Left Handed Woman

Song Meaning

The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a narrator utterly captivated by a "left handed woman," seeing her very existence as a delightful inversion of his own world. He frames her as a "south-pawed member / Of the female gender," immediately establishing a sense of her unique identity and its contrast with his perceived norm. The repeated phrase "do everything backwards" highlights his fascination with her different perspective and approach to life, suggesting a playful bewilderment. This initial framing sets up a dynamic where her "backwards" way is not a flaw, but a source of allure, bending his "splendor" in unexpected ways. The central tension arises from the narrator's struggle to comprehend and connect with this inverted reality. He admits, "I tell you right but it comes out left and backwards," revealing a communication gap or a fundamental difference in how they process and express things. His plea, "Please woman have mercy on me," underscores his feeling of being out of sync, almost overwhelmed by her distinctiveness. Yet, this plea is tinged with adoration, not frustration, indicating that his struggle is born from deep admiration rather than annoyance. The most striking craft element is the pervasive, almost obsessive repetition of "left handed" and its variations. This linguistic motif isn't just descriptive; it becomes a metaphor for the woman's entire being, her way of seeing, holding, and interacting with the world. The narrator uses it to define her, emphasizing how her "brown eyes" look "left handedly" and how she holds "old right handed me." This consistent focus on her left-handedness creates a hypnotic effect, drawing the listener into the narrator's singular, almost reverent obsession with her unique orientation. Ultimately, the lyrics resonate because they capture a specific kind of infatuation: one that finds beauty in difference and is disarmed by an otherness that defies easy understanding. The narrator's "backward" perspective on his "left handed woman" is what makes her so compelling to him, and by extension, to the listener. It’s the gentle subversion of his own norms that fuels his fascination, turning a simple observation into an ode to a captivating, unconventional spirit.