10-fend it off
Stone Gossard Lyrics

The lyrics of Stone Gossard's "Fend It Off" discuss the theme of love and its complex nature. The first few lines of the song talk about someone's intermittent honesty and how they try to balance it with their dignity. This line suggests that honesty, while important in a relationship, can sometimes be difficult to maintain when one's pride is at stake. They then put this balance in their pocketbook along with a wooden nickel in their sheath, implying that they are placing a lot of value on maintaining their pride even if it means sacrificing honesty.

The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "Love, fend it off," suggesting that love can be difficult to handle and requires effort to keep at bay. The next set of lines talk about a couple who leave each other in misery, but still allow themselves to imitate the love they once had. This line suggests that even though the couple has broken up, they still yearn for each other's affection and try to replicate it through other means.

The last set of lines of the song say that the singer has fallen from grace in a million disguises and that all the women who once loved him have fled. This line suggests that the singer has been through multiple heartbreaks and has lost the love of many women in his life. The final line, "all gone, you're still stained," suggests that even though these women have left, he still carries their memory with him and remains emotionally affected by their absence.