In Spring of 2010 Unwoman released her fourth full-length self-produced album, Casualties. Its pressing was funded by fans on kickstarter, and its release coincided with a huge bump in her popularity due to several enthusiastic tweets from Amanda Palmer. In September 2011 she released Uncovered Volume 1, an album of dramatic reinterpretations of popular songs written betwen 1980 and 1995, also funded by fans via kickstarter.
Unwoman performs solo, with drummer Felix Macnee as Heavy Sugar Duo, and as a guest in other bands, throughout the US. Unwoman has performed solo at WorldCon (Reno, NV 2011), Steamcon I, II, and III (Seattle), Victoria Steam Exposition (Victoria, BC), Bats Day in the Fun Park (Anaheim, CA), Can't Stop the Serenity (Phoenix, AZ), Nova Albion (SF Bay Area), Fanime (San Jose, CA), and Teslacon (Madison, WI).
Cruelty
Unwoman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To love you despite all you do wrong
Each time you make the same mistakes
But so does she
You think that to be a good person
Means merely causing no one harm
But since we're all responsible for ourselves
My heart is wide open and I'll never give up hoping
Not for your love, just for you to grow up
Now there's one more thing you need to know
Before the final curtains close
It is cruel to look into a girl's eyes that way you looked in mine
Unless you want her to fall in love with you
It is cruel to want her to fall in love
If you can't love her too
(I know you can't love me too)
Each girl I've told has been unsurprised
They learned as I to avoid your eyes
Now only knowing I can never win
Would I fall in them again
It is cruel to look into a girl's eyes that way you looked in mine
Unless you want her to fall in love with you.
It is cruel to want her to fall in love
If you can't love her too
(I know you can't love any of us too)
The song "Cruelty" by Unwoman is a powerful and thought-provoking commentary on the dynamics of love and relationships. The lyrics suggest that the singer is speaking to someone who has repeatedly hurt and let down the women in their lives. The opening lines, "each girl thinks she will be the one to love you despite all you do wrong" suggest that this person is not only a repeat offender but that they also have a pattern of not changing their behavior.
The second verse is particularly poignant in its critique of the notion of what it means to be a good person: "you think that to be a good person means merely causing no one harm / but since we're all responsible for ourselves / it's impossible to fail." These lines are a sobering reminder that being a good person is not just the absence of doing harm. It is an active pursuit of empathy and kindness towards others, and ultimately one's self.
The final verse of the song is a call to action, warning that it is cruel to play with someone's emotions and lead them on if you cannot reciprocate their feelings. The line "it is cruel to look into a girl's eyes that way you looked in mine unless you want her to fall in love with you" is particularly impactful, as it highlights the power of eye contact and the often-unspoken communication that can occur through it. In conclusion, "Cruelty" is a poignant commentary on love, relationships, and the importance of empathy and kindness towards oneself and others.
Line by Line Meaning
Each girl thinks she will be the one
Every girl believes that she can change you despite your repeated mistakes.
To love you despite all you do wrong
She believes she can love you even if you are not deserving of it.
Each time you make the same mistakes
You never learn from your mistakes.
But so does she
The girl who loves you keeps forgiving and hoping for the best.
You think that to be a good person
You have a superficial understanding of what it means to be good.
Means merely causing no one harm
You think that not hurting anyone is the only requirement to be a good person.
But since we're all responsible for ourselves
Being a good person requires a lot more than just not hurting others.
It's impossible to fail
As long as you take responsibility for your actions and try your best, you cannot fail.
My heart is wide open and I'll never give up hoping
I am willing to be vulnerable and have faith in you.
Not for your love, just for you to grow up
I don't want your love, I just want you to mature and learn from your mistakes.
Now there's one more thing you need to know
I have one more important message for you.
Before the final curtains close
Before everything ends.
It is cruel to look into a girl's eyes that way you looked in mine
It is unfair to lead a girl on with your gaze and give her false hope.
Unless you want her to fall in love with you
Unless you are genuinely interested in loving her back.
It is cruel to want her to fall in love
It is wrong to lead someone on without intending to reciprocate their feelings.
If you can't love her too
If you cannot genuinely love her back.
(I know you can't love me too)
I know you cannot return my feelings either.
Each girl I've told has been unsurprised
Other girls who fell for you were not surprised to hear my story.
They learned as I to avoid your eyes
They too learned to avoid your gaze and any false promises they implied.
Now only knowing I can never win
Now that I know the truth, I understand that I cannot change you or win your love.
Would I fall in them again
I would not fall for your false promises and manipulations again.
Contributed by Chase C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.