You Took Advantage Of Me
Ziggy Elman and His Orchestra Lyrics

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When a girl has the heart of a mother
It must go to someone of course
It can't be sister or brother
And so I love my horse
But horses are frequently silly
Mine ran from the beach of Okhala
And left me alone for a filly
So I have picked you up

I'm a sentimental sap, that's all
What's the use of trying not to fall?
I have no will, you've made your kill
Cause you took advantage of me
I'm just like an apple on a bough
And you're gonna shake me down somehow
So, what's the use, you've cooked my goose
Cause you took advantage of me

I'm so hot and bothered that
I don't know my elbow from my ear
I suffer something awful each time
You go and much worse when you're near
Here I am with all my bridges burned
Just a babe in arms where you're concerned
So lock the doors and call me yours
Cause you took advantage of me.

I'm a sentimental sap, that's all
What's the use of trying not to fall?
I have no will, you've made your kill
Cause you took advantage of me
I'm just like an apple on a bough
And you're gonna shake me down somehow
So, what's the use, you've cooked my goose
Cause you took advantage of me

I'm so hot and bothered that
I don't know my elbow from my ear
I suffer something awful each time
You go and much worse when you're near
Here I am with all my bridges burned
Just a babe in arms where you're concerned
So lock the doors and call me yours

Cause you took advantage of me
You took advantage of me

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "You Took Advantage of Me" by Ziggy Elman and His Orchestra are a mixture of humor and heartache, as the singer tries to explain how easily they fall in love and become vulnerable to manipulation. The first few lines are a bit nonsensical, referring to a girl's heart being like a mother's and therefore needing to go to a romantic partner rather than a sibling. The singer then compares themselves to a silly horse who was abandoned by their previous love interest (referred to as a "filly") and now has turned their affection towards the current object of their desire.

The second half of the song becomes more straightforward in its message: the singer is admitting that they are a "sentimental sap" who can't resist falling in love, even when they know they're being taken advantage of. They describe feeling so overwhelmed by their emotions that they "don't know [their] elbow from [their] ear" and suffer greatly when their love interest is gone or nearby. The final lines convey a sense of surrender, as the singer has burned all their bridges and feels like a helpless "babe in arms" to their partner's advances.

Overall, "You Took Advantage of Me" is a witty and self-deprecating look at the pitfalls of love and vulnerability. The singer acknowledges their own weaknesses and tendencies towards being manipulated, while also maintaining a sense of humor and lightheartedness in their descriptions.

Line by Line Meaning

When a girl has the heart of a mother
When a woman possesses nurturing qualities

It must go to someone of course
It's natural to direct it towards someone

It can't be sister or brother
It cannot be directed towards a sibling

And so I love my horse
So, my affection is directed towards my horse

But horses are frequently silly
However, horses can be unpredictable

Mine ran from the beach of Okhala
My horse fled the Okhala coastline

And left me alone for a filly
And left me alone in favor of a female horse

So I have picked you up
So, now I have chosen you as my partner

I'm a sentimental sap, that's all
I am a hopeless romantic, nothing more

What's the use of trying not to fall?
What's the point of resisting love?

I have no will, you've made your kill
I have no self-control, you have taken advantage of me