Supposed Reference to:
Letters to Felice
by Franz Kafka
Written 1912-1917
and
Les Enfants Terrible
by Jean Cocteau
1929 Grasset, now available from Vintage Books
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& possibly
Letter to Hermione
by David Bowie
1969
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Letters to Felice and other possibilities
Letters to Felice by Franz Kafka
The standard story is that the title of this song is a reference to Letters to Felice, a collection of Franz Kafka’s intimate and obsessional letters to the love of his life, Felice, whom he very nearly marries in the course of the book.
Whilst a fascinating study in possessive obsession, having read it from cover to cover (as with all the sources), there are no specific quotes, though the overall implied narrative is similar to the song's.
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Les Enfants Terrible by Jean Cocteau
The ‘play’ in the lyrics is considered to be a reference to the ultimately fatal private Game the odd, reclusive children play throughout life. in their Room even as they grow into adults.
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"Paul oh Paul! oh so you are not dead
And Paul replied:"yes I am dead but so are you. You've just died that's why you can see me.you're going to live with me for ever and ever."
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It is also considered to be the source for the Cocteau Twins’ band name. Mentioned as Robert Smith has frequently declared his admiration for them.
Letter to Hermione by David Bowie
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Also considered an influence, but the lyrics are only tenuously connected.
Letter to Elise, the song
Oh Elise it doesn't matter what you say
I just can't stay here every yesterday
Like keep on acting out the same
The way we act out
Every way to smile
Forget
And make-believe we never needed
Any more than this
Any more than this
Oh Elise it doesn't matter what you do
I know i'll never really get inside of you
To make your eyes catch fire
The way they should
The way the blue could pull me in
If they only would
If they only would
At least I'd lose this sense of sensing something else
That hides away
From me and you
There're worlds to part
With aching looks and breaking hearts
And all the prayers your hands can make
Oh I just take as much as you can throw
And then throw it all away
Oh I throw it all away
Like throwing faces at the sky
Like throwing arms round
Yesterday
I stood and stared
Wide-eyed in front of you
And the face I saw looked back
The way I wanted to
But I just can't hold my tears away
The way you do
Elise believe I never wanted this
I thought this time I'd keep all of my promises
I thought you were the girl always dreamed about
But I let the dream go
And the promises broke
And the make-believe ran out...
Oh Elise
It doesn't matter what you say
I just can't stay here every yesterday
Like keep on acting out the same
The way we act out
Every way to smile
Forget
And make-believe we never needed
Any more than this
Any more than this
And every time I try to pick it up
Like falling sand
As fast as I pick it up
It runs away through my clutching hands
But there's nothing else I can really do
There's nothing else
I can really do
At all...
Songwriters: BORIS WILLIAMS, PERRY BAMONTE, PORL THOMPSON, ROBERT JAMES SMITH, SIMON GALLUP
A Letter To Elise lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group