Ween: If You Could Save Yourself (You'd Save Us All) Meaning

If You Could Save Yourself (You'd Save Us All) Lyrics

On a free ride home from the embassy
I saw the governor, and his lover holding hands
When I got to my place, I emptied my suitcase
And opened the windows wide

If you could save yourself, you'd save us all
Is that what you called me for, is...

1. anonymous

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   Jun 1st 2016 !⃝

   It is a political song how we're getting screwed by the gov't.
2. anonymous

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   Jan 20th 2008 !⃝

   The line, "if you could save yourself, you'd save us all" could be what others (such as the members of the band) told him while he was struggling with addiction. and he is mocking them. I always thought it was about divorce (with the falling apart imagery -- "the bottom dropped out"...)
3. anonymous

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   Oct 15th 2005 !⃝

   "On a free ride home from the embassy
   I saw the governor, and his lover holding hands
   When I got to my place, I emptied my suitcase
   And opened the windows wide"
   
   *embassy could be meant to be a concert venue, or party
   the lover could be an ex-lover, and the governor is the new boyfriend
   his place could be either his home, or hotel, or inner self.
   'opening the windows wide' could be a literal meaning, or figurative... 'opening the windows' of the soul could be a cleansing experience.
   
   "If you could save yourself, you'd save us all
   Is that what you called me for, is that why you're knocking on my door?
   The time I've spent, working myself to death
   Thought that's what you wanted
   I thought you needed my help
   To make it good again, to make us strong
   To make you happy, to push you along
   And gain some respect, to be thrown a crumb
   I was on my knees, when you knocked me down"
   
   *The first line could be if the figurative person could sort out their own inner turmoil, they are amazing enough to 'save us all'.
   Perhaps the person has come to narrator for help (Is that what you called me for, is that why you're knocking on my door)
   This is a change from the narrator's earlier thoughts; when he thought said person needed him to save him/her (The time I've spent, working myself to death /Thought that's what you wanted). He is realizing that the subject needs to save him/herself. Narrator can not do this for him/her. "A crumb" could be a show of love; if the narrator helped subject to sort out his/her issues, then the subject could show love. However, as the narrator was trying to help, the subject 'knocked him down', or rejected him.
   
   
   "The wheels fell off, the bottom dropped out
   The checks all bounced, I came in your mouth
   Your mother came calling but there was no one around
   The trash caught fire when the leaves turned brown
   The vultures were circling when the circus left town
   I left you a note but I wrote it in disappearing ink"
   
   *'The wheels fell off, the bottom dropped out' goes along the same lines as above. The narrator's 'saving' fanstasy has been crushed. "I left you a note but I wrote it in disappearing ink" could possibly mean that they almost showed feelings, or did, but the feelings disappeared, or were again hidden.
   
   "If you could save yourself, you'd save us all
   Is that what you called me for, is that why you're knocking on my door?
   The time I've spent, working myself to death
   Thought that's what you wanted
   I thought you needed my help
   To make it good again, to make us strong
   To make you happy, to push you along
   And gain some respect, to be thrown a crumb
   I was on my knees, when you knocked me down"
4. ben

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   Nov 20th 2003 !⃝

   To me, this song seems to be about Ween's relationship with a personification of their fan base.
   
   
   On a free ride home from the embassy
   I saw the governor, and his lover holding hands
   When I got to my place, I emptied my suitcase
   And opened the windows wide
   
   "Embassy" might be a nickname for a concert venue, where perhaps the governor and his lover were in attendance. His place where he empties his suitcase is a hotel.
   
   If you could save yourself, you'd save us all
   Is that what you called me for, is that why you're knocking on my door?
   
   Perhaps saying "If you could help yourself, you'd save us all a lot of frustration?"
   
   The time I've spent, working myself to death
   Thought that's what you wanted
   I thought you needed my help
   To make it good again, to make us strong
   To make you happy, to push you along
   
   Time producing albums, songwriting, touring, etc, saying "I did it to make you happy"
   
   And gain some respect, to be thrown a crumb
   I was on my knees, when you knocked me down
   
   
   "To be thrown a crumb" = Monetary gain from album sales?
   

   This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway

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