I played this song to my 2nd year high school students and connected it to our class in Christology. In that class I said that the song is ironic because the guy is the one saying that she’s out of his league, but if you analyze the lyrics closely, you realize that the girl is really flirting with the guy already (she bats her eye lashes, plays with her hair, pouts her lips). Unfortunately–and this is the problem of many girls–the guy can’t seem to read these signals. It’s not the girl who’s making herself out of his league. The guy is pushing her away. Oh, the trouble of trying to protect yourself too much.

I found this video in You Tube. I loved it not just because of the Harry Potter-Hermione Granger Angle (yeah, who hasn’t wondered why aren’t harry and hermione hooking up???!!) but because it does show a certain poignance to love. There is a hoping kind of love that watches from afar, and feels unworthy and can’t speak and express itself in words. If you think about it, it’s a kind of love that’s really more “genuine”, because it doesn’t really ask for anything in return–sometimes a glance here, or a hi there, already makes your day. But it is a hoping love precisely because even if it’s unexpressed in words, the actions sometimes makes up for all the lack in words.

Anyway. This is for all the people who has ever experienced looking from afar, and feeling unworthy. And who have trouble expressing themselves in words. This is for all the people who are not (yet) brave enough to declare themselves. Not because they’re not sure of the love, but because they’re not sure of themselves.

It’s her hair and her eyes today
that just simply take me away
and the feeling that I ‘m falling further in love
makes me shiver, but in a good way

All the times I have sat and stared
as she thoughtfully thumbs through her hair
as she purses her lips
bats her eyes
and she plays with me
sitting there, slack-jawed and nothing to say

[Chorus:]
Coz I love her with all that I am
and my voice shakes
along with my hands

Coz she’s all that I see and she’s all that I need
and I ‘m out of my league once again

It’s a masterful melody
when she calls out my name to me
as the world spins around her
she laughs, rolls her eyes
and I feel like I ‘m falling
but it’s not surprise

[Chorus]

Coz it’s frightening to be
swimming in this strange sea
but I ‘d rather be here than on land

yes she’s all that I see
and she’s all that I need
and I ‘m out of my league
once again…