This Feminine Position

Song Meaning

The narrator is holding onto a core vulnerability, described as "the apple in me," a potent image of original sin or a foundational flaw. She’s determined to maintain emotional distance, actively fighting to keep someone at bay. This isn't a passive stance; it's a conscious, ongoing battle to protect herself from perceived harm or disappointment. There's a clear tension between the desire for connection and the need for self-preservation. The narrator invites discussion about superficialities like the "menu" or abstract "cause," but immediately pivots to the painful reality of past betrayals, referencing "other women you've deserted." This contrast highlights a deep-seated distrust, masked by a veneer of civility. The repeated phrase "Because you're makin' it / With the apple in me" suggests the other person's actions are directly exacerbating her internal struggle. The imagery of having "cooked this goose before" and dealing with a "devil" who was "stiff as he was bored" implies a history of dealing with unfeeling, repetitive negative patterns, leading to a profound weariness. The final verse crystallizes this feeling of being trapped. The "feminine position" is described as being tripped up with "reptile" and too "fat to turnstile," suggesting a state of immobility and perhaps a feeling of being inherently compromised or unable to easily escape a difficult situation. It's a powerful, if bleak, depiction of feeling stuck in a self-imposed, yet externally influenced, defensive posture.