The First Taste

Fiona Apple's 'The First Taste' is a song that delves into the complexities of desire and the anticipation of romantic engagement. The lyrics convey a sense of yearning and readiness for a love that is both consuming and transformative. Fiona Apple, known for her poetic songwriting and unique musical style that blends alternative rock with jazz and pop elements, often explores themes of love, vulnerability, and personal growth in her work.

The opening lines set a scene of contemplation and longing, with the singer lying in bed, her thoughts transitioning from 'blue' to 'black,' symbolizing a shift from sadness to perhaps a more peaceful or resigned state. The metaphor of being caught in a 'web' suggests a willing surrender to the entanglement of a relationship, with the 'daddy longlegs' possibly representing a lover. The phrase 'finally growing weary' indicates a tipping point where the anticipation of love is becoming exhausting.

The chorus, 'Give me the first taste,' is a bold request for initiation, a call to action for the lover to begin the pursuit. The notion of 'heaven cannot wait forever' implies that there is an urgency to this romantic encounter, and the singer is ready to be overtaken by passion. The song's bridge, with its vivid imagery of 'adagio breezes' and 'sudden red,' further illustrates the intensity and depth of the emotions involved. The line 'Full is not heavy as empty' poetically expresses that the weight of unfulfilled desire is more burdensome than the fullness of love, no matter how complex it may be.