Jeff Heiskell, the singer, and later members Dave Jenkins and Paul Noe formed the totally unknown but great Doubters Club that recorded for the Disgraceland label in 1995 and then broke up when Jenkins and Noe ran off to Nashville to form a (terrible) mod-rock band that failed (miserably). Jeff reformed the Judybats in 2000 with the album "'00" and subsequently rocked Knoxville, Chicago, Baltimore, and all points in-between on numerous small tours promoting their album and their later EP "Six Pack of New Tracks".
Currently, Jeff is working with Heiskell, a band formed with Mike Hairrell (percussion), Doug Hairrell (guitar), and Rob Bell (bass), all members of The second iteration of the Judybats.
Scarlett
The Judybats Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We break
Shattered by the weight of the fall
Love is Scarlett down the stairs
Pushed or fallen, fallen or shoved
Arching in the air, promised or poisoned
But always loved
Despair versus desire
What loss, what gain?
Whose fault?
Where to blame?
Everything you say to me
Strikes me like a warm disease
Damage is a luxury
Dereliction by degrees
Everything you say to me
Damage is a luxury
Dereliction by degrees
What attracts excites us to the point of distraction- to the edge of dislike
Everything you say to me
Strikes me like a warm disease
Danger is a luxury
Drown me in your darling seas
Saw a horse the other day with one eye and I thought
How nice to see only one side of it all
Love is Scarlett down the stairs
Pushed or fallen, fallen or shoved
Arching through the air, promised or poisoned
But always loved
The lyrics to The Judybats' song Scarlett paint a picture of love and its painful consequences. The line "Falling like leaves from porcelain trees, we break" conveys the fragility of love and how it can break easily. The reference to "Scarlett" who is "pushed or fallen, fallen or shoved" suggests that love can be tumultuous and can cause pain. The rest of the lyrics explore the contrasting emotions of "despair versus desire" and the difficulty in assigning blame for the pain caused by love.
The repeated line "Everything you say to me strikes me like a warm disease" suggests that the singer is deeply affected by their partner's words and that those words can cause them harm. The lyrics also mention "Damage is a luxury, Dereliction by degrees" which suggests that the damage caused by love is a result of the luxury of being vulnerable and the gradual decline of a relationship. The final lines of the song mention seeing "only one side of it all" which suggests that, while love can be painful, it is important to remember the love that exists.
Line by Line Meaning
Falling like leaves from porcelain trees
Crashing down like leaves, fragile and delicate from trees made of porcelain
We break
We shatter into pieces
Shattered by the weight of the fall
Broken under the strain of the fall
Love is Scarlett down the stairs
Being in love is like falling down the stairs, with Scarlett as a metaphor for pain and injury
Pushed or fallen, fallen or shoved
Not sure if we fell or someone pushed us, but the result is the same
Arching in the air, promised or poisoned
Our emotions are intense and are either a promised reward or a poisoned chalice
But always loved
Despite the pain, we still love
Despair versus desire
Our conflicting feelings of hopelessness and longing
This game
This emotional tug-of-war
What loss, what gain?
What are we losing and gaining in this game of love?
Whose fault?
Trying to assign blame for the relationship's issues
Where to blame?
Where do we place the blame for our issues?
Everything you say to me
Every word you say to me
Strikes me like a warm disease
Hits me like a disease that's comfortable and familiar
Damage is a luxury
Being hurt is a privilege of the relationship
Dereliction by degrees
Neglect over time
What attracts excites us to the point of distraction- to the edge of dislike
We are attracted to things that excite us, but at times it can push us towards disliking it as well
Danger is a luxury
Being in a dangerous relationship is exciting and luxurious
Drown me in your darling seas
Let me indulge in our relationship fully
Saw a horse the other day with one eye and I thought
The singer has an anecdote about seeing a horse with one eye
How nice to see only one side of it all
Sometimes, it's better to only see one side of the story
Arching through the air, promised or poisoned
Our emotions are intense and are either a promised reward or a poisoned chalice
But always loved
Despite the pain, we still love
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: DAVE JENKINS, ED WINTERS, JEFF HEISKELL, JOHNNY SUGHRUE, PAUL NOE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind