Song Meaning
The narrator claims he's "grown accustomed to her face," a phrase that initially sounds like simple familiarity, even affection. He paints a picture of a routine so ingrained it "almost makes the day begin," likening her presence to the natural rhythm of "breathing out and breathing in." This suggests a deep, almost unconscious integration of her into his life, where her "smiles, her frowns" and "joys, her woes" are now as familiar as his own. The repetition of "accustomed to her face" hammers home this sense of ingrained habit.
Yet, beneath this surface of comfort, a subtle tension emerges. The narrator contrasts his current state with a past of "serenely independent and content," questioning if he "could always be that way again." This hints at a potential unease with his current dependence, a feeling that this accustomedness might be a trap rather than a simple comfort. The lyrics then introduce a jarring note: he's "very grateful she's a woman and so easy to forget," immediately followed by comparing her to "a habit one can always break." This starkly contrasts with the earlier, more organic comparisons to breathing, suggesting a deliberate attempt to downplay the significance of his feelings or the relationship.
The most striking aspect of the writing is this deliberate linguistic maneuvering. The narrator repeatedly uses the word "accustomed," a term that implies habituation rather than deep love, and then tries to frame this habit as something easily discarded, like "a habit one can always break." This creates a powerful internal conflict: his actions and ingrained routines suggest a profound connection, but his words actively try to minimize it, perhaps out of fear or a desire to maintain his former independence. The final lines, "accustomed to the trace / Of something in the air," leave the listener with an ambiguous feeling, suggesting that even as he tries to rationalize his feelings away, something intangible and significant remains.
This lyrical dance between ingrained familiarity and deliberate dismissal is what makes the song so compelling. The narrator's struggle to reconcile his deep-seated habits with his desire for independence creates a poignant portrait of someone realizing they've become more attached than they ever intended. The craft lies he tells himself, couched in the language of habit and forgetfulness, only serve to highlight the very real emotional weight of "her face."
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