Matchbox 20: Push Meaning
Song Released: 1997
Push Lyrics
I'm a little bit rusty, and I think my head is caving in
And I don't know if I've ever been really loved
By a hand that's touched me, well I feel like something's
Gonna give
And I'm a...
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1TOP RATED
anonymous Nov 2nd 2006, 17:55 report
The song is set-up like a conversation, the girl speaks first then the guy responds, then it goes to the chorus and repeats the cycle
the girl feels that every other relationship she's been in was loveless, and that made her feel that she was doing something wrong
the guy tells her that even though she treats him poorly, he's not giving up on her or their relationship, and that she doesn't have to do anything different
the girl then tries to blame her abuse on him, saying he wasnt there for her, or was treating her poorly etc.
The guy says, she needs to be nicer, and that he doesn't deserve what he's getting from her, and he says he won't change for her abuse
The last non-chorus lyrics go "oh but don't bowl me over
just wait a minute well it kinda fell apart, things get so crazy, crazy don't rush this baby, don't rush this baby, baby" I think this means that they need some time to fix their relationship, and that they should go slow, and not rush through it
- ian -
2TOP RATED
anonymous May 2nd 2008, 15:43 report
First, Love the song, and not may of the people who hear Matchbox 20's new song have heard it. (From my experience.)
I think that:
This song is about two friends, a guy and a girl, who have developed feelings for each other. It is from the guy's perspective, hearing how the girl feels under-appreciated in her current state, in a relationship or life, and how unstable things are, "somethings gonna break."
The guy is thinking that he doesn't want her to break, "this ain't over, no not here," because she is so important to him. How they "might change" and it "just might feel good."
The chorus is how he wants to have a closer relationship, the "push you around" is like playing, "push you down" is the more intimate (sex) aspect, and how he wants to be so close to her heart that he doesn't know life without her there and he is able to "take you for granted."
The second verse is her questioning why he would lie to her, and he is thinking about how he only does that to keep her happy and protect her. He then becomes worried about why she goes out with other guys.
She has always been friends with him and he wants more. He feels "cheated" and "wronged" by not being able to know her.
He is afraid in the third verse of changing what they have and losing everything that they have. And he will keep the situation the same to keep her as close as he can. -
3TOP RATED
anonymous Jul 31st 2005, 09:01 report
In an Rob Thomas interview, he said that this song was about the way he treated a girl. He was writing it from the girls perspective. He admitted that he didn't treat her well, and that this song was the result of it.
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anonymous Feb 3rd, 16:06 report
Wow, I've read a lot of interpretations but personally I think PUSH is a Love Song.
She's at her wit's end trying to figure out the guy in her life and that she's a little bit angry about it. She's thinking about breaking it off as it's making her crazy.
He responds that it can't be over because he still NEEDS her. That she really doesn't know him...He might change and then they'd feel good.
Then he goes on to say he WANTS to push her around and that he WILL (but he has never done it yet, but that he will--he's mentally ill--he feels like he wants to, but can't because he loves her so much, but because he is ill mentally, he has those feelings that he just wants to push her around). He goes on to say he WANTS to push her down and he WANTS to take her for granted. (But he can't--He loves her too much).
She goes on to say she can't understand why he would ever lie to her. He responds that he was just trying to protect her because the truth might hurt her. She doesn't understand why he couldn't just stay with her. And he says she couldn't stand to be near him when he's cheated on her. She says not to just stand there and say nice things to her, that she's been cheated, she's the one that's been wronged.
He interupts her saying that she doesn't know him, and that he CAN"T change (mental illness). Then he says that he won't do anything at all (he won't push her around).
Then they start to patch things up. She says oh don't bowl me over (just say what you think I want to hear). He says, just wait a minute......it kinda fell apart....things get so crazy sometimes. (His way of saying sorry). He goes on to say not to rush this (His getting better mentally). Then he's right back to saying he's gonna push her around and that he will he will he will (An attempt of trying to get better----but he can't).
Then they are right back to where they started because of his mental illness they will repeat the same thing over and over. But He LOVES her. He just can't help himself. -
throm5 Jul 18th 2012, 14:37 report
Ok push was witten when rob and his now wife were having heated moments 1997 he starts the song out she say because the song was witten in the time of the femenist movement which would be the 90s they new they were going to take some heat for the song l
yrics. Plus not to offen his female listeners but rob at the time was sick of his now wife -
mb20forever Mar 21st 2012, 13:26 report
It's about a girl thats been in a bad relationship. She feels like a failure.she dlesnt think anyone cares about her"I dont think that I've ever been really loved by a hand that's touched me" she meets a guy who wants to take her in and show her how to be treated . But she had too many doubts.she wants to push him around. not physically but mentally to see if he can take her and to see if he really loves her enough to put up with all of it. She wants to take ppl for granted. Show them how it feels so they won't do it to her
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anonymous Sep 9th 2011, 02:19 report
From what interviews with Rob have said that the song is a conversation, mostly the girl speaking, I think it is about the female speaker (feeling)pushed around. ie:she doesnt feel good enough, wonders if she has ever really been loved. There's a part when she says "I don't know why you ever would lie to me" and i think it's Rob saying "Like I'm a little untrusting when I think the truth is gonna hurt you." So he's not treating her right, she has been wronged and cheated...therefore I think its his gf/ex saying she wants to push him around and let him know how it feels.
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anonymous Jul 9th 2011, 19:05 report
I actually saw the interview they held with Rob when he discussed the uproar made by women's abuse advocates and ultimately this song is about an emotional kind of pushing. It's about manipulation and control... directed at the man in the relationship. Rob even said it was about himself in a previous relationship. Abuse falls to both sides these days and emotions are much harder to mend than anything physical.
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anonymous Mar 14th 2011, 18:37 report
This song is about someone who has been in an abusive relationship...or possibly many abusive relationships. They don't really know if anyone could ever love them. They feel like they have been the one taken for granted and taken advantage of, and they are broken.
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anonymous Sep 21st 2010, 06:13 report
I took this as just the girl talking about how the boyfriend was abusive and how most of her relationships have been like that then saying in the chorus what she wished she could do to the boyfriend so he knew how it felt
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anonymous Feb 10th 2010, 19:58 report
The whole song is a conversation. the girl thinks she needs something better and wants to leave the relationship. She tries to blame her problems on Rob and says hes not treating her rite. rob responds to that with the corus (being sarcastic) saying he pushes her around all the time. by the end of the song the girl realizes its not so bad and they make up. :)
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anonymous Oct 19th 2009, 21:03 report
This is a direct quotation from an interview conducted by NY Rock with Rob Thomas. First is the question. Second, is Rob's recorded answer.
Q: In America and Europe, the single "Push" has caused quite an uproar. A lot of feminists seem to be offended.
A: I don't understand how people who claim to have a brain can misunderstand [the song] so much. It's not about physical violence. It's about emotions and how somebody can push you around without even lifting a finger. It's all emotional. It's all far more subtle. Anyway, in that song it's the guy who gets pushed around by a girl he's having a relationship with. I had a relationship like that where I was emotionally pushed around, and you know what? I grew almost comfortable with it. I got used to it. Almost enjoyed it because I thought that's how relationships work. I thought it's about getting manipulated and controlled. It's a bit crazy that people claim that I'm a chauvinist and have a violent attitude towards women. -
cynderbuster May 27th 2009, 01:15 report
This song is man talking about a rocky relationship he's in with a woman. She's never had a good relationship and wont give up on him. She wants him to change but he's saying he cant and he will continue to push her around not physically but as far as taking advatage and being selfish cuz that's just the way he is. She keeps pushing him to make her happy but he cant so he lies to her like he's a "little untrusting" (of her) when he thinks the truth will hurt her (cuz she'll get mad). He loves her, knows he's been wrong and even wishes he could be better but it's so hard that he's saying she should give up on him changing. All the fighting is getting crazy and he stays cuz she pulls his strings right with her accusations but all the ways she tries to make him better make him want to pull away at the same time.
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This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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anonymous Dec 16th 2007, 03:11 report
I think the song is about a toxic relationship (not an abusive one), I think they're addicted to each other, and my interpretation is that he gets so frustrated with the her and the situation that he WANTS to push her, and take her for granted..
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newyorkloveaffair Mar 10th 2007, 12:07 report
Great song, no matter what the meaning. I've heard many times that this was simply about emotional, verbal abuse, though the lyrics do suggest otherwise to some people.
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This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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