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.
What of Me
Trespassers William Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I dream there and sometimes I wake there
Do you want me caring less?
Sometimes we don't ask for what we need
And I can guess how I want to be loved
And I've guessed what of me you need
It doesn't matter if we lie
Do you think that I can't feel?
When I touch you, there's words on your body
Should you be scared
When I say sometimes I'd want you dead?
So no one else can have you when it ends
How'd I reach this point on my own?
This is not the first time
I've watched the end of the thing that had no end
Do you want me caring less?
Sometimes we let go of what we need
Why can't you guess how I want to be loved?
You can't even tell me what of me you need
The lyrics of Trespassers William's song "What of Me" depict a complicated and somewhat destructive relationship between two people. The singer dreams of a place that is not too far, perhaps indicating that the ideal relationship is within reach but slightly out of grasp. They question whether their partner wants them to care less, implying a lack of communication between them. The singer then goes on to guess what their partner needs from them but laments that their partner cannot reciprocate. The lyrics touch upon themes of unfulfilled needs, unspoken desires, and the struggle to decode and communicate emotions.
The lines, "Do you think that I can't feel? When I touch you, there's words on your body," suggest that the singer is intimately familiar with their partner, but there is still an emotional distance between them. They ask, "Should you be scared when I say sometimes I'd want you dead? So no one else can have you when it ends?" This morbid statement denotes jealousy and possessiveness, as if the singer fears losing their partner and would rather have them dead than with someone else. The song ends with the feeling that their relationship has ended, but the singer repeats the questions they had asked earlier, indicating that the same patterns will repeat themselves in future relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
It's a place that's not so far
Referring to a mental space or mindset that is not very difficult to reach
I dream there and sometimes I wake there
Imagining a certain scenario or outcome and sometimes facing the reality of it
Do you want me caring less?
Questioning whether the other person wants the singer to be less emotionally invested
Sometimes we don't ask for what we need
Occasionally, individuals neglect to express their desires or wants
And I can guess how I want to be loved
The artist knows what kind of love they want
And I've guessed what of me you need
The singer has attempted to figure out what the other person requires from them
It doesn't matter if we lie
Implying that dishonesty is not important in the larger scheme of things
Your sentences never defined you
Stating that the other person's statements or expressed feelings don't fully portray who they are
Do you think that I can't feel?
Asking if the other person doubts the artist's ability to experience emotions
When I touch you, there's words on your body
Suggesting that various physical touches or intimate moments convey unspoken words or meanings
Should you be scared
Posing a question about whether the other person should be concerned about something
When I say sometimes I'd want you dead?
Musing on a hypothetical scenario in which the artist would prefer the other person not being alive
So no one else can have you when it ends
Stating that the singer wants the other person all to themselves even if the relationship concludes
How'd I reach this point on my own?
Wondering how the singer has ended up in their current emotional state without support or assistance
This is not the first time
Acknowledging that the situation or feeling is not new
I've watched the end of the thing that had no end
Noting the occurrence of a conclusion for something that seemed like it would go on indefinitely
Do you want me caring less?
Asking again if the other person wants the artist to care less than they do currently
Sometimes we let go of what we need
Admitting that individuals occasionally relinquish things that are necessary or beneficial for them
Why can't you guess how I want to be loved?
Wondering why the other person doesn't understand the kind of love the singer desires
You can't even tell me what of me you need
The artist is frustrated with the other person for not being able to articulate what they want or require from the artist
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ANNA-LYNNE WILLIAMS, JOHN MICHAEL WILLIAMS, MATT BROWN, MATTHEW EMERSON BROWN, ROSS SIMONINI, ROSS DAVENPORT SIMONINI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@TheRamCDXVI
I saw these guys live in Seattle in 2008. This woman sounds even more angelic in person.
#Memories
@LaXicaPirata
J'adore ce groupe, je ne peux pas m’empêcher d'être un peu nostalgique à chaque fois que j'écoute trespassers! c'est magique :)
@Ale_tutor_tolc
2023... wonderful...
@TimHaokip
Tragic... Wish they never disbanded... Never grow tired of their songs even after all these years.
@thistime1483
I remember listening to this album when it first came out and loved it. I somehow totally forgot about it until recently. I am so glad I rediscovered this gem.
@carbonartworks
beautiful
@bengofbengof
Esta canção é incrível!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@AnnaKareninaKnight
perfect
@scarykid6371
Lovely af <3
@frompariswithlovexx
...and i felt the moment that my heart broke.