“Pinch Me” is about hazily trying to get back into the swing of things while taking a personal blow. The lyrics focus on how we sometimes need time to sink into mundanity to have peace while also mentioning how sad this can often feel. Using humor and lightheartedness, the song disarms its listener while teaching the importance of taking things less seriously.
This song was written during a time when the Barenaked Ladies’ fame was dwindling in Canada. This is why many of the song’s lyrics have to do with doing unpretentious, daily activities. Ed Robertson wrote the song after being inspired by the fickleness of fame.
In this article, we’ll perform an analysis of these melancholy lyrics to discover their intended meaning. We’ll also take a look at the songwriting story and the universal themes that make this song accessible to anyone. Without further ado, let’s get started!
“Pinch Me” Lyrics Meaning
The opening line of the song reflects the tone of the whole thing. Robertson tells us that “it’s the perfect time of year – somewhere far away from here.” This shows us an important theme: Robertson wants to be optimistic, but his reality is not helping.
The rest of verse one describes the mundane activities that fill his day. He considers walking to a restaurant but decides to drive because of the cold. He remarks that he feels “fine enough,” but that “everything’s a mess.” These are normal lines from a normal guy, so why are they delivered so sadly?
The answer lies in Robertson’s intended meaning behind the song. In his words, it is about the “fleeting nature” of fame. Having once experienced high-level stardom, Robertson experiences difficulty “staying grounded and attached.”
Knowing this helps when you hear the chorus. In it, Robertson describes “a dream you try to remember but then it’s gone.” The world seems to have moved on from him, which causes his melancholy.
His reaction to his melancholy is tiredness, hence the song’s title. It is difficult for him to “scream” because it comes out as a “yawn.” In order to “see the world beyond” his “front door,” Robertson will have to learn how to remain lucid.
Verse two continues describing some very average activities. Robertson sets up a sprinkler and plays in the water, comes inside and changes into “drier clothes,” and then takes a nap. The song seems to ask, “what’s so bad about that?” As the verse continues, the sense of melancholy fades and the humor increases. He is beginning to feel liberated.
This does not last in verse three, because he returns to his sadder reflections. He finds it “hard to tell” if he exists, and wonders who would notice if he were to disappear. Immediately after this, though, he returns to humor as a way of coping. Robertson speaks to the listener directly, joking, “I just made you say underwear.” He doesn’t want to dwell on the depressing stuff – that’s the point of the verse.
His final conclusion is that he’ll “just stay.” After all, his “stuff’s here.” This is an indirect way of telling us that he is going to stick it out. It may take time, patience, and more hard days, but he won’t give up. Rather than make a big show of it, he casually decides to work things out with time.
After a few more choruses, the song ends. In summary, “Pinch Me” is about trying to cope with feeling forgotten by the world. Robertson’s solution is to embrace the fun and freedom of everyday activities, with a little humor to boot. Almost anyone can understand that prescription, which is no small part of the track’s success.
The Story Behind “Pinch Me”
To understand the background behind “Pinch Me,” you have to look at the trajectory of the Barenaked Ladies’ career. When their album, Stunt, blew up in the American market in 1998, they reportedly experienced a fizzling out of fame in their native Canada. The timing was just right (or just wrong) to teach Ed Robertson a “valuable lesson” about fame.
According to Robertson, he and the other BNL members were nervous about the structure of “Pinch Me.” Their reason? They feared it resembled their other hit track, “One Week,” too much. Nonetheless, they completed the song even though they initially found it hard to “finish it off.”
The results of their efforts have been very positive. “Pinch Me” reached a position of #15 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and helped draw considerable attention to its album, Maroon. Funnily enough, it did even better in Canada, where it became a top-ten hit.
In addition, “Pinch Me” has been featured in several pieces of media. Most famously, the film At Any Cost, which is about three rock stars experiencing the harsh music industry, featured the song as part of its soundtrack.
The next time you play this lovable hit, let these pieces of background information make it even more special for you!