a bittersweetheart
Despite repeated attempts to find something/someone better, time has shown that it continues to be a complicated and difficult relationship/situation.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAVID PIRNER, DAVID ANTHONY PIRNER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind