Actor Out of Work Lyrics
You're a bandage, pull it off
I can quit you, cut it out
You're a patient, iron lung
You're a cast-signed broken arm
You're an actor out of work
You're a liar and that's the truth
You're an extra lost in the scene
You're a boxer in the ring
With brass knuckles underneath
You're the curses through my teeth
You're the laughter, you're the obscene
You're a supplement, you're a salve
You're a bandage, pull it off
I think I love you, I think I'm mad
You're a cast-signed broken arm
You're an actor out of work
I think I love you, I think I'm mad
You're a boxer in the ring
With brass knuckles underneath
I think I love you, I think I'm mad
About
Running in the spirit of Annie Clark’s anti-love songs in Marry Me, “Actor Out of Work” is a scathing affair about a lying lover and the speaker who just can’t quite figure out her bruised emotions.
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
I was really surprised how powerful it was to me. When I read the treatment for it, I was like, ‘Wow, this could be really bizarre and cool. Let’s do it.’ So I showed up on set, and it was like, ‘Okay Annie, we’ve got the cameras set, you go sit in that chair and watch Actor A cry.’ I was just sitting there, and at first I wanted to laugh just to ease my own tension, and then by the 12th hour of watching people cry, I broke down and lost it. I was weeping.
– St. Vincent via the Charleston City Paper (October, 2009)
