Skinny Love lyrics by Birdy, 7 meanings. Skinny Love explained, official 2024 song lyrics | LyricsMode.com
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Birdy – Skinny Love lyrics
Come on skinny love just last the year
Pour a little salt we were never here
My, my, my, my, my, my, my, my
Staring at the sink of blood and crushed veneer

I tell my love to wreck it all
Cut out all the ropes and let me fall
My, my, my, my, my, my, my, my
Right in the moment this order's tall

I told you to be patient
I told you to be fine
I told you to be balanced
I told you to be kind

In the morning I'll be with you
But it will be a different "kind"
I'll be holding all the
tickets
And you'll be owning all the fines

Come on skinny love what happened here
Suckle on the hope in lite brassiere
My, my, my, my, my, my, my, my
Sullen load is full; so slow on the split

I told you to be patient
I told you to be fine
I told you to be balanced
I told you to be kind
Now all your love is wasted?
Then who the hell was I
?
Now I'm breaking at the britches
And at the end of all your lines

Who will love you?
Who will fight?
Who will fall far behind?
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Lyrics taken from /lyrics/b/birdy/skinny_love.html

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Songwriters: Justin Deyarmond Edison Vernon
Skinny Love lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Corrected by Musician13_

Skinny Love meanings Post my meaning

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    This is without a doubt one of my top favorite 10 songs of all time, though it's very tragic. I've listened to it more times than I can count. This is my understanding of the song line by line:
    "Come on skinny love just last the year" (the love between two people is empty/not fulfilling/ hanging by a thread, and the narrator is begging this love to keep going, even though it's fading away.) Just hold on a little longer.
    Pour a little salt we were never here (salt is often used to speed up the healing process on a wound; the person singing is saying that this skinny love dragging on needs to heal and get it over with, as deep down they know this love will never last and he doesn't want to feel so much pain)
    Staring at the sink of blood and crushed veneer. This was a tougher one to interpret. I think it was referring to something fragile or skinny that has been broken. The blood represents someone's heart or soul. So this fragile heart or soul has been broken into bits. It's so delicate and yet there was life. The sink is mentioned because that's where things are washed away. I think this line is very deep because it's talking about someone's fragile lifeline that has been shattered, and the person looking down at the love that has been discarded sees the tragedy. Tell my love to wreck it all (just end this love, stop reminiscing or dreaming about what you wish it was) Cut out all the ropes and let me fall (again, sever ties, let it go. Obviously there's something still keeping him/her there, perhaps memories of better times?)
    Right in the moment this order's tall (referring to the fact that it's very hard to actually let this person go. The order is tall because it's difficult to just stop loving them, even though they feel/know it's ending. Refers back to the beginning when the narrator is saying "just last the year." He wants it to end to stop this feeling, yet he doesn’t want it to end at the same time.
    I told you to be patient, I told you to be fine. I told you to be balanced. I told you to be kind. Seems to be listing the things that are going/went wrong. Maybe this person wasn't patient for change/time and wasn't "fine" with it. Balanced and kind suggests that this person goes back and forth between hating and loving him/her. Or perhaps he's talking to himself about what he should have done in the relationship. "I told you" as in he kept telling himself but didn't listen. Can go either way.
    In the morning I'll be with you, but it will be a different "kind." Another hard line to understand, but I think it means in the morning he'll be gone, but still with her. It almost sounds like the person is going to die, but I think it's referring to their love. Kind also means “characteristic,” so a different “kind” means a different definition. He had wanted kindness, but instead of warmth/affection, the only kindness he experiences is "used to be." As in, this love is still with me, but I'm leaving for good.
    I'll be holding all the tickets, and you'll be owning all the fines. I pictured a cop giving a ticket to someone. It means he knows he's leaving and feels torn/ maybe slightly wrong, but she'll be the one who has to pay for it. THIS IS A VERY SAD SONG! :(
    Come on skinny love what happened here? (how did we get to this point of very little love and blaming?)
    Suckle on the hope in lite brassiere is a combo of things. Brassiere refers to a bra, but the idea of suckling conjures up an image of something maternal. I think it means they continue to try to find nourishment/comfort from the relationship, and sometimes they think they’re going to get it (because the bra is "lite" and they feel like they can almost taste the nourishment of a good relationship, but they never do, because the brassiere, or "binding" of their problems never allow them to.)
    Sullen load is full; so slow on the split. It means there's lots of history and sadness, and it's taking a long time for them to end this because of the "sullen load" or their time together, no matter how bittersweet.
    Now all your love is wasted? Then who the hell was I? Sounds like the other person believes their time has been wasted (again sounds like a long term relationship that's ending, and yet the narrator is saying "who the hell was I?") as in did I mean nothing to you, was it really all a waste? Now I'm breaking at the britches, and at the end of all your lines. Well, the expression "too big for your britches" means that you have a big head or think you're better/more important than you are, so breaking his britches means that he's thought he meant more than he did; he’s falling out of his illusions. I think after the last two lines about "now all your love is wasted" he's referring to the fact that maybe he thought he was/is more important to her than he actually is. End of all your lines means as an expression the end of all her roads, parts, etc. As in he's at the end of being anything that makes her want to keep going.
    Who will love you? Who will fight? Who will fall far behind? He's asking her who will love for her, fight for her like he did? And who will fall far behind where she is mentally, emotionally, etc. Not saying she's superior, but suggesting they're on completely different wavelengths and don't understand each other's hearts. As in, who will be the next person to feel this heartache. Who will be the person who takes his place. who will go through this.
    Come on skinny love (begging the question, what's going on, please talk to me.)
    Basically, the entire thing is about a relationship that is ending after a long time. It's painful and hard, because he does still love her, even if there's nothing real left to fight for.
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    They both loved eachother, but never admitted it. Even though they show how much they loved eachother. The girl never admitted how much she loved the boy, and the boy wanted to hear her say it. She never did say it so, the boy is fading away from loving the girl, thinking that the girl doesn't love him anymore. The girl was telling him to be patient, wise, balanced kind. Basically wait for her to tell him that she loved him. But, he left her because it was to late. She now wonders who will be there for him like she was.
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    When I heard this song I pictured that it was about two people in a relationship but one had a eating disorder. So there calling the persons name skinny than love. So when it reads ‘come on skinny love just last the year’, they want there lover to stay alive for just one more year, they just want them to stay with them.
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    Personally I am relieved that Birdy did not write this song. There is no way that a 15 year old girl should be able to write about such pain. Like ang good song this one can mean varying thing depending on to different persons experiences. Congratulations Bon Iver / Justin Vernon. I'm sure they didn't mind the popularity of Birdies version.
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    I believe the song is about a couple that got into a fight. The girl is saying "just last the year" because she wants their love to last longer, then the "pour a little salt we were never here" is her trying to explain to the guy that they should ignore the fight but the guy is "staring into the sink of blood and crushed veneer" being the fight. The girl feels guilty about the fight and tells the guy that she's the only one to be blamed, "cut out all the ropes and let me fall" but the guy believes that to be unfair "right in the moment this order's tall". The girl tries to explain to the guy that it will all be better soon "I told you to be patient... I told you to be kind", then she says that you can go to bed now but I'll still be here in the morning "in the morning I'll be with you but it will be a different kind" and that it's her fault that she got the "tickets" and that he has to pay the "fines". She asks him what happen that lead them into the fight in the first place "come on skinny love what happened here?" but to hold onto hope and that it will all be over soon "suckle on the hope in lite brassiere" though right now the burden is heavy "sullen load is full". Again, she tells him to be "patient" and "kind", but if she wasted her last chance of his love the she can only blame herself more "now all your love is wasted? Then who the hell was I?". Now she feels as though he has had the last of her and is getting ready to leave "now I'm breaking at the bridges and at the end of all your lines" then she asks if you leave who will be there for you? "Who will love you? Who will fight? Who will fall far behind?". That's my interpretation about it anyway.
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    If you don't like this song by this person then why look at the lyrics which is what you would have done if you posted a message. This is a good song like many, and a great singer like many. If you are here to criticize then sets hear you sing. This is a love song like most songs it is very good and it is very sad I don't have a meaning for the song but I would love to know what the meaning is for writer and singers.
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    Are you all kidding. Birdy has done a cover of this song, I hope you all know that. Bon iver/justin vernon wrote the song (and personally) I think he holds emotion and integrity while birdy simply sings the lyrics. Nothing is changed. So how could her cover have any meaning wht so ever? You all say 'she broke up' or 'she had and eating disorder'. But don't joke around, she just sang lyrics. Therefore, although I'm not denying she's a talented young girl, she does not deserve her own seperate lyrics page and most definitely does not deserve to be contributed as the writer. All ya'll, go find bon iver's version first. Wake up and smell the freaking flowers, aand learn what real music is like. Sung by an expert and emotional juno-winner, and not some 15 year old pre-pubecent child looking for her 'justin beiber' or 'selena gomez' fame. Goddd dammmittt!
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      This is without a doubt one of my top favorite 10 songs of all time, though it's very tragic. I've... Read more →
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      They both loved eachother, but never admitted it. Even though they show how much they loved... Read more →

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