Kissing the Lipless
The Shins Lyrics
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And your sheets were growing grass out of the corners of your bed
But you've got too much to wear on your sleeves
That has too much to do with me
And secretly I want to bury in the yard
The grey remains of a friendship scarred
You've got someone coming 'round
Gluing tinsel to your crown
He's got you talking pretty loud
Berate, remember your ailing heart and your criminal eyes
You say you're still in love
And it's true what can be done
It's hard to leave all these moments behind
Called to see if your back is still aligned
And your sheets are growing grass out of the corners of your bed
And you've got too much to wear on your sleeves
It's too much to do with me
And secretly I want to bury in the yard
The grey remains of a friendship scarred
You tested your medal of doe's skin and petals
Kissing the lipless and bleed all the sweetness away
The lyrics of The Shins' song Kissing the Lipless explore the aftermath of a broken friendship and the lingering emotions that follow. The first stanza is spoken by the singer, who reaches out to his former friend to check on them and see how they're doing. However, it's clear that things have changed between them, as the friend has "too much to wear on [their] sleeves" and the singer wants to bury the remains of their "friendship scarred" in the yard. The second stanza then switches to the friend's perspective, as they describe their new life, which includes someone who is "gluing tinsel to [their] crown" and making them "talk pretty loud." Despite this, the friend still feels love and unwilling to leave behind these memories.
Overall, the song presents a complex and nuanced portrayal of a broken friendship, highlighting the difficulty of letting go of the past while finding ways to move forward. The idea of burying the past in the yard is especially powerful, as it suggests both a sense of finality and a way to return to nature – perhaps hinting at the possibility of growth and renewal.
Line by Line Meaning
Called to see if your back was still aligned
Checking in to see how you're doing
And your sheets were growing grass out of the corners of your bed
Noticing neglect in your personal life
But you've got too much to wear on your sleeves
You're too guarded to be open with me
That has too much to do with me
Our relationship has been strained and affected by past actions
And secretly I want to bury in the yard
I wish to let go of the negative aspects of our friendship
The grey remains of a friendship scarred
The lingering effects of our past disagreements
You told us of your new life there
You shared details about your new situation
You've got someone coming 'round
You have a new person in your life
Gluing tinsel to your crown
Pretending to be more important than you really are
He's got you talking pretty loud
You've changed your behavior due to this new relationship
Berate, remember your ailing heart and your criminal eyes
Reflecting on your negative qualities
You say you're still in love
You claim to still have feelings for someone
And it's true what can be done
There's nothing to be done to change those feelings
It's hard to leave all these moments behind
It's difficult to move on from the past
You tested your medal of doe's skin and petals
You tried to prove yourself with something fragile and delicate
Kissing the lipless and bleed all the sweetness away
Engaging in a relationship that lacks passion and emotion
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: James Russell Mercer
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@eve5103
Called to see if your back was still aligned
And your sheets were growing grass out of the corners of your bed
But you've got too much to wear on your sleeves
That has too much to do with me
And secretly I want to bury in the yard
The grey remains of a friendship scarred
You told us of your new life there
You've got someone coming 'round
Gluing tinsel to your crown
He's got you talking pretty loud
Berate, remember your ailing heart and your criminal eyes
You say you're still in love
And it's true what can be done
It's hard to leave all these moments behind
Called to see if your back is still aligned
And your sheets are growing grass out of the corners of your bed
And you've got too much to wear on your sleeves
It's too much to do with me
And secretly I want to bury in the yard
The grey remains of a friendship scarred
You tested your medal of doe's skin and petals
Kissing the lipless and bleed all the sweetness away
@NarrowChutes
Chutes Too Narrow is one of the greatest things to ever happen to the world.
@st33nb3an4
LEGIT
@slycoopahh9352
It’s one of the greatest albums of all time...
@purplepatch7
SAME
@alasyon
Damn straight. My favourite album of that decade, and there was a lot of strong competition.
@JAY_MKE
The Shins*
@BadEnergyJohn
Worked at that rink for years. Mathew, the skater, skated like that almost every day to whatever music was playing. He had that energy every day. Somersaults, push-ups, the tip-toe strut. I think they just saw him going at it one day and decided he needs to be in a video. The guy could juggle at least seven balls at a time and did magic tricks all day. He worked there but hung out there all the time. This dude would have quite a few onlookers which isn’t surprising.
@Damian-jr8pq
So did i work there for 10 years with along with. Mathew. Yep. Skated like all the time
@gabriellastoica3598
As someone who works with him they are correct
@cestlavegan5793
That's incredible. Was this at Lloyd Center by any chance?