| Author | Message | ||
     Alan |
So, what's he apologising for? A friend of mine, years ago, swore that this song was about a homosexual encounter, someone else told me it was about 'erectile disfunction'. Interesting ideas, but I assume it's about common-or-garden infidelity. | ||
| Babs Keatings neighbour |
I'm not altogether sure that the person to in the first verse is the person to whom he has apologised. It would appear that he is addressing a lover who has a bit more mileage on the clock (so to speak) than our hero and, as a result, a number of insecurities regarding his physical attributes and/or technique between the sheets. Hence the admission of awkwardness and indecision in his lover's presence. The second and third verses seem to be about someone else entirely; his mother ("too proud to hang my head in shame beside your bed" - the very fact that he's not in the bed but beside it indicates a certain lack of intimacy) perhaps (or, if the song was written in-character, his lover), a symbol of his ideal woman in terms of virtue and honour and the very opposite to his current (would-be) lover with whom he is at the very least contemplating a liaison. That said, it could be argued that the song is about the aforementioned homosexual experience or, more alarmingly, child abuse. The song is neither gender nor age specific but it's pretty obvious that Grant is not the dominant partner in whatever kind of relationship he is depicting. | ||
| Lindy Morrison |
Grant was crying when he recorded that song, that is fact. | ||
| Mark |
It's brought me to tears once or twice. We all know what it's about. I don't know if I want to know all the 'whos' or even if it's important to know. You see, because when I've been in that position, it's written about me. | ||
| RJ |
Well said Mark, as for it being about a Gay relationship well you could read that or almost any other type of close relationship into the song , thats classic song writting for you is it not -it kind of somes up what its like to crawl back to someone looking for redemption, forgiveness etc and Lindy's comment about Grant crying makes sense in that it is one of his most emotional vocal performances if not the most emotional has ever done. | ||
| jeanie |
i have to agree. apology accepted has always been my favourite go-betweens song and its greatness lies in the vaugness of its lyric. i guess its about love, desperation, regret and redemption, not gay love, straight love, mother love or anything else so specific - just love. it can mean anything to anybody and is therefore a universal. | ||
| Babs Keatings neighbour |
Is the point of the exercise not to try and establish the meaning of the song from the writer's perspective? Admittedly, it's an impossible task but an enjoyable and entertaining one nevertheless. | ||
| Mark |
Oh, not so impossible.  I can say that I know that Grant wrote this about a specifc event in his life and that he had a specific person in mind for whom the apology was directed. In part, they may be the words that someone said to Grant after he apologized for his bad behaviour. "Apology Accepted". Apart from that, my lips are sealed. *gloat* | ||
| rj |
so how come you have the inside information on this one Mark. | ||
| Mark Ilsley |
Lindy told me some of the circumstances around this one but she didn't use any names or tell me what Grant's behaviour was that led up to it. ..and I didn't ask. I know some of the details. It was written for a specific person. She was writer. A poet. Grant was pining for her in London (they met in Melbourne) and she telegrammed to him the words "Apology accepted" after he had made an apology to her but had never received a reply before heading off to London. That should fix the date for you. It was the emotional relief on receipt of the telegram that inspired him to write the song. There IS a universal meaning to the lyric, but knowing that Grant had a specific person/event in mind and then had the same feelings as I have had in a simular situation, only increases the empathy I feel for the song. | ||
| graeme in zurich |
I've always been grateful for this song (although I have to be very wasted before I can listen to it). I have apologized much. Rarely accepted. Says it all really. |