I think this may be one of those songs with a multitude of meanings.

She obviously makes a reference to Ezra Pound which on wikipedia says "was an American expatriate poet, critic and intellectual who was a major figure of the Modernist movement in the first half of the 20th century"

so I get that line "asked me if I read his own"

It also has another meaning in the lines:

"If you’re never sorry, then you can’t be forgiven.
If you’re not forgiven, then you can’t be forgotten.
If you’re not forgotten, then you can live forever.
If you live forever,
then you begin to dream of death, death, death, death, death."

It just makes so much sense and I think that this is very true.

Well I dont have much interpretation of this song so I would LOVE if you guys could give me your take on it because I think it's one of my favorites from regina. It's just brilliantly written.

I haven't really listened to this song enough to develop my own "take" on it... But the lyrics are absolutely fascinating. I love the 'chain reaction' going from "If you're never sorry" all the way to "Ezra Pound will sit upon your bed..."

The whole notion of "What's a pound of flesh between friends?" is, to me, a really misguided and dark take on the rut some people get themselves into by trying harder to please people than they do to care for themselves. The Ezra Pound scenario being warned against is described as having happened to the narrator, so the speaker is aware of the dangers of this kind of self-sacrifice.

The "If" series is, to me, a really cool presentation of a theme of all of our actions having consequences.

As for the significance of Ezra Pound, I prefer not to overthink that. That choice could have just been a play on words with "Pound of Flesh," allowing for the sinisterly humorous lines recounting the 'small talk' about literature.


I'm sure that as I listen to this song some more, all of my ideas about it will change. But for now, these are my thoughts.

i did a bit of research, and found some interesting things-though i am not sure what to make of them.

ezra pound was, like you said, a poet/critic/intellectual. but interestingly, he was also a known anti-semite.

and the phrase "pound of flesh" is a literary reference to Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice. Shylock (a jew) wants a "pound of flesh" as payment from Antonio if he doesn't pay him back in time.

could this song really be about antisemitism?

and i also got the impression that she is warning us about the dangers of trying too hard to please others.

...but that's all i have, haha. where to go from here? someone has to take up the trail!

Okay that's confusing... A known anti-semite making the same request made by a literary extreme Jew stereotype. Hypocrisy seems to be playing a role here...

Wow weirdness: While I'm writing this, I'm listening to the 30-second samples of the songs that came up recommended on my iTunes Genius. The song "Celebrity Skin" by Hole came up, and the sample ends with the line "I'm glad I came here with your pound of flesh." What a crazy coincidence.


Anyway, back to the song. So Pounds' hypocrisy seems connected to the "If you're never sorry" business... Hmm...