Ashtray Heart

Love This song

I see it as an unrequited love story from the side of the person who isn't in love but is loved.

One person just wanting fun in a relationship and the other being head over heels and wanting a long term committed relationship

"You took a jump into forever A leap of faith I could not take"

Has anybody else noticed a similarity between this song and the beginning of 'This Picture'? Also, it's interesting to see How Brian changes personae, from 'my heart is an ashtray' to 'I tore the muscle from YOUR chest'. Who is the victim and who is the villain of the piece?

"Mi cenicero, mi cenicero Mi corazón de cenicero"

If anyones wondering what this means, its spanish. It translates to:

"My ashtray, my ashtray My ashtray heart"

i know Stefan and Brian named the band Ashtray Heart, before they suddenly changed it to Placebo... this probably has an influence on this song. I have no idea what it means yet though lol need a few more listens ;) xoxo

I have not the faintest notion of Spanish, and, being mainly French speaking, I often misunderstand some lyrics... So my Mondegreen repertoire is pretty well furnished! This is how I thought the chorus went:

"Said he'd settle, he said he'd settle, He caught us all, he said he'd settle"

I thought it went well with the whole commitment issue of "promise I could not make", though I couldn't quite figure why it'd switched to the 3rd person suddenly... ^^

'You are the burden to our ways' refers to the protagonist's partner who ruined what they had by falling in love with him/her: 'You took a jump into forever. A leap of faith I could not take'.

He didn't want her to because he was just using her for satisfying his sexual needs. And for a time they had something nice 'We have found treasure?', but ultimately he understands in the end that she was in love with him long before he noticed and he recognizes what he did to her: 'I tore the muscle from your chest. And used it to stub out cigarettes'.

He still feels somehow attached to her calling her his ashtray heart in English and in Spanish.

And I think he's somehow sorry but trying to comfort her by calling her his ashtray heart over and over again.

And I don't know if the last line 'Now watch the bedsheets turn blood red' refers to someone having committed suicide because they couldn't live with the truth that the love they had for the protagonist wasn't shared.

the song is awesome, it doesnt sound morbid if you go onto you tube n type in placebo ashtray heart n listen to the recording at sheffield you can here it! i think the song is about a couple....one of them was wanting it to last forever n gave their all n the other one wasnt sure so wouldnt commit. N the ashtray heart bit is a metaphore (i cant not spell!!!) saying that he just used it liek an ashtray like he couldnt give a shit......i am placebo mad the are the best band...thanks to whoever put these lyrics up as the song doent come out till june the 8th!! <3 :D

many many thankies to mojo22.! if it wasn't your comment, i would wait till the official release of the album to listen to the song...not that it would necessarily bother me....but thanks anyway....nice lyrics, nice song and great band....PLACEBO 4LIFE!!

Love this song of Placebo! ^^

Guess that it is about commitment issues & a third person who is now in the relationship he used to have that's why:

"You are the one who took my place You took a jump into forever A leap of faith I could not take"

The girl/boy got tired that that he/she wasn't getting emotionally involved & found someone else. & the ashtray heart of that person that was used so many times just to get pleasure & fun.

i think it's okay, but nothing great or special.

and i don't like the spanish parts. anyone why or if there is a reason they made some parts in spanish?