Greetings folks. A little bit of cross pollination going on today for this interlude. Last Saturday we were looking for female power anthems – songs that inspire and make you want to grab the world by the lapels and give it a good shake. Finding songs by dudes about taking names and kicking ass, was easy. Finding female artists with similar thematic material not so much. This song by Christina Perri was on the list of ‘girl’ power anthems. It is clean and elegant song that speaks fluently to my heart, and speaks volumes of how differently the world is perceived depending on how you were socialized.
—–
[Verse 1]
I know I can’t take one more step towards you,
Cause all that’s waiting is regret.
And don’t you know I’m not your ghost anymore,
You lost the love I loved the most.
[Pre-Chorus]
I learned to live half alive,
And now you want me one more time…
[Chorus]
And who do you think you are,
Running around leaving scars,
Collecting your jar of hearts,
And tearing love apart?
You’re gonna catch a cold,
From the ice inside your soul.
So don’t come back for me,
Who do you think you are?
[Verse 2]
I hear you’re asking all around,
If I am anywhere to be found.
But I’ve grown too strong,
To ever fall back in your arms.
[Pre-Chorus]
And I’ve learn to live half alive,
And now you want me one more time!
[Chorus]
And who do you think you are,
Running around leaving scars,
Collecting your jar of hearts,
And tearing love apart?
You’re gonna catch a cold,
From the ice inside your soul.
So don’t come back for me,
Who do you think you are?
[Bridge]
Dear, it took so long just to feel alright,
Remember how to put back the light in my eyes.
I wish I had missed the first time that we kissed,
Cause you broke all your promises.
And now you’re back,
You don’t get to get me back!
[Chorus]
And who do you think you are,
Running around leaving scars,
Collecting your jar of heart,
And tearing love apart?
You’re gonna catch a cold,
From the ice inside your soul.
So don’t come back for me,
Don’t come back at all!
[Outro]
And who do you think you are,
Running around leaving scars,
Collecting your jar of hearts,
And tearing love apart?
You’re gonna catch a cold,
From the ice inside your soul.
Don’t come back for me,
Don’t come back at all!
Who do you think you are?
Who do you think you are?
Who do you think you are?
bleatmop
Mystro
Dead Wild Roses 
6 comments
April 15, 2016 at 9:31 am
john zande
I learned to live half alive
Damn, that’s a good line. Walk down any street, anywhere, at any time of day and you see nothing but people doing just this.
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April 15, 2016 at 12:53 pm
syrbal-labrys
I’ve always loved that song. I sang it to myself in my three years of self-exile as the Minotaur was left to resolve his PTSD issues or lose me.
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April 16, 2016 at 7:47 am
The Arbourist
@Syrbal
Music can help us get through the rough times and spaces in our life.
I was only recently made aware of this song, but you can feel the power and emotion that went into writing and singing it.
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April 16, 2016 at 8:09 am
The Arbourist
@JZ
Your thoughts bring me to Dostoevsky and his character Raskolnikov, from Crime and Punishment – when Raskolnikov considers the possibility of being executed for the murders he has committed, he reflects that ‘he would prefer to stand on a narrow ledge for all eternity, surround by darkness and tempest, rather than die at once.’ The fear of death has raised his consciousness of freedom to point where he becomes aware of the absolute value of his existence. The “indifference threshold” has been completely destroyed.
The indifference threshold as defined by Colin Wilson is thus : There is a margin of the human mind that can be stimulated by pain or inconvenience, but which is indifferent to pleasure. The recognition that man’s moments of freedom tend to come under crisis or challenge, and that when things are gong well, he tends to allow his grip on life to slacken. (from David Cromwell’s book ‘Why Are We the Good Guys?’ p. 197)
I’m not sure you were heading toward an existential thesis in your comment, but that’s what I got from your comment.
To quote Wilson further – “True existentialism is the dramatic investigation of human nature through the medium of art”. (ibid p.197)
Music can do this for us, and the lyrics and melody here, at least for me, brought a touch of real emotion that might be some of the Wilson happens to be prattling on about.
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April 16, 2016 at 8:19 am
john zande
Ooooooh, Arb, THANK YOU! You’ve just given me exactly what i was looking for in this section of the new book I’m penning. That’s brilliant.
Hey, maybe there really is a god, God, and she’s an academic :)
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April 16, 2016 at 9:08 am
The Arbourist
@JZ
Glad to be of service. :)
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