Anna Begins

"It's about denial -- how far you'll go to deny that something's really happening because it's too complicated, too terrifying, too difficult. It's about me and Anna: The relationship was supposed to be light -- we met on vacation -- but we got further into it and it became harder and harder."
"It's about all the things you go through trying to, uh, sort of squash your feelings. To sort of shut it down, and how much you can hurt other people and yourself by doing that. The people in the song are just contiunislly telling themselves they don't feel what they do feel, until the end when it's too late, and then they realize what they were really, really not ready for was, you know, never being able to see each other again." - Adam Duritz

My friend assures me, "It’s all or nothing."
I am not worried
I am not overly concerned
My friend implores me,
"For one time only, make an exception."
I am not worried

Wrap her up in a package of lies
Send her off to a coconut island
I am not worried
I am not overly concerned
With the status of my emotions
"Oh," she says, "you’re changing."
But we’re always changing

It does not bother me to say, this isn’t love
Because if you don’t want to talk about it then it isn’t love
And I guess I’m going to have to live with that
But I’m sure there’s something in a shade of grey,
Something in between,
And I can always change my name if that’s what you mean

My friend assures me, "It’s all or nothing."
But I am not really worried
I am not overly concerned
You try to tell yourself the things you try to tell yourself
to make yourself forget
I am not worried

"If it’s love," she said,
"then we’re going to have to think about the consequences."
She can’t stop shaking
And I can’t stop touching her and..

This time when kindness falls like rain
It washes her away and
Anna begins to change her mind
"These seconds when I’m shaking leave me
shuddering for days," she says
And I’m not ready for this sort of thing

But I’m not going to break
And I’m not going to worry about it anymore
I’m not going to bend, and I’m not going to break
I’m not going to worry about it anymore

It seems like I should say, "As long as this is love.."
But it’s not all that easy, so maybe I should

Snap her up in a butterfly net
Pin her down on a photograph album
I am not worried
I’ve done this sort of thing before

But then I start to think about the consequences
Because I don’t get no sleep in a quiet room and..

This time when kindness falls like rain
It washes me away and
Anna begins to change my mind
And every time she sneezes I believe it’s love and
Oh lord, I’m not ready for this sort of thing

She’s talking in her sleep
It’s keeping me awake and
Anna begins to toss and turn
And every word is nonsense but I understand and
Oh lord, I’m not ready for this sort of thing

Her kindness bangs a gong
It’s moving me along and
Anna begins to fade away
It’s chasing me away
She disappears and
Oh lord, I’m not ready for this sort of thing

(words by Adam Duritz)
(music by David Bryson, Marty Jones, Toby Hawkins, Lydia Holly & Adam Duritz)
(c) 1993 EMI Blackwood Music Inc./Jones Falls Music/Knucklevision Music/Puppet Head Songs/Siren Says Music BMI