☝️ Key Points
- The song lyrics are about a man who wishes for a perfect and unchanging partner.
- The metaphor of the paper doll represents control and security in a relationship.
- The singer prefers the idea of a paper doll over a living and unpredictable woman.
- The text expresses a longing for stability and control.
- Overall, the song lyrics express a nostalgic view of relationships that is not attainable in reality.
Interpretation
The lyrics of the song 'Paper Doll' by
Frank Sinatra are about a man who wishes to have a paper doll that he can call his own. He explains that he wants to have a doll that other men cannot steal. He is tired of other men flirting with the women he considers 'real'.
The metaphor of the paper doll represents a perfect, unchanging, and controllable partner. The singer desires a doll that will always wait for him when he comes home and is the most faithful doll in the world. He prefers the idea of a paper doll over a living woman, who is fickle and could hurt his feelings.
The text expresses the longing for security and control in a relationship. The singer wants a doll that belongs to him and is not desired by other men. He yearns for the stability that a paper doll can provide, as opposed to the uncertainties and changes that a real woman brings.
The words 'I'd rather have a paper doll, to call my own, then have a fickle minded - real live girl' illustrate this desire for stability and control. The singer prefers the idea of a paper doll that he can control, rather than a woman who is capricious and changes her mind.
Overall, the lyrics of the song 'Paper Doll' express the longing for a perfect and unchanging love that the singer finds in a paper doll. It is a nostalgic idea of relationships that, however, is not achievable in reality.