Before forming Two Tongues, Max Bemis, Chris Conley and Coby Linder had previously collaborated on a cover song of Bob Dylan's "The Man In Me" for the compilation album Paupers, Peasants, Princes & Kings: The Songs of Bob Dylan, released by Doghouse Records in 2006. After the successful collaboration, Bemis asked Conley about potentially doing an album together, to which Conley responded positively by saying "I would do it with no one else, nothing could be more epic!”
Thus, Two Tongues was born.
If I Could Make You Do Things
Two Tongues Lyrics
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My hearts not eating yet
Put down that cigarette
Please don't turn away
I don't have much to say
Say it anyway
Forever burning
Within the heart of the one is searching
Ooh
Forever waiting
Why should I come if it's all just fading
Put down that needle now
I wanna live life underground
I'm here to pull you out
Please don't turn away
I don't have much to say
Say it anyway
Ooh
Forever burning
Within the heart of the one is searching
Ooh
Forever waiting
Why should I come if it's all just fading
If I could make you, make you
Go away!
If I could make you, make you do it
You gotta go away!
If I could make you, make you
You gotta go awa-y!
If I could make you, do it!
Ooh
Forever burning
Within the heart of the one is searching
Ooh
Forever waiting
Why should I come if it's all just fading
If I could make you, make you
Go away!
If I could make you, make you do it
You gotta go away!
If I could make you, make you
You gotta go awa-y!
If I could make you, do it!
If I could make you, make you
Go away!
If I could make you, make you do it
You gotta go away!
If I could make you, make you
You gotta go awa-y!
If I could make you
, do it!
The lyrics of Two Tongues's song "If I Could Make You Do Things" express a sense of urgency and desperation to help someone we care about who is struggling with addiction. The opening lines, "Put down that cigarette, my heart's not eating yet," suggest that the singer is worried about the health of the person they're addressing, and they want them to quit smoking. The next line, "Please don't turn away, I don't have much to say, say it anyway," seems to suggest that the singer is struggling to communicate their feelings to this person, but they want to try anyway, even if it's difficult. The repeated refrain of "Forever burning within the heart of the one is searching" echoes this sense of desperation and longing, emphasizing that the singer cares deeply about the person they're addressing and wants to help them heal.
The next verse takes a more explicit turn towards addiction, with the line "Put down that needle now, I wanna live life underground." This suggests that the person the singer is addressing is involved in drug use and that the singer wants them to quit. However, the urgency and desperation of the singer's pleas continue, with the lines "I'm here to pull you out" and "Please don't turn away, I don't have much to say, say it anyway." In the final lines of the song, the singer expresses their desire to make the other person go away if it means helping them overcome their addiction. This suggests that the singer is willing to go to extreme lengths to help their loved one, even if it means taking drastic action.
Overall, the lyrics of "If I Could Make You Do Things" express a deep sense of love and concern for someone struggling with addiction. The repeated refrain and urgent pleas suggest that the singer cares deeply about this person and wants to help them heal, even if it means taking drastic action.
Line by Line Meaning
Put down that cigarette
Asking someone to stop smoking and pay attention
My heart's not eating yet
Expressing that the singer is not content and needs more
Please don't turn away
Begging someone not to ignore the singer's words
I don't have much to say
Admitting the artist doesn't have a lot to share
Say it anyway
Encouraging the listener to speak up
Forever burning within the heart of the one who's searching
Cautioning that the search for answers or meaning is an eternal, never-ending quest
Forever waiting, why should I come if it's all just fading?
Questioning why the singer should bother engaging with someone or something that will inevitably disappear
Put down that needle now, I wanna live life underground
Pleading with someone to stop their destructive behavior and embrace a simpler, more authentic way of living
I'm here to pull you out
Assuring the listener that the artist is there to help them
If I could make you, make you go away
Expressing a desire to remove someone from the artist's life
If I could make you, make you do it, you gotta go away
Requesting that the listener take action (likely related to their negative behavior) and remove themselves from the singer's life
If I could make you, make you, you gotta go away
Reiterating the artist's need for separation
If I could make you do it
Wishing the listener would take responsibility for their actions and move on
Forever burning within the heart of the one who's searching
Repeating the earlier sentiment about the endless search for meaning
Forever waiting, why should I come if it's all just fading?
Repeating the earlier question about the point of engaging with fleeting or insincere people/things
If I could make you, make you go away
Restating the desire to remove someone from the artist's life
If I could make you, make you do it, you gotta go away
Reiterating the request for the listener to take action and leave the artist alone
If I could make you, make you, you gotta go away
Repeating the singer's need for separation in no uncertain terms
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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