Our first song is by the gifted gothic, Florence Welch, whose recording name is Florence + The Machine. The song is “Girl With One Eye.” With its dark imagery and romantic undertones it makes for a proper dissection.
Funny how obsession with a melody can come before true perception. We made this song into our weekend anthem and now it has become the inspiration for this very blog.
Between each song and between each listener there is a different interpretation. On closer inspection, we realized that Florence wasn’t the biological songstress but rather, a punk band called The Ludes gave birth to this incubus. So, lucky readers, as our first entry we’re giving you not one, but two, stories behind the lyrics.
First up is dear Florence as the wounded woman, and we know Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. This is a song about a betrayed woman out for revenge. In the first lines, Florence is dismissive of this girl’s (soon to be one eye less) warnings not to defy fate (“She told me not to step on the cracks, I told her not to fuss and relax”). Florence is overconfident, which also makes her unsuspecting. This changes when the girl with her “pretty little face steals” the object of Florence’s affection, who we assume she been long chasing. At this point, Florence realizes she should have slept with one eye open and the girl has taken her pie. Florence will get her revenge by cutting out the girl’s eye and her price will be paid. At least this girl gets direct deposit from Florence rather than looking over her shoulder all the time (“Well, she’s lucky I didn’t slip her a smile”). The girl has already won the guy (ruining Florence’s pie), but she may loss her heart for hurting Florence so deeply. Florence continues to defile this girl by kicking her in the balls, willingly destroying her own previously pure reputation. The girl, by now, should know that she must always be on the defensive as Florence should have in the beginning of the song. Even so, Florence’s heart is still broken. She’s taught this girl a lesson, took the tools of this seductress’s trade, but she can’t get over her grief. In a neat twist of words, Florence is no longer telling this story to a listener but singing it to the traitor herself (“YOU made me cry”). As the song finishes, we can hear Florence convincing herself that she must cut this girl’s out heart out.
But what if a guy were behind these words (The Ludes’ version)? Taking a guy’s eye to the lyrics, a story unfolds about an unfaithful man who blames his mistress while he seduces her. The mistress realizes that they’ll be caught and that someone must get hurt. She already is sleeping with one eye open as she goes through with the affair. He, in effect, has robbed her of her virtues and yet he never intended for her to fall in love (“Well, she’s lucky that I didn’t slip her a smile”). He blames her for spoiling his other life – the one in which he has a career, family and a spotless reputation or his “pie.” What, though, does he have to cry about? Has he, in fact, fallen in love with her? Is she threatening exposure? He continues the affair, further dirtying his reputation, and yet assigning the guilt to her while he reaps the benefits. She sleeps with one eye open. She’ll never trust him. We suspect the guilt catches up with him, continuing the tears, but he won’t take responsibility instead he’ll choose to cut out her heart in order to keep his pie.
Which singer has your heart? Which version do you have your eye on? Take a look for yourself:
She told me not to step on the cracks I told her not to fuss and relax Well, her pretty little face stopped me in my tracks But now she sleeps with one eye open That's the price she paid I took a knife and cut out her eye I took it home and watched it wither and die Well, she's lucky that I didn't slip her a smile That's why she sleeps with one eye open That's the price she paid I said, hey, girl with one eye Get your filthy fingers out of my pie I said, hey, girl with one eye I'll cut your little heart out cause you made me cry I slipped my hand under her skirt I said don't worry, it's not gonna hurt Oh, my reputation's kinda clouded with dirt That's why you sleep with one eye open That's the price you paid I said, hey, girl with one eye Get your filthy fingers out of my pie I said, hey, girl with one eye I'll cut your little heart out cause you made me cry You made me cry You made me cry You made me cry I said, hey, girl with one eye Get your filthy fingers out of my pie I said, hey, girl with one eye Get your filthy fingers out my pie I said, hey, girl with one eye Get your filthy fingers out of my pie I said, hey, girl with one eye I'll cut your little heart out cause you made me cry
