Poisoned Apple

Violet Hart

“Poisoned Apple” is about falling willingly for someone you already suspect might be dangerous. The narrator is lost when this person arrives: charismatic, playful, seductive, but full of traps. Rather than being innocently deceived, she is fascinated by the danger. She bites the metaphorical poisoned apple because some part of her believes this person’s attention, devotion and intensity might bring her back to life. The fairytale imagery gradually turns darker. The apple represents temptation and emotional poison; the mirror forces her to confront what the relationship is doing to her; being “sung back to life” captures the intoxicating period when the other person seems capable of rescuing her. Meanwhile, they are enjoying her dependence and eventual collapse almost as entertainment. Then the song flips the traditional fairytale. The narrator was never quite as helpless as the other person believed. She recognises the poison, survives it, and reveals that experience has effectively made her resistant to this kind of manipulation. The person who thought they were controlling the story discovers that their victim has understood the rules all along.