Fiona Apple - Paper Bag

[Mautarius]

I have a small question, but it's big to me.

In this song Fiona Apple sings;

I said: "Honey, I don't feel so good, don't feel justified. Come on, put a little love here in my void."

He said: "It's all in your head"

I said: "So is everything"

But he didn't get it..

I'm really ashamed, but I don't get it either...

[TheTallOne]

Maybe some sexual references?

[SoulGirl]

here are the rest of the lyrics so that people can read them in context!

FIONA APPLE

"Paper Bag"

I was staring at the sky, just looking for a star

To pray on, or wish on, or something like that

I was having a sweet fix of a daydream of a boy

Whose reality I knew, was a hopeless to be had

But then the dove of hope began its downward slope

And I believed for a moment that my chances

Were approaching to be grabbed

But as it came down near, so did a weary tear

I thought it was a bird, but it was just a paper bag

Hunger hurts, and I want him so bad, oh it kills

'Cause I know I'm a mess he don't wanna clean up

I got to fold 'cause these hands are too shaky to hold

Hunger hurts, but starving works, when it costs too much to love

And I went crazy again today, looking for a strand to climb

Looking for a little hope

Baby said he couldn't stay, wouldn't put his lips to mine,

And a fail to kiss is a fail to cope

I said, 'Honey, I don't feel so good, don't feel justified

Come on put a little love here in my void,' he said

'It's all in your head,' and I said, 'So's everything'

But he didn't get it I thought he was a man

But he was just a little boy

Hunger hurts, and I want him so bad, oh it kills

'Cause I know I'm a mess he don't wanna clean up

I got to fold 'cause these hands are too shaky to hold

Hunger hurts, but starving works, when it costs too much to love

Hunger hurts, and I want him so bad, oh it kills

'Cause I know I'm a mess he don't wanna clean up

I got to fold 'cause these hands are too shaky to hold

Hunger hurts, but starving works, when it costs too much to love

when she says 'i thought he was a man, he was just a little boy' i think it backs up thetallone's idea that its sexual references. she wants him badly and she's trying to seduce him but he's telling her that there's nothing between them and that it's 'all in [her] head'.

i love this song! a friend of mine's band were doing it for a gig that i was singing in and they had another girl singing this song. she wasn't sure if she wanted to do it and i was hoping she'd pull out so i could!

[Carl]

This is one of my favorite songs, and I have no idea why it wasn't a hit.

My interpretation is that Fiona is hot for this guy, but he lacks substance and intelligence - she thought he was a real man, but he's just a little boy, empty as a paper bag.

When she replies to "It's all in your head" with, "So's everything," she's speaking on an existential level about how the mind controls your body and soul, but this is too deep for him to understand.

[SoulGirl]

i agree with you carl. i wanted to post that but i couldn't find the words to express what i meant at 1am! i think she means 'so's everything' in a similar vein to 'i think therefore i am'.

[Mautarius]

Thanks you guys, My interpretation of the song, was that the man she has the hots for is somewhat a sort of a "mans' man", a guy she's with, but he doesn't give her what she needs.

But then that one sentence didn't sound right.