If Love Is a Red Dress (Hang Me in Rags)

"If Love Is a Red Dress (Hang Me in Rags)" by Maria McKee is a poignant song that delves into the conplexities and disappointments of love. The lyrics paint a picture of a relationship that has transformed from passion and longing to disillusionment and resignation.

The opening lines, "My heart is empty. Your eyes are dark. Once we were humgry, Now we are full," reflect a shift from intense desire and need to a state of emotional saturation and emptiness. This change suggests a loss of the initial spark that ignited the relationship, leading to a feeling of hollowness.

The metaphor of chains in the lyrics "These chains that bind us, Can't beat these chains," symbolizes the restrictions and obligations that often come with relationships. These lines imply that the love which once felt liberating now feels confining, unable to be overcome by any force.

The song uses contrasting imagery to describe love. If love is a shelter, it's a place of safety and comfort, yet the speaker chooses to "walk in the rain," indicating a preference for the harsh realities outside the relationship over the false security it provides. Similarly, if love is a red dress—a symbol of passion and vibrancy—the speaker asks to be "hang[ed] in rags," signifying a preference for authenticity in her impoverished state over the facade of a love that no longer exists.

The narrative of a fairy tale gone wrong in the verse "Away. There goes the fairy tale. Lord, ain't it a shame?" reflects on the disillusionment and sorrow of realizing that the relationship is not what it once seemed. The comfort they found in each other now feels stifling, unable to alleviate the underlying tension.

In the final verses, the song touches on themes of betrayal and uneven power dynamics. The speaker acknowledges that there was cheating in the relationship, but it wasn't her. She laid everything out honestly, but the partner held back. The reference to cards, "If love is Aces, Give me the Jack," implies a desire for lesser, more honest stakes in the game of love, rather than the high, deceptive ones they played with.

Overall, "If Love Is a Red Dress (Hang Me in Rags)" is a song about the disintegration of a once-passionate love, exploring themes of disillusionment, confinement, and the longing for authenticity in the face of lost love.