Fend It Off
Stone Gossard Lyrics


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He intermittent honesty by adding up his dignity
He put it in his pocketbook, a wooden nickel in his sheath
(That's why we say)
Love, fend it off
(We say)
Love, fend it off
He'd leave her heart in misery
She'd leave it in his company
If ever he would relegate
A love for her to imitate
(We say)
Love, fend it off
(That's why we say)
Love, fend it off
(You know we say)
Love, fend it off
Fend it off
I've fallen from grace
In a million disguises
All over this game
There's a lot to be said




For the women who fled me
All gone, you're still stained

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Stone Gossard's song Fend It Off are somewhat open to interpretation, as is common with abstract lyrics. However, it appears to be a song about the difficulties of love and relationships. The first verse seems to describe someone who is not completely honest, but instead tries to preserve their dignity by hiding their true feelings. This person puts on a façade of honesty, but underneath it, there's a sense that they are insincere.


The chorus, which is repeated several times throughout the song, consists of the phrase "Love, fend it off." This suggests that love is something to be guarded against, something that has the potential to harm us if we're not careful. The second verse describes a relationship in which both parties are hurting each other. There's a sense of mutual betrayal and lack of trust. The final lines of the song seem to be a recognition that the singer has made mistakes in their past relationships, but they continue to carry the emotional weight of those experiences with them.


Overall, the song seems to be a warning about the dangers of love and the risks involved in opening oneself up to another person. It's a reminder that relationships are always a complicated and often painful thing, but at the same time, they can also be profoundly rewarding.


Line by Line Meaning

He intermittent honesty by adding up his dignity
He is being dishonest intermittently to protect his dignity.


He put it in his pocketbook, a wooden nickel in his sheath
He is keeping his pride and self-respect safe by carrying it with him.


(That's why we say) Love, fend it off
We advise to keep love at bay, to preserve oneself from getting hurt.


(We say) Love, fend it off
Again we suggest to stay away from love to avoid getting heartbroken.


He'd leave her heart in misery
He caused her suffering by breaking her heart.


She'd leave it in his company
She trusted him to take care of her heart.


If ever he would relegate A love for her to imitate
He wouldn't give her genuine love that she can follow.


(We say) Love, fend it off
We repeat our advice to protect oneself from love.


(That's why we say) Love, fend it off
Once again we explain the reason behind our advice.


(You know we say) Love, fend it off
We remind the listener that we have mentioned it before.


Fend it off
Again, we are emphasizing the need to keep love away.


I've fallen from grace In a million disguises All over this game
The artist has made mistakes in different ways while playing life's game.


There's a lot to be said For the women who fled me
The singer acknowledges that women left him for their own preservation.


All gone, you're still stained
Everyone has left but the singer still bears the scars from past relationships.




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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