All My Little Words Lyrics
You are a splendid butterfly
It is your wings that make you beautiful
And I could make you fly away (I could make you fly away)
But I could never make you stay
You said you were in love with me (you said you were in love with me)
Both of us know that that's impossible
And I could make you rue the day (rue the day)
But I could never make you stay
[Chorus]
Not for all the tea in China
Not if I could sing like a bird
Not for all North Carolina
Not for all my little words
Not if I could write for you
The sweetest song you ever heard
It doesn't matter what I do (doesn't matter what I do)
Not for all my little words
[Solo]
[Verse 2]
Now that you've made me want to die
You tell me that you're unboyfriendable
And I could make you pay and pay (pay and pay)
But I could never make you stay
Not for all the tea in China
Not if I could sing like a bird
Not for all North Carolina
Not for all my little words
Not if I could write for you
The sweetest song you ever heard
It doesn't matter what I do (doesn't matter what I do)
Not for all my little words
It doesn't matter what I do (doesn't matter what I do)
Not for all my little words
About
“All My Little Words” is the third track of the first volume of The Magnetic Fields’s 69 Love Songs. Maintaining a soft, melancholy atmosphere comes a ballad about a man who is not able to stop his love interest from leaving him.
However, in typical, ironic Merritt fashion, only the chorus mentions any sweet gestures to win them back. The verses are downright spiteful.
LD Beghtol, a sometimes collaborator and author of 69 Love Songs, A Field Guide (published by Continuum International Publishing Group as part of their 33⅓ series of books on influential pop/rock albums), takes singing duty and Shirley Simms is background vocals for this song whilst behind him is acoustic and electric guitar, and banjo.
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
In the 69 Love Songs release interview with Daniel Handler, Stephin Merritt said about “All My Little Words”:
I was sitting here thinking about tea when I wrote it. I came up with ‘not for all the tea in China’ and the rest of the song quickly came from there.
- 3.All My Little Words
- 5.Reno Dakota
- 12.The Book of Love
- 16.Punk Love
- 17.Parades Go By
- 18.Boa Constrictor
- 22.Sweet-Lovin’ Man
- 24.Roses
- 28.Very Funny
- 29.Grand Canyon
- 31.If You Don’t Cry
- 34.My Only Friend
- 36.World Love
- 37.Washington, D.C.
- 40.Papa Was a Rodeo
- 46.I Shatter
- 47.Underwear
- 48.It’s a Crime
- 51.Acoustic Guitar
- 54.Bitter Tears
- 56.Yeah! Oh, Yeah!
- 58.Meaningless
- 61.Blue You
- 67.Strange Eyes
- 68.Xylophone Track
- 69.Zebra
