Song Meaning
The lyrics paint a picture of emotional instability and the search for answers within a relationship. The opening lines, "You can whistle like a see saw / Try for the sky, try for the ground," immediately establish a sense of fluctuating effort and direction. The narrator observes a partner who seems to be constantly shifting, unable to settle on a stable emotional state, leading to a feeling of perpetual searching without resolution: "You can listen hard and never find the answer." This uncertainty prompts a direct question about belonging: "Does this mean that your not home?"
The central tension arises from the push and pull inherent in love, described as a constant "to and fro." The recurring line, "There's a hole to fix anytime you like when your in love," suggests that love itself creates vulnerabilities or imperfections that require ongoing attention. The narrator offers a solution, or at least a shared experience, by proposing, "We can make a see saw in your home," implying that this instability can be acknowledged and perhaps even embraced within the domestic space of their relationship.
The imagery of a "rattle like a tin can" and a "stone that's never thrown" further emphasizes a sense of hollowness and unfulfilled potential. The narrator's declaration, "I will love you, I will always be your fan," acts as a steady anchor against this internal turmoil. However, the feeling of sinking, "Feel it sink just like your bones," suggests a deep-seated weariness that the relationship, despite its efforts, struggles to overcome. The repeated phrase "Everyday's a little bit old" underscores a feeling of stagnation, a cycle that the "see saw" dynamic seems to perpetuate.
Ultimately, the lyrics resonate because they capture the disorienting nature of navigating emotional uncertainty in love. The "see saw" metaphor effectively conveys the back-and-forth, the ups and downs, and the difficulty of finding solid ground. The narrator's persistent, albeit weary, offer to create this dynamic within their shared space highlights a complex acceptance of imperfection and a desire to find a way to exist within the inherent instability of the relationship.