After their 1999 debut Anchor, the band released Different Stars in 2002. It caught the attention of Cocteau Twins bassist Simon Raymonde, who signed the band to his record label Bella Union, and re-released it with a new tracklisting. The band moved to Seattle to make their third album, 2006's Having. After the EPs Noble House (2007) and The Natural Order of Things (2009), the band entered a period of silence and ultimately disbanded owing to tensions between Williams and Brown. They reunited in 2020 to release the single "Winterstorms".
Anna-Lynne releases solo music under the name Lotte Kestner.
RED
Trespassers William Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That's doing this
Love's a window ledge
You're talking me down from it
Like you can, like you can
Talk it away
If I say this once
Don't talk me out of this
You talk me out of everything
You're gently wearing me
Wearing me down
For you I'll play along
It's common as waking up
We'll blow it away
I'll give it up quietly
It's nothing, it's nothing
It's nothing, it's nothing
Yet it's alright
The lyrics to Trespassers William's song "Red" have a haunting quality to them that reflects the ambivalent feelings of the singer. The opening line, "It's strange that it's you that's doing this," suggests that the singer is in a situation that they never expected to be in. The phrase "Love's a window ledge" paints a picture of a precarious situation, as if the singer is teetering on the edge of an emotional abyss. The line "You're talking me down from it" suggests that the singer is considering something drastic, perhaps even self-destructive, and needs someone to intervene.
The rest of the lyrics seem to be a conversation between the singer and the person who is talking them down from the ledge. The repeated phrase "You talk me out of everything" suggests that the singer is feeling helpless and overwhelmed by the situation. The line "For you I'll play along" suggests that the singer is willing to go along with whatever the other person wants, even if it means giving up something important to them. The phrase "We'll blow it away" suggests that the other person is trying to minimize or dismiss the seriousness of the situation, which could be contributing to the singer's feelings of helplessness.
Despite the bleakness of the situation, the final line of the song, "Yet it's alright," suggests a glimmer of hope or acceptance. It's left up to the interpretation of the listener whether this is a resigned acceptance of a difficult situation or a tentative optimism that things can improve.
Line by Line Meaning
It's strange that it's you
I'm surprised that it's actually you who is doing this.
That's doing this
Causing me to feel this way, making me doubt myself and my decisions.
Love's a window ledge
Being in love is like balancing on a narrow edge, it's easy to fall off and get hurt.
You're talking me down from it
You're convincing me to step back and give up on love, rather than risk falling.
Like you can, like you can
You think you have the power to make me feel better or change my mind, but it's not that simple.
Talk it away
You believe talking is an easy fix to everything, including my feelings, but it's not.
If I say this once
I'm telling you right now, to listen and not try to change my mind about this.
Don't talk me out of this
Please, respect my decision and don't try to convince me otherwise.
This one thing I have
I have this one thing that I hold dear, and I don't want anyone to take it away from me.
You talk me out of everything
You tend to change my opinions and plans, making me feel like I can't trust my own judgement.
You're gently wearing me
You're slowly but surely breaking me down with your words and actions.
Wearing me down
You're making me feel tired, hopeless and defeated.
For you I'll play along
I'll pretend that everything is fine, and that your opinion matters more to me than my own.
It's common as waking up
It's not unusual to feel this way, but it's hard to talk about it or admit it to others.
We'll blow it away
We'll ignore it and pretend it doesn't exist, thinking it will eventually disappear.
I'll give it up quietly
I'll silently let go of my dreams and desires, and follow your lead instead.
It's nothing, it's nothing
I'll pretend that it's not important or that it doesn't matter, just to please you.
It's nothing, it's nothing
I'll keep repeating that it's nothing, as if it will eventually convince me and you that it truly isn't.
Yet it's alright
Despite all of this, I'll convince myself that it's fine, and that I don't need anything more than what you're offering me.
Writer(s): Matt Brown, Anna Lynne Williams, Ross Simonini Copyright: Ross Roos Music, I'Ll Be Fine Music
Contributed by Colton E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.