Bittersweet
Venus In Furs feat. Thom Yorke Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've opened up my heart so many times
But now it's closed
Oh my dear
Every salted tear
It wrings
Bitter-sweet applause
But when the show's in full swing
Every once in awhile
High stepping chorus lines
Mean I'm forgetting
Mein lullaby - liebchen
How rich in contrast
Love can be
Sometimes I'm quite amused
To see it twist and turn
To taste both sweet and dry
These vintage years
Lovers you consume, my friend
As others their wine
Nein - das ist nicht
Das ende der Welt
Gestrandet an Leben und Kunst
Und das spiel geht weiter
Wie man weiss
Noch viele 'schoum'....wiedersehen
(Translation of German lyrics:
No - this is not the end of the world
Stranded because of life and art
And the game goes on as you know
Schoum....see you)
And now, as you turn to leave
You try to force a smile
As if to compensate
Then you break down and cry
The lyrics to Venus in Furs feat Brian Molko's song Bitter-sweet describe the feeling of heartbreak after having opened up your heart to someone many times, only to have it closed in return. The tears that come from this heartbreak are described as both bitter and sweet, as there are moments of joy during the relationship that are now missed. The chorus lines and music of the show that once brought happiness are now only a painful reminder of what has been lost. The singer acknowledges the contrast of love, how it can be both sweet and dry, and how it can consume a person completely. The song ends with a bittersweet goodbye, where the person tries to smile but ultimately breaks down in tears.
Overall, this song is about the difficulty of letting go of a relationship that has come to an end. The singer is experiencing the emotions that come along with the end of the relationship, acknowledging that love can be both wonderful and difficult. Despite the pain, the singer tries to find a way to move forward and continue with life.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, this is such a sad affair
The current situation is depressing and unfortunate.
I've opened up my heart so many times
I have been vulnerable many times before.
But now it's closed
However, my heart is now closed off.
Oh my dear
Addressing the listener with compassion and concern.
Every salted tear
All of the tears shed.
It wrings
Causes pain and discomfort.
Bitter-sweet applause
The mixture of happy and sad emotions people may feel towards my performances.
But when the show's in full swing
When I am at the peak of my performance.
Every once in awhile
Occasionally.
High stepping chorus lines
My performance and the crowd's admiration of it.
Mean I'm forgetting
I am able to forget for a moment.
Mein lullaby - liebchen
My lover or audience is my lullaby.
How rich in contrast
Love can be experienced in so many diverse ways.
Love can be
Love has the ability.
Sometimes I'm quite amused
Sometimes I find it amusing.
To see it twist and turn
To observe love's unpredictable nature.
To taste both sweet and dry
To experience both the good and bad parts of love.
These vintage years
These years dedicated to love and passion.
Lovers you consume, my friend
Just like how people consume wine, you consume your lovers.
As others their wine
In the same way individuals consume wine.
Nein - das ist nicht
No, it is not.
Das ende der Welt
The end of the world.
Gestrandet an Leben und Kunst
Stranded due to life and art.
Und das spiel geht weiter
And the game continues to go on.
Wie man weiss
As we know.
Noch viele 'schoum'....wiedersehen
There will be many more 'Schoum' and goodbyes.
You try to force a smile
You attempt to make a fake smile.
As if to compensate
In order to make up for something.
Then you break down and cry
However, you eventually fall apart and cry.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ANDREW MACKAY, ANDREW EDWIN MACKAY, BRYAN FERRY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@DinofskyKristoferWinwood
Beautiful song, I am a fan of the Movie Velvet Goldmine and despite what everyone says, who have probably not seen the movie; the song is perfect the editing as well as the acting during the suicide are great storytelling, something about this though reminds me of Rules Of Attraction, is that where you got your Inspiration?.
@umbriosso
Kayanina... I could not agree more with you... this is a great song, but Molko's singing spoils everyting... but I love Molko anyway.. hahahah thanks for your comment... Bye
@kayanina
they should make a version of this where they cut out molko's singing.
@kayanina
i also like molko. just not his attribution to this song.
@GabrielSavageMusic
This is really well done! Thank you for sharing this! I made my own video for this song, going with clips from velvet goldmine. check it out if youd like.
@hXbradshaw
Um, Brian Molko had absolutely nothing to do with this song. He and Placebo recorded one song on the Velvet Goldmine soundtrack, called 20th Century Boy, but he did not do any of the vocals on Bitter-Sweet. And wherever you read or heard that he did is soooooooo wrong, same goes for the poster of this video. And one more thing to the poster, I seriously hope youre not condoning self mutilation/suicide. As a past cutter myself, I find it appalling.
@bootheavy
Probably better if Roxy Music did it.