Florence + the Machine: Girl With One Eye Meaning
Girl With One Eye Lyrics
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...
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1TOP RATED
#1 top rated interpretation:This song is a cover of a song by the same name by the Ludes. It wasn't very popular... Florence was dating one of the band members. Her song "My Boy Builds Coffins" is about him, too.
As it was originally from a male perspective, I think we can cancel this out as being about lesbian first timers... If you listen to the original version (available at youtube) it's a little more obvious that this song is about rape.
"Eye" is a symbol for virginity, "pie" for sex.
"She told me not to step on the cracks." She didn't want to have sex. "I told her not to fuss and relax." Pretty self-explanatory there...
"That's the price she paid." I think that's about her turning him down, so she "deserved" to be raped.
To be honest, I have no idea about the chorus...
"I slipped my hand under her skirt. I said don't worry, it's not gonna hurt." Again, self-explanatory. "My reputation's kinda clouded with dirt." Not sure here. Could be he's done this before, or NOW it's clouded with dirt because of this.
This is all speculation, though, except for this about being about her boyfriend at the time. -
2TOP RATED
#2 top rated interpretation:I think this song is about rape.
"Don't step on the cracks"
Stay away from me
"Dont fuss and relax"
Don't struggle
"Pretty little face stopped me in my tracks"
He was attracted to her
"Sleeps with one eye open"
Doesn't want the rape to happen again
"Slipped my hands under her skirt, told her, don't worry it won't hurt"
Obviously he's trying to get to her and rape her
"I'll cut your little heart out, because you made me cry"
She didnt actually make him cry, just damaged his dignity.
"My reputations kind of clouded with dirt"
Well, because he raped her, his rep is obviously bad. -
3TOP RATED
#3 top rated interpretation:"She told me not to step on the cracks
I told her not to fuss and relax
Pretty little face stopped me in my tracks
But now she sleeps with one eye open
That's the price she'll pay"
The 2 women, or a a man and woman depending on which version you like better. Are friends, but one of them wants it to be more. The other doesn't because they are already in a relationship and are content.
"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'll pay."
The unrequited lover horribly injures the woman, and says that she is lucky she wasn't killed. The woman is scared to death and doesn't go to the police for fear of getting killed.
"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"
The woman is now basically just the others puppet. Her fear makes her weak and vulnerable, and her attacker looms threats over her head. Until she finally agrees to enter a relationship with her abuser.
"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
But that's the price you pay"
They sleep together, and exes tell the woman about her 'lover' and how she/he was so terrible and manipulative. She tries to break it off, but it fails.
"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"
She/He becomes more possessive and clingy, The woman is trapped, and abused.
"You made me cry
You made me cry
You made me cry"
She breaks free and leaves for good, her abuser begs to be taken back and is refused.
"I said, hey, girl with one eye
Get your filthy fingers out of my pie
I said, 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."
She is murdered in cold blood. The abuser cries and goes into grieving, finally committing suicide.
That's just my interpretation. -
So to me this song is about not rape but somewhat from the rapist's twisted perspective.
"She told me not to step on the cracks"
This is quite obvious, the girl is rejecting his advances.
"I told her not to fuss and relax"
Again, self explanatory.
"Pretty little face stopped me in my tracks"
Shows how he was attracted to the girl but also could show the attitude he has towards women ("little") - lesser than men, infantilising, etc.
"But now she sleeps with one eye open"
The girl he raped is afraid to sleep, scared it will happen again. Could also be in reference to ptsd nightmares.
"That's the price she'll pay"
Suggests that he believes she deserved it for rejecting him.
"I took a knife and cut out her eye
I took it home and watched it wither and die"
This is a metaphor for how he took her virginity - but 'cut' it out - because it was non-consensual. He took pleasure in knowing he had essentially 'killed' something within her.
"Well, she's lucky that I didn't slip her a smile"
I'm not entirely sure about this.
"I said, "Hey, girl with one eye"
Get your filthy fingers out of my pie""
After the rape - she is seeking justice and he protests that she is lying and manipulating.
"I said, "Hey, girl with one eye"
I'll cut your little heart out 'cause you made me cry""
Victim blaming - he essentially says it is her fault for upsetting him with her initial rejection. The violence implied is very real here; cutting her heart out being directly compared to being made upset. It shows the overreaction of the man - the heart being linked to emotions. He caused her potentially eternal emotional pain because she upset iim a little bit.
The repitition of "little" again shows the light he sees her in - lesser than him.
"I slipped my hand under her skirt
I said, "Don't worry, oh, it's not gonna hurt""
Self explanatory.
"Oh, my reputation's kinda clouded with dirt"
She told people and now his reputation is damaged because ya know raping someone will do that.
"That's why you sleep with one eye open, oh"
Threatening that he wants to end her life because she has told people so she should sleep with one eye open.
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I thought it was about literal pie. Is it not about someone acting out of spite because she stuck her filthy finger in their pie?
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I think the song is about someone who is with a lot of people, and is known for being someone who plays with people and their emotions. This person has become interested in an innocent girl, who doesn't want the person to steal her innocence.
Also, when the lyrics say, "I said, hey, girl with one eye," it states that the person who plays with people had once been hurt and had their innocence stolen, which is why they go around stealing the innocence of others. -
I always thought that this song was about someone who has a reputation for being a player or a cheater or something like that, and likes this young, innocent girl and she doesn't want him to ruin her innocence.
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I think the songs about what happens when you get involved in other people's buisness. "Get your filthy finger out of my pie" is just where the man/woman states to someone to stay out of their buisness. And the "One eye open" states that because she didnt listen to the warning, she has to sleep with one eye open or the man/woman will get revenge the minute the chance arises
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I think you're absolutely right about that movie.. It's called "thriller, a cruel picture" (1973 Sweden) 90% of the film is in this song!!
Cheers -
Let me start out by saying this song was originally written and preformed by a male artist.
"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"
To me, it begins when a somewhat careless man who often plays games and takes chances meets a very cautious and careful girl, not usually the type he would go for. However, he is captivated by her beauty, but at some point she does something to offend or upset him or destroy his reputation maybe (which he would of never expected from such a sweet innocent girl) so he decides to get revenge by 'cutting out her eye' (not literally) and this is why she now sleeps with one eye open. (She has to for 2 reasons, one being since she only has one eye now, and two being because she is scared). This is 'the price she paid'. Slip her a smile could be making reference to getting her to fall in love with him, or a reference to a 'smiley' which is when someones throat is slit from side to side.
"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"
In my opinion, 'get your filthy fingers out of my pie' clearly just means that he wants her to get out of all his business and that she has no right to do whatever she is doing. 'I'll cut your little heart out cause you made me cry' just means that he wants to get revenge because of how she harmed him.
"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"
This part is referring to the beginning of their relationship. I think that it might be a situation in which he was a player looking for just sex, but he had to persuade her to do what he wanted. However she may have been the type of girl who was more conservative and innocent than him, so she was a little hesitant with the situation. Basically he takes advantage of who he thought as an innocent and naive girl, but she does something to piss him off and he is used to being in charge and in control. -
I think its inspired by a 60's movie...I forget the name. 'Cruel' about a girl forced into prostitution. Her pimp also cuts out her eye for disobedience. One of her clients was a lesbian too.
SkwickeyKlin
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