I'll Keep Mine Hidden
The Smiths Lyrics
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Force emotions to the fore
But not for me, of course
Of course
I keep mine hidden
Oh...
I keep mine hidden
Because you let yours flail
Into public view
Oh, oh...
Yellow and green
A stumbling block
I'm a twenty-digit combination to unlock
With a past where to be 'touched'
Meant to be 'mental'
Ooh, I keep mine hidden
The lies are so easy for you
Because you let yours slide
Into public view
Oh...
Use your loaf!
The Smiths’s “I Keep Mine Hidden” talks about the singer's reluctance to publicly display their emotions. The first verse references three potent emotional states: hate, love, and war; and how they can drive people to express their emotions openly. However, the singer doesn’t feel drawn to express their feelings publicly. In the chorus, the singer reiterates their insistence on keeping their emotions hidden, which seems to be effortless for them. The second verse expresses the dichotomy between the singer’s approach to displaying emotions versus the person they’re addressing. The singer implies that the listener doesn’t hide their emotions, making it easier for them to be read. In the third verse, the singer uses the word “touch” as a double entendre to suggest both physical and emotional touching. They mention how to be “touched” in their past meant “to be mental,” which shows a history of emotional turbulence that they’d rather keep hidden.
Line by Line Meaning
Hate, love and war
Strong emotions like hate, love, and war are quite common and normal in people's lives.
Force emotions to the fore
These extreme emotions compel people to act on them, causing a disturbance in their daily lives.
But not for me, of course
However, I am not affected by these emotions and their consequent actions.
Of course
It is expected of me to not have these feelings and reactions.
I keep mine hidden
I do have emotions but I choose to hide them and not act on them.
Oh...
This line is an emotional exclamation or an expression of situation, which in this scenario is the fact that I hide my emotions.
But it's so easy for you
It is easy for you to express and act on your emotions.
Because you let yours flail
You let your emotions show, without any hesitation or concern for the consequences.
Into public view
You make your emotions visible for all to see.
Yellow and green
These colors symbolize a roadblock or obstacle in this context.
A stumbling block
Obstruction or a challenge one faces when dealing with emotions.
I'm a twenty-digit combination to unlock
Understanding my emotions is like trying to crack a code of twenty digits, quite complicated and hard to decipher.
With a past where to be 'touched'
In the past, to be touched metaphorically meant to be mentally affected or disturbed.
Meant to be 'mental'
This references mental illness, indicating that touching emotions equated to having some form of mental illness.
The lies are so easy for you
It's easy for you to lie about your emotions or hide them because they are not as complex or challenging as mine are.
Because you let yours slide
You let your emotions go unnoticed or unsaid, not acting on them, leading to a suppression of feelings.
Use your loaf!
This is a British slang meaning to use your head or apply your common sense.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: STEVEN MORRISSEY, JOHNNY MARR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind