Why Does A Heart That Longs To Love You Have Two Hands That Won't?
By: Beck Hansen, Scarlett Weiss

Written by: Beck Hansen, Scarlett Weiss

 
Lyrics:
Why Does A Heart That Longs To Love You Have Two Hands That Won't? [Version (a)]:

Why does a heart that longs to love you have two hands that won't?
Why do eyes that say they want you have a mind that don't?

Your actions and your words are hardly reconciled
'Cause I'm the one you toy with just like a helpless child

Why does a heart that longs to love you have two hands that won't?
Why do eyes that say they want you have a mind that don't?

I'm twice removed from lonesome and one step into your past
If you don't know what's good for you, then I don't know what's bad
 
The Song:

In order for it to feel more authentic, Beck filled out his Song Reader book with fragments of songs and melodies, fictional album collections and song titles. "Why Does A Heart" is one of the longer fragments, if you can call it that: it's sheet music is only one page, but I think it could be read and performed as a full song with its 2 verses and chorus.

The artwork claims that this is "the greatest ballad ever written," and that it is by Scarlett Weiss. Some of the names in Song Reader refer to people who worked on the project, but as far as I can tell, this one is just a made-up pseudonym.

Anyway, this song cracks me up. The mixed metaphors are so very mixed that I find it delightful. Sometimes Beck's humor is very dry and buried in wordplay and this is one of those. His heart has hands!

Despite that, there is a message in here, a romantic song, but about confusion: "your actions and your words are hardly reconciled." Feeling one way, acting another. Not knowing what's good or bad. Romance is often like that.

I'd love to see Beck expand and finish this one.