it's from Wichita Lineman by Glen Campbell:
And I need you more than want you
and I want you for all time
and the Wichita Lineman is still on the line
what does the "need you more than want you" mean?
2007-01-24 17:11:08 · 29 answers · asked by Anonymous in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
basically what it says...he needs whoever he is talking about more than he wants that person. needs them as in an addiction to the person, or a feeling of emptyness without them. You can need something that you don't want.
2007-01-24 17:13:52 · answer #1 · answered by imhalf_the_sourgirl_iused_tobe 5 · 1⤊ 3⤋
Not sure about the Lineman part....think it is a worker on a train in Kansas. The need you more than want you part is saying that his feelings for this person is so strong that it surpasses mere wanting and has now become an actual need. The difference between wanting a glass of water and absolutely needing it. So if he wants her for all time then he needs her longer than that.
2007-01-24 17:25:30 · answer #2 · answered by rapingpeterpan 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Wanting someone is supposed to be less intense than needing them, because want is a choice and need isn't. The point here is that the want is "for all time" and the need is supposed to be stronger than this. It's like saying "forever and a day". There isn't anything greater than forever, but saying forever and a day makes it sound like there is, it gives it more of an emotional impact, which is what women like. It's not about being reasonable, it's about being emotional.
2007-01-24 17:20:25 · answer #3 · answered by marklemoore 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It means that when he is away from her that he needs her, but when it comes to wanting which is more objective he might not want her all that much. But it is deep that he needs her. He works as a lineman and is gone from home alot. It sounds like he doesn't mind being away, but he does need her. His powerful need for her makes him want her for all time.
2007-01-24 17:21:16 · answer #4 · answered by clcalifornia 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
it is more like saying i need you because you fill space that completes me-in a sense that my needs are met. Like a necessity, I need you etc. The way I see this, the brain is taking control stronger than the emotions of love, wanting , or liking.
It also means I need you for certain things that are essential for me, but I don't really love you.
2007-01-24 20:09:08 · answer #5 · answered by oscar c 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
To want and to need are two different things. Wants are extentions of life while needs are required for living. I want a new car - I want a better life. I need oxygen - I need clean water. When you need something, it is because it is essential to you well being or existence.
2007-01-24 17:41:02 · answer #6 · answered by Venom Spartan 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sounds to me like they are saying that their relational need for that person is stronger than their sexual need for them. So, if they want the other person all the time then their relational need is immense like a black hole. They must be co-dependent or something. Alot of these song writers have serious issues.
2007-01-24 17:16:17 · answer #7 · answered by ? 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Simply rephrase it.
"I not only want you 100% of the time, I need you even more than that."
It's simply in ref to the level of desire he has for the person in question. "Want" is one level, of which he desires her 100% of the time....and "need" is the next highest level of desire, of which he desires her even more.
Another song once stated "I want you, I need you, I love you" as the distinct levels of desire.
"Want" is a concious level of desire in which the person simply desires to have the thing or person in question. I "want" a cup of coffee and I want it badly. "Need" is a physical level in which the person requires that thing or person to operate. An automobile "needs" gasoline to operate. "Love" is the highest level of desire in which a person desires/requires that other person above all else. I love my wife and can't see how I could go on living without her.
Hope that helped.
2007-01-24 17:35:36 · answer #8 · answered by randkl 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Sounds like co-dependence vs genuine love.
2007-01-24 17:23:44 · answer #9 · answered by concernedjean 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Its beautiful! It means the singer needs this person more than they can adequately express, more than he wants them and he wants them forever. A need is always stronger than a want.
Wanting to breath does not keep you alive, needing to breath does.
2007-01-24 17:18:36 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Probably has something to do with dependency, when two people are together for a long time, comfort and familiarity tend to take the place of desire and lust.
2007-01-24 17:15:46 · answer #11 · answered by Jason W 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋