Song Meaning

The narrator's fixation on the "Excelsior lady" is a whirlwind of hopeful delusion. They're caught in a loop, repeatedly declaring "I'm in love again," despite glaring red flags. The opening lines immediately set up an uncertain dynamic: "Are we lovers / (Or are we just friends?)" This ambiguity fuels the narrator's desperate belief, even as contradictory evidence mounts. The core tension lies in the narrator's willful blindness versus the lady's erratic behavior. She's kissing the narrator, making it feel "so right," yet she had "another man holed up last night." This isn't just a minor hiccup; it's a direct contradiction to the narrator's burgeoning feelings. The repeated "Oh I believe" acts as a mantra against the harsh reality. The lyrics masterfully capture the confusion of a one-sided or deeply complicated infatuation. The narrator can "always tell / When you've been drinking," but "never know / What the hell you're thinking." This lack of clarity is compounded by her communication style: "You say one thing once / And two things twice." The narrator admits to being "so confused," even unable to follow their own counsel, highlighting the irrationality of their emotional state. This track hits hard because it articulates that dizzying, almost masochistic feeling of falling for someone who offers just enough to keep you hooked, while simultaneously demonstrating they're not fully committed. The repeated, almost frantic, declarations of love are less about genuine connection and more about the narrator's desperate attempt to convince themselves that this time, it's real, despite all evidence to the contrary.