(Disclaimer: the album hasn’t dropped yet, so I couldn’t find the lyrics online. These are the words that I heard when I listened to the song for the hundredth time. So, I apologize in advance if they aren’t all correct. I just thought that it was important for you all to read.)
"The wine is white and the lights are dim.
They warned you don’t go home with him.
His guilty feet’ll never dance again.
(I know, but will I ever get the chance again?)
I been held in contempt for an incident.
But it takes two to be intimate.
So, by no means was she innocent.
(Well, it wasn't a crime if I didn't witness it.)
They said that chivalry is dead
Then why is her body in my bed?
At sunrise, the morning paper’s read.
They found a body in my bed
Can nonchalant be obvious? of course.
I lean forward, hurry, whisper, the choice is yours
Need I remind you that I’ll have no remorse?
(I understand.)
Here’s a kiss, sweetheart, this won’t hurt a bit.
I can kill it with kindness or murder it
Then I would face the time a murderer would get.
(You'll get away with it.)
Life.
They said that chivalry is dead
Then why is her body in my bed?
At sunrise, the morning paper’s read.
They found a body in my bed"
(And the end of the song is only for the grown and sexy. LOL)
Ever since I figured out what this song was about, I’ve been DYING to write about it. I’ll admit, Cee-lo’s voice and the snares in the background is what initially convinced me to put this song on repeat. But after really listening to the message that he’s conveying, I became addicted. It’s so hard to find songs with thought provoking messages these days…so I was impressed.
So let’s get to it. Who’s to blame for the death of chivalry? It seems like a simple question with a simple answer. You would think that it would only make since to blame men for the things that they don’t do to show appreciation for women.
But on the other hand, I KNOW that you know that girl that lets dudes get away with everything. I know her. I went to high school with her. I met hundreds of her in college. She’s the girl that I could never REALLY be friends with because secretly, I blamed her for allowing men to believe that we could be walked over. I blamed her for letting them believe that they could be with one girl, and another girl, and somebody else, and that’s ok. I blamed her for making him believe that the best part of some girls is what they can do at night after she just met him in the club. Cee-lo found a more creative and intriguing way to say what I partially believed all along. He confirmed that I’m not crazy for partly blaming THAT girl for the death of chivalry.
Nowadays, some guys aren’t slick with “game” and don’t approach women properly simply because, let’s face it, they don’t have to. They can tell a girl that they don’t want to be in relationship with her…that they don’t care about her (and they don’t ever plan on caring about her), and she’ll still be willing to give him exactly what he wants. He doesn’t have to open doors for her. He doesn’t have to pull her chair. For what? She’s not worth it. She doesn’t make herself worth it.
But of course, I don’t think that the blame should only be thrown one way. I think that men took the notion of us wanting to be independent a little to0 far. Just because I might want to pay for my own dinner, doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t pull the chair before we sit down. It kinda seems like women can’t really win. If a woman demands too much respect, she might not get any. And if she demands none at all, she’ll get that too. But as with most relationships with any other human being, there has to be a balance. If both parties respect themselves as more than just one-night stands, they’ll both be treated accordingly. At the same time, if that’s what you’re looking for, don’t be mad when the other person (male or female) isn’t chivalrous.
Ok, now back to this amazing song. I thought that it was great that some type of female perspective is present in the song. (Although, it’s kind of biased, because clearly, she only represents one type of woman.) Everything that she says is dumb. She's fine with being just another body. And by no means, do I think that all women are part of this feminine blame of chivalry’s demise. But this chick, and all women like her, need to know that they are ruining it for all of us.
I also think it’s interesting that he refers to her as a body. Not a woman. Not another person. Just a body.
My favorite line of the whole song is: “His guilty feet’ll never dance again.” I just love how he sings it ...and I love how this line fits into the larger scheme of things. It’s the third line of the song, so I think it was a good idea to start the song admitting that men are a guilty part in this “death of chivalry” discussion. I also like the notion of describing that people do things that they’ll do never again after that first impression has been made.
My other favorite line is: “Here’s a kiss, sweetheart, this won’t hurt a bit. I can kill it with kindness or murder it.” Word, Cee-lo? I see you! Lol That line is just too smooth. The whole song is just too slick for me. I feel like the message of this song is going to go over a few people’s heads because they'll get lost in the parallels...and I like that. The slang use of “kill it”, the DEATH of chivalry, the “murdering”, the contempt and innocence of a crime, the bodies…this shit is just way too witty. Even the instruments that he uses, provide that eerie, mysterious, crime solving kind of vibe. I love it. Everything about the song is absolutely genius.
In fact, I just love how he tells this story. I'm impressed with the way that he sets it all up and the fact that he uses such a small amount of words to spark a debate. I like how he asks, “why is her body in my bed?” It forces you to think about the answer to the question instead of having to hear him place the blame. The whole thing is cleverly done.
With all this being said, I don’t think that chivalry is completely dead. There are still men who know how to treat women and there are still women who deserve to be treated with respect. It’s up to us, as human beings who want the best, to act accordingly.
As always,
Les is more.
