"I made a deal with the devil for an empty IOU"

[marckvls]

???

[Jacqui]

She made a deal with the devil...like, she would do something for him, and he then owed her something...but he never gave it to her, it was an empty promise. At least that's what I think it means...

[marckvls]

She made a deal with the devil...like, she would do something for him, and he then owed her something...but he never gave it to her, it was an empty promise. At least that's what I think it means...

 

Yeah, well, I think it's something about that, but I just can't get the IOU part!?! Why IOU?

[Krys]

an IOU is just a small acknowledgment saying you owe someone something

[Jacqui]

Yeah...I like, "I owe you"...IOU.

[marckvls]

Merci!

[Black Kitten]

i bet celine didn't know this as well.

[abbie]

yeah, iou is when 1 person gives something and you owe them, so rather than payment you give them an "iou" to say you will pay them when the time is right. i think the song means she made a deal with the devil but never got anything in return...i think. lol

[hamiltonclare]

Thats the way i've always understood it too, Abbie...

 

Clare x

[Chula]

Thank you for all explanation.

 

 

Could you please explain this too?

 

It's the ace you may keep up your sleeve, til the name is all but lost.

[Black Kitten]

...and also "something for nothing never proved me wrong" from My Love.

[Jacqui]

"Ace you may keep up your sleeve"...I'm pretty sure that's a reference to card games...you know, the Ace being an important card, and you keep it safe in case you need it... "Til the name is all but lost..." You kept it so long it's no longer important or useful??

 

"Something for nothing never proved me wrong"- I've been wondering about that one myself, it goes around and around in my head and I don't know...You can get something for nothing? It's never been proved wrong? I don't know.

[Chula]

"Ace you may keep up your sleeve"...I'm pretty sure that's a reference to card games...you know, the Ace being an important card, and you keep it safe in case you need it... "Til the name is all but lost..." You kept it so long it's no longer important or useful??

 

 

So it means we keep love until the very last minute of our life or it's the only thing we can have? I'm still confused!

[Jacqui]

I'm not 100% sure, it's probably open to interpretation, but that's what I always thought it meant.

That you keep it so long, it loses all meaning and can longer be defined.

[aicee]

an IOU is just a small acknowledgment saying you owe someone something

 

 

yeah, and it's just a song.

[aicee]

an IOU is just a small acknowledgment saying you owe someone something

 

 

yeah, and it's just a song.

[phemel]

That line in “Let’s Talk About Love" is one of the most profound phrases in all of Céline’s work.

“It’s the ace you may keep up your sleeve…”

The ace in many games is the best card to have. In keeping it up one’s sleeve, it’s referencing people who cheat at cards by hiding it until they need to use it. In this case, love (the “ace”) is the thing (card) that comes to our rescue.

 

“…‘til the name is all but lost.”

The person in the song is willing to love (again, willing to use the “ace”) even if it means risking everything for that love (or, risking being caught cheating with the ace).

 

I thought the “love” in “My Love” was Céline’s career, and the song talked about how it’s been hard for her to keep singing, recording, and touring when there are other things she wants to do in life.

 

“I know I’m right where I belong…”

This is Céline’s realization that she was meant to sing and it’s her passion in life.

“…something for nothing never proved me wrong.”

"Something for nothing" means having an easy job (not having to work hard to get something). She's realizing that she's always had to work hard in life to get what she's wanted ("never proved me wrong").

 

Hope this helps!

Edited May 16, 2008 at 07:03 AM by phemel

[Chula]

That line in “Let’s Talk About Love" is one of the most profound phrases in all of Céline’s work.

“It’s the ace you may keep up your sleeve…”

The ace in many games is the best card to have. In keeping it up one’s sleeve, it’s referencing people who cheat at cards by hiding it until they need to use it. In this case, love (the “ace”) is the thing (card) that comes to our rescue.

 

“…‘til the name is all but lost.”

The person in the song is willing to love (again, willing to use the “ace”) even if it means risking everything for that love (or, risking being caught cheating with the ace).

 

 

Thank you so much. Your explanations are very clear!

[hamiltonclare]

Sorry - I've always understood the line 'something for nothing never proved me wrong' to mean that you never get something for nothing - you reap what you sow. If you are talking about Celines' career, family life etc, I would take it to mean that if you don't work hard at making it successful/balance/happy, its never going to be....its not an easy ride, but you work at it to make it as good as possible......

 

Clare x

[pafan]

Ok I'm pretty sure the lyrics are "It's the ace you may keep up your sleeve, until the GAME is all but lost". Meaning, when you are so close to losing something (poker game for example--but in this case love?) you pull out the ACe for the win.

[pafan]

Ok, my bad. After checking the actual lyrics--they do say "when the NAME is all but lost". This doesn't make sense to me, the word GAME would make more sense.

[Chula]

What does 'name' mean then? the love?

[CyberCat]

"Something for nothing never proved me wrong"

Based on the recording session video I think this phrase refers to the Celine who cannot say no and tries to please everyone: fans, husband, manager, son, songwriters, producers etc. She always gives, offers her best as a person and as an artist unselfishly.

John Gray PhD, the author of the famous relationship books Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus, describes this as a common mistake women make: giving our best to the man, to the kids, but not really expecting anything in return. It is a kind of lack of healthly selfishness.

[Shall]

Ok, my bad. After checking the actual lyrics--they do say "when the NAME is all but lost". This doesn't make sense to me, the word GAME would make more sense.

 

I quite agree with you for "Game" makes a perfect sense! Maybe there is a typo mistake in the lyric? But what confuses me is that Celine sang it as "Name" ...

 

and there is another typo mistake in this song's lyric:

It should be "Fans a flicker to a FLAME" but not "FRAME"...so, you see, it probably be "Game"...

Edited May 16, 2008 at 06:00 PM by Shall

[abbie]

i guess it's all open to interpretation in the end...

[marckvls]

And I thought it was all about the English!

[Jacqui]

Nope, it's more about interpreting poetry than understanding English.

[rhaps]

hmmm..i never figure it out. thanks by the way.