Cage
Steve Hogarth Lyrics

Nothing fell into the cage today
Nothing happened to me today, no communication from you or anyone else.

That's fastened to my door
The cage is securely attached to my door, symbolizing boundaries between us.

I put the cage upon the door in case
I built the barrier because I was afraid that your thoughts or feelings might invade my privacy.

You send your private thoughts to me
I'm not ready to handle your secrets, and I'm not sure I'm the right person to share them with, but the cage makes it clear that we can't communicate easily.

I know I have no right to be
I'm not entitled to your trust or your vulnerability, but I'm still struggling to keep my feelings under control.

The one to whom you might
I don't feel adequate to be the person you share your secrets with.

The little black brushes keep out the cold
The cage also serves a practical purpose - keeping the cold outside. It's a symptom of the larger walls that I've erected between us.

And the inquiring eyes
The walls and barriers are to keep others from seeing in and invading my privacy.

Nothing slid it's way between them
No one has been able to penetrate my defenses or talk to me about what's really going on.

My fantasies are painful now
The thoughts and dreams that once gave me hope and joy now only cause me pain as I recognize the barriers between us.

Unnatural .. or so I'm told
I know that my behavior and feelings are not healthy or productive, but I can't seem to stop them.

I know I have no right to be forgiven for the tears
I feel guilty for my emotions, and I know I'm being unfair to you by not sharing them in a healthy way.

I'm getting through the day somehow
Despite my struggles and barriers, I'm managing to keep going and function on a basic level.

What will I do about the years
I don't know how to solve this larger issue of our relationship, and what it will mean for our future.

And I say...
Here comes the chorus of the song, which is meant to convey my heavy-heartedness and my struggle with my feelings.

DO NOT FEED THE ANIMALS
This repeated phrase symbolizes the way in which I'm treating myself and our relationship, as though we're dangerous animals who might be harmed or hurt by excessive feeding or care.

Someone else can do that, darlin'
I'm pushing you away, putting the burden of our relationship on someone else, rather than trying to work through it myself.

You don't need them animals
I'm telling you that you're better off without me or without trying to feed into what's going on between us.

Throw me something please
Despite my barriers, I'm still wanting and needing some kind of communication or connection, even if I'm not sure how to make it happen.

I'm starving
I'm feeling deeply deprived and lonely, like I'm not getting what I need to feel fulfilled or whole.

Someone else can do that, angel
Again, I'm pushing responsibility for our relationship to someone else, rather than trying to be involved for myself.

I won't bite you if you try to
Despite my walls and barriers, I'm trying to reach out, to say that it's safe for you to connect with me.

Reach into the cage
I'm asking you to look past my defenses and try to connect with me in a meaningful way.

The phone rang eleven times today
I'm again feeling cut off and disconnected from you, like I'm not sure we're ever going to be able to connect in a real way.

None of them was you
Your lack of communication is symbolic of the larger barriers between us, even though I'm not necessarily sure what those barriers mean.

I was exhausted by the end of the day
My emotional disconnect and unease is taking a significant toll on me, both mentally and physically.

So many animals in the zoo
This line reiterates the themes of the song, recognizing that we feel trapped and disconnected from one another, like caged animals.

Doo bee doo.....
This is a nonsensical phrase and likely just meant to close out the song without conveying any specific additional meaning.