Born Yesterday - (To Sally Amis)

Song Meaning

These lyrics open with a speaker addressing a new life, a "Tightly-folded bud," immediately setting an intimate, almost tender scene. The speaker declares a wish unlike any "the others would" offer. This immediately establishes a unique, perhaps contrarian, perspective on what constitutes a good life for a newborn. The central tension arises from the speaker's explicit rejection of "the usual stuff" — wishes for beauty, innocence, or love. Instead, the speaker offers a startling alternative: "May you be ordinary." This isn't a dismissal but a protective stance, aiming to shield the child from the destabilizing effects of being "uncustomary" or exceptional, which might "pull you off your balance." The craft here is particularly effective in its use of provocative word choice and subsequent redefinition. The speaker goes so far as to wish, "In fact, may you be dull." This initially jarring statement is then meticulously unpacked, revealing a profound reinterpretation. "Dull" is recast as a state requiring a "skilled, / Vigilant, flexible, / Unemphasised, enthralled / Catching of happiness." What makes these lyrics so impactful is this radical re-evaluation of common desires. By wishing for ordinariness and even dullness, the speaker suggests that true contentment isn't found in grand, often fleeting, ideals but in a quiet, active, and deeply self-aware pursuit of stability. It's a pragmatic, almost cynical, yet ultimately deeply caring vision of a life well-lived, free from the pressures of exceptionalism.