Again and Again and Again

Song Meaning

The lyrics paint a stark picture of a cyclical emotional landscape, where anger and love are presented as recurring forces. The narrator acknowledges a dark "black look" they inhabit, describing it with visceral, almost grotesque imagery. This "black look" is personified as an old, impoverished entity that the narrator attempts to control, but which ultimately exerts a powerful, unpleasant influence, symbolized by a "frog" that "defecates" on their lips. The narrator contrasts this with a "good look" they actively cultivate, worn like a "blood clot" and made into a "vocation." This positive facade, however, is corrupted by "lust," which has taken root and is nurtured by the narrator's own life force, feeding both the narrator and a "child" figure. This suggests a complex, perhaps self-destructive, performance of virtue or desirability that is deeply intertwined with darker impulses. The true power of these lyrics lies in their unflinching depiction of this internal conflict. The "blackness is murderous," yet the "milk tip is brimming," creating a disturbing tension between destruction and sustenance. The final lines, "I will kiss you when / I cut up one dozen new men / and you will die somewhat, / again and again," reveal a terrifying intimacy born from violence, where the narrator's destructive actions are directly linked to their desire for connection, leading to a repeated, partial death for the beloved.