Then She Did
The Selecter Lyrics


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A cowboy whispered in her ear
Anything I can do dear?
His blue Cortina was parked so near
She liked the idea
Don't know why she fucked up
Always drunk and drugged up
Those chrome hearts, they rust up
He said go, then she did

She staggered home at ten to four
What's it to you dear
Couldn't get the key in the door
Ring in the New year!
Don't know why she fucked up
Always drunk and drugged up
Those chrome hearts, they rust up
He said go, then she did

Chipping away at a heart of chrome
Love's shiny veneer
The cowboy spends his nights alone
Nothing left to do here
Don't know how she puts up
With no love to make up
For stains on the tea cups
He said go, she said no.
Don't know why she fucked up
Always drunk and drugged up
Those chrome hearts, they rust up
He said go, then she did




Then she did
Then she did

Overall Meaning

The Selecter's song Then She Did tells a story of a girl who is seemingly lost, addicted to alcohol and drugs, and stuck in a destructive cycle of making bad decisions. The first verse talks about a cowboy who approaches her with a suggestive tone, asking if there's anything he can do to help her. The girl seems to take a liking to the idea, but eventually leaves anyway, as the lyrics say "he said go, then she did."


In the second verse, the girl makes her way home while intoxicated, but struggles to open the door. She sarcastically tells the singer, "what's it to you, dear?" indicating that she is not interested in hearing anyone else's opinion of her. The chorus repeats the phrase "don't know why she fucked up, always drunk and drugged up, those chrome hearts they rust up, he said go then she did" indicating that this is a recurring theme in her life.


The final verse talks about the cowboy spending his nights alone, highlighting that his advances towards the girl were likely empty or insincere. The lyrics "chipping away at a heart of chrome, love's shiny veneer" suggest that the girl's experiences have hardened her and made her difficult to love. However, she still refuses to go back to the cowboy, as she says "he said go, she said no."


Line by Line Meaning

A cowboy whispered in her ear
A stranger made advances towards her.


Anything I can do dear?
The cowboy offered to help her in some way.


His blue Cortina was parked so near
The cowboy's car was close by, possibly indicating he had ulterior motives.


She liked the idea
She was intrigued by the cowboy's advances.


Don't know why she fucked up
She did something wrong, possibly due to substance use or lack of judgement.


Always drunk and drugged up
She frequently uses alcohol and drugs.


Those chrome hearts, they rust up
The superficial attraction to shiny objects fades over time.


He said go, then she did
The cowboy asked her to leave, and she complied.


She staggered home at ten to four
She returned home late and possibly under the influence.


What's it to you dear
She was dismissive of someone's inquiry about her actions.


Couldn't get the key in the door
She struggled to unlock her own home, potentially due to intoxication.


Ring in the New year!
A sarcastic exclamation, possibly indicating her unhappiness with the current situation.


Chipping away at a heart of chrome
Attempting to unravel the superficial facade of love.


Love's shiny veneer
The facade of love is alluring at first, but fades over time like shiny chrome.


The cowboy spends his nights alone
The cowboy is left with no one after the woman left.


Nothing left to do here
The relationship has run its course and there is no point in continuing it.


Don't know how she puts up
The cowboy doesn't understand why the woman stays in the relationship.


With no love to make up
There is no love or affection in the relationship to repair.


For stains on the tea cups
The small imperfections in life that do not matter in the grand scheme of things.


He said go, she said no.
A possible argument or disagreement between the cowboy and the woman.


Then she did
The woman left the relationship.


Then she did
Re-emphasizing the woman's choice to leave the relationship.




Contributed by Xavier M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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