If You Don
The Magnetic Fields Lyrics


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So you quote love unquote me
Well, stranger things have come to be
But let's agree to disagree
'Cause I don't believe you
I don't believe you

You tell me I'm not not cute
Its truth or falsity is moot
'Cause honesty's not your strong suit
And I don't believe you
I don't believe you

You tell me of what once was
And all about Buck, Butch, and Buzz
How they were not like me because
But I don't believe you
I don't believe you

I had a dream and you were in it
The blue of your eyes was infinite
You seemed to be
In love with me
Which isn't very realistic

You may sing me "They Were You"
And I start crying halfway through
But nothing else you say is true
So I don't believe you
I don't believe you

You may set your charm on stun
And say I'm delightful and fun
But you say that to everyone
Well, I don't believe you
I don't believe you

So you're brilliant gorgeous and
Ampersand after ampersand
You think I just don't understand
But I don't believe you
I don't believe you




I don't believe you
I don't believe you

Overall Meaning

The Magnetic Fields' song If You Don is about the inability to connect with others and to feel deeply. The opening lines describe the falling of crystals on 17th Street, which represent the fleeting moments of life that come and go without leaving any lasting impact. The image of the crystals dancing and then dying emphasizes the sense of impermanence and fleetingness in life. Similarly, the millions of crystal balls rolling around the feet of the singer suggest a lack of direction and purpose in life.


The lyrics go on to describe the emptiness and loneliness that the singer feels. The line "If you don't cry it isn't love" suggests that in order to truly feel love, one must be willing to experience pain and vulnerability. The idea that "dying all day in thousands of little ways" emphasizes the slow, painful process of losing oneself without connecting to others. The singer spends their time dancing and drinking alone, and haunting cabarets in search of some kind of connection.


The final lines of the song highlight the passage of time and the sense of stagnation that can come with it. The singer has lost five years of their life looking for something they cannot find. The repetition of the line "A year goes by she doesn't" emphasizes the sense of longing and disappointment that the singer feels.


Overall, If You Don is a poignant reflection on the difficulty of connecting with others and the pain that can come from a lack of connection.


Line by Line Meaning

Softly the crystals falling on 17th Street do their dance and die and are gone
The serene sight of crystals falling on the street lasts but for a moment, as they disappear without a trace.


Millions of crystal balls roll around your feet and nothing gets done
Numerous opportunities present themselves, but without any action, they're just mere possibilities.


An hour goes by She doesn't
Time passes by, but the person being referred to still doesn't make a move.


If you don't cry it isn't love If you don't cry then you just don't feel it deep enough
Love is all-consuming, and if it doesn't cause emotional outburst like crying, then it fails to be impactful.


Dying all day in thousands of little ways
The pain is constant and persistent, manifesting itself in numerous small ways.


Dancing alone and drinking a lot
Trying to cope with the struggles by indulging in isolation and alcohol abuse.


Closing the clubs and haunting the cabarets looking for what
Desperately searching for something or someone that could provide solace amidst chaos.


Another five years off your life...
The prolonged suffering takes a heavy toll on health and wellbeing.


A year goes by She doesn't...
Another year elapses, but the same inaction and lack of progress prevails.




Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: STEPHIN MERRITT

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

cromwellian13

Even more beautiful live than an the album. One of the best bands of the all time.

Hashimoto

Beautiful. I wish they would have put out a concert DVD. I travelled from Montreal to see their 2004 Boston show.

themange59

I saw them on the same tour in Seattle, he didn't seem in a good mood there, but being a MF fan i know it kinda goes with the territory.

darklyroaring

around the time 69 Love Songs came out, Claudia switched from drums to piano. before then however, they were a traditional "indie" band live, with drums, guitar, cello and ukulele (!)

youclavicle

"Distortion" is such a good album!

thevoid99

I love this song. "69 Love Songs" is my favorite album.

countingcrow76

fantastico e commovente uno dei piu' grandi autori di tutti i tempi

James Holloway

I was at this show! That's not really that interesting, but I thought I'd say so.

Michael Marshall

saw em in boston once at berklee school of music. best concert ive ever seen.

Douglas Bleggi

minfan28, do you have a recording of your chorus doing this song. i'd love to hear it.

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