I believe it is about when she was molested by a stranger when she was twelve years old, and how it affected and ruined her life, and made her who she is currently.
"Sullen Girl" is tragically tender. It is a symphony of sweeping and bitter emotion, laced with mourning.
Days like this, I don't know what To do with myself
All day and all night
After the violation, and on hard days, Apple does not know how to cope.
I wander the halls, Along the walls and Under my breath I say to myself "I need fuel To take flight"
She needs something to feed off of to help her feel free, perhaps someone to comfort her.
And there's too much going on
But it's calm under The waves
In the blue of my oblivion
Apple is tired of being bombarded with comments on how "sullen" she is, and how she knows, inside, there are people oblivious to how happy and unaffected she is inside.
Is that why they call me
A sullen girl, sullen girl
In an interview, Apple says that before the molestation, "I used to be this really lighthearted person. And I still am a lighthearted person, but everyone looks at me and they think I'm really serious and depressed and sullen. Do I come off that way because of this experience?"
Apple wonders if the reason why people perceive her as a 'sick person,' or a "sullen girl," is because of the rape.
They don't know
I used to sail the
Deep and tranquil sea
As previously stated, before the rape, Fiona Apple was seen as a lighthearted, happy girl.
And he took my pearl
And left an empty
Shell of me
The man who raped Fiona showed her the harsh reality of the world, or the "shore."
He took her innocence, and left her bitter.
And there's too
Much going on
But it's calm under the waves
In the blue of my oblivion
Amelia,
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I hve never seen a post on a response to a song, but I like it. I really liked how you explained each part of the song in you own words and did not just do it in a chunk but in different little parts. I thought that your interpretation was also very accurate. Good job!
-Georgia P.