Songbird Lyric Question

[Macfan4life]

Originally Posted by cbBen

Wait? Is the line "I wish it *from* myself" or is it "I wish it *for* myself"?

If the former, I find the line non-sensical; and I suspect it was initially written as "for myself" (which is coherent but seems selfish) and then changed to "from myself" [which does not seem selfish (or at least seems less selfish), but is incoherent].

The way I read it, it makes no sense to say to someone, "I wish you well, but most of all I want to stress that these well-wishes are coming from me."

Well yeah, of course they are coming from you. You're the one saying them. From whom else would they be coming?

As I say above, I suspect the problem arose from revising the initial line from "for" to "from" out of considerations of optics.

You are 100% correct. In concert it sounds like she says for myself but she can be sticking to the word from. My point would remain the same i.e. the best kind of love is giving. Giving love to someone is a much more powerful feeling than receiving love from someone. So she is wishing for this.

[jbrownsjr]

Originally Posted by Macfan4life

You are 100% correct. In concert it sounds like she says for myself but she can be sticking to the word from. My point would remain the same i.e. the best kind of love is giving. Giving love to someone is a much more powerful feeling than receiving love from someone. So she is wishing for this.

What a selfish ego maniac! She could use some lessons from the other band members about this kind of thing.

[cbBen]

Originally Posted by Macfan4life

In concert it sounds like she says for myself but she can be sticking to the word from.

If she in fact sings "from myself" on record but "for myself" in concert, that would support my theory that she initially wrote "for" and revised to "from."

[Penguin Emeritus]

Originally Posted by cbBen

If she in fact sings "from myself" on record but "for myself" in concert, that would support my theory that she initially wrote "for" and revised to "from."

i've never heard a version where it sounds like she's saying 'for myself.' does anyone know of a clear example so i could check it out?

is it possible it's just her accent that makes it sound that way?? I have to say imo that just seems very odd, to write all those words of giving to someone else, and then just to suddenly turn around and say 'oh well, actually i want all that love for ME' at the end of the song.

>>>>>>>The way I read it, it makes no sense to say to someone, "I wish you well, but most of all I want to stress that these well-wishes are coming from me."


i kind of think this makes perfect sense. you can wish someone all good and lovely things in their life, good luck, good health, good whatever... but imo it's not weird to then stress that you *especially* wish all these things from yourself.

am i alone in this opinion? lol

--Lis

[DownOnRodeo]

Originally Posted by Penguin Emeritus

i kind of think this makes perfect sense. you can wish someone all good and lovely things in their life, good luck, good health, good whatever... but imo it's not weird to then stress that you *especially* wish all these things from yourself.

That's been my interpretation too.

"Hopefully you get all the love in the world that's out there, but especially know that I love you"

But I agree with OP that it's a slightly awkward phrase that mightn't work outside the bounds of lyrics/poetry.

[DownOnRodeo]

Other alternative lyrics Christine considered during that long, sleepless night while she waited for the studio to open:

"But most of all, I wish it vis-à-vis myself"

"But most of all, I wish it hither-thither"

"But most of all, I just wish I had a tape recorder so I could just record this bloody song and go to bed."

[Macfan4life]

Originally Posted by cbBen

If she in fact sings "from myself" on record but "for myself" in concert, that would support my theory that she initially wrote "for" and revised to "from."

I listened to the Mirage Songbird and she definitely sings from myself.