The Lemonheads is an American alternative rock band, originally from Boston… Read Full Bio ↴The Lemonheads is an American alternative rock band, originally from Boston, Massachusetts, but now based in New York City. The primary (and only consistent) member is Evan Dando.

The band formed in 1986 as an underground punk rock act. Their popularity grew during the following decade with the 1992 album It's A Shame About Ray, which was produced, engineered, and mixed by The Robb Brothers (Bruce Robb, Dee, and Joe), followed by a cover of Simon and Garfunkel's "Mrs. Robinson", which eventually became one of the band's most successful singles.

Throughout its various incarnations, recording and touring lineups of the band have included co-founders Ben Deily and Jesse Peretz, John Strohm (Blake Babies), Doug Trachten, Corey Loog Brennan, Byron Hoag, Ben Daughtry, Juliana Hatfield (Blake Babies), Nic Dalton (Godstar, Sneeze, The Plunderers), Dave Ryan, Patrick "Murph" Murphy (Dinosaur Jr), Bill Gibson (Eastern Dark), Mark 'Budola' Newman, Kenny Lyon, Vess Ruhtenberg, Devon Ashley, Karl Alvarez and Bill Stevenson (Descendents), P. David Hazel and various others.

Cited as one of the most important alternative rock groups, The Lemonheads were active until 1997 and went on hiatus, but reformed with a new lineup in 2005 and released The Lemonheads in the following year. The band released its latest album, Varshons, in June 2009.

If I Could Talk I'd Tell You
The Lemonheads Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Half past 9 quarter to 10
10:15
And we're comin' around again
Hold off are we going soft?
Flushed my Zoloft
And we're comin' around again
Found out and I almost drowned
Walked back down

And we're comin' around again
If I could talk I'd tell you
If I could smile I'd let you know
If I could talk I'd tell you
You are far and away my most imaginary friend
If I could talk I'd tell you
If I could smile I'd let you know
If I could talk I'd tell you
Khmer Rouge genocide qua
Your place or Mein Kampf
Now I'm giving the dog a bone
Slight hunch without the vaguest clue
To keep the blood balance
Now we're comin' around again,
To 1/2 past 9 quarter to 2
10:15
And we're comin' around again
If I could talk I'd tell you
If I could smile I'd let you know
If I could talk I'd tell you
My most imaginary friend
If I could talk I'd tell you
If I could smile I'd let you know
If I could talk I'd tell you
If I could talk I'd tell you
If I could smile I'd let you know

You are far and away
My most imaginary friend

Overall Meaning

The Lemonheads' "If I Could Talk I'd Tell You" is a complex and multilayered song that delves into themes of confusion, addiction, sentimentality, and relationships. The song's opening lines "Half past 9 quarter to 10, 10:15, and we're comin' around again" indicate a sense of repetition and a lack of progress, as though the singer is stuck in a cycle of self-destructive behavior. The reference to Zoloft, a popular antidepressant, suggests that the singer might be struggling with mental health issues, and the line "Flushed my Zoloft" hints at a desire to escape or numb those emotions.

The second verse takes a darker turn with the references to the Khmer Rouge genocide and Mein Kampf, suggesting a broader sense of confusion and an inability to make sense of the world. The line "Now I'm giving the dog a bone" is both literal and figurative, possibly indicating a need for distraction or a sense of futility.

Line by Line Meaning

Half past 9 quarter to 10
It is 9:45 PM.

10:15
It is now 10:15 PM.

And we're comin' around again
We are going through the same cycle again.

Hold off are we going soft?
Are we becoming weak?

Flushed my Zoloft
I have taken my antidepressant medication, Zoloft.

Found out and I almost drowned, walked back down
I was overwhelmed with information and almost gave up, but I persevered.

If I could talk I'd tell you
If I could communicate effectively, I would say this to you.

If I could smile I'd let you know
If I could express emotion well, you would know how I feel.

You are far and away my most imaginary friend
You are someone who exists mostly in my imagination, but who is very important to me.

Khmer Rouge genocide qua, your place or Mein Kampf
References to historical atrocities, indicating confusion and despair.

Now I'm giving the dog a bone
Now I am engaging in a simple, mundane activity.

Slight hunch without the vaguest clue, to keep the blood balance
I have a feeling that something is not quite right but do not have any clear understanding of what it could be.

To 1/2 past 9 quarter to 2, 10:15, and we're comin' around again
The cycle continues, marking time with specific moments.

My most imaginary friend
You remain my most important connection, even though we may only exist in my mind.

Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY, MUSIC SALES CORPORATION

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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