Can anyone translate these lyrics for me?

Question

It's a poem by Fiona Apple. I really would like for someone to explain to me what they think these words mean?

Fiona Apple Poem

( Recited before performing Sleep To Dream )

"When the pawn hits the conflicts he thinks like a king
What he knows throws the blows when he goes to the fight
And he'll win the whole thing before he enters the ring
There's nobody to batter when your mind is your might
So when you go solo you hold your own hand
And remember that depth is the greatest of heights
And if you know where you stand then you know where to land
And if you fall it won't matter 'cuz you know that you're right"

The answer with the most thought will of course get 10 points... but it's not about that. I just really want to know. Any and all thoughts and opinions are greatly appreciated!

Answer 1

This poem is counseling us to stand tall to defend what we believe in, but more importantly, understand what you believe in:


When the pawn hits the conflicts he thinks like a king
-->Become the master of your thoughts and beliefs

What he knows throws the blows when he goes to the fight
-->Knowledge and your confidence in that knowledge is your weapon

And he'll win the whole thing before he enters the ring
-->If you understand yourself, there is no way you can be defeted

There's nobody to batter when your mind is your might
-->same as above

So when you go solo you hold your own hand
-->Trust in yourself

And remember that depth is the greatest of heights
-->You can deflect attemps to argue by increasing your level of knoloedge

And if you know where you stand then you know where to land
-->If you understand why you believe, you can always "stay on your feet" when you are confronted by antagonists

And if you fall it won't matter 'cuz you know that you're right
-->Sometimes, although you know that what you believe or what you do is right, it may not be popular. But you can stand tall because you know you did the right thing.


She may not be refering to Jesus in this poem, but I think that is a prime example of what she is trying to convey.
When Jesus was tested by his mutiple enemies, He never worried because He knew that His "beliefs" were right. He spoke what he knew and never faltered.

Answer 2

Basically, I think what it means is that even if you're not born into position of power, when a crisis arises or there is a problem that needs to be dealt with, if you know you're right, you can defeat anybody else, regardless of how much more powerful they are. It's kind of like that Bible story about David and Goliath, where David's all tiny compared to Goliath, but he has God on his side and he feels confident and secure in that knowledge because he feels he's fighting for what's right, and he ended up defeating Goliath in spite of the size difference. I think that's basically the message of these lyrics too. Good stuff.

Answer 3

i think it means that when u are in a conflict u think the best that u can and u if u think the best u can then noone can think as good as u oand noone can challenge u... there is no reason in trying to argue with u cuz u r thinking the best u can there for u r always right according to urself and ur the only one that counts therefore u r always right no matter what u think!!!
( i don't know if that makes any sense to u but hey atleast i tried!!!)

Answer 4

the way i read it is:

it is about how no matter how little or young or low on the totem pole you are, you can still make it. That is as long as you believe in yourself! Or as long as you feel good about yourself, you can do anything!

Answer 5

i think it means that she's telling this guy that she's independant, down to earth. She's realized that he wasn't treating her the right way and now it's payback time. =]

Answer 6

I'd say it's basically about self-confidence and assurance. Not much more to say really lol.

Answer 7

Use http://www.thismeansthis.com translates most languages.