--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We used to talk about death, she said. We…" description: "\"“We used to talk about death, she said. We don’t anymore. Why is that? I don’t know. It’s because it’s here. There’s nothing left to talk about. I woul..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bcb/cormac-mccarthy-181_death_we-used-to-talk-about-death-she-said-we_1024633.jpg" --- # We used to talk about death, she said. We don’t anymore… ![“We used to talk about death, she said. We don’t anymore. Why is that? I don’t know. It’s because it’s here. There’s nothing left to talk about. I wouldn’t leave you. I don’t care. It’s meaningless. You can think of me as a faithless slut if you like. I’ve taken a new lover. He can give me what you…” quote by Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bcb/cormac-mccarthy-181_death_we-used-to-talk-about-death-she-said-we_1024633.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bcb/cormac-mccarthy-181_death_we-used-to-talk-about-death-she-said-we_1024633.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bcb/cormac-mccarthy-181_death_we-used-to-talk-about-death-she-said-we_1024633.jpg) > ““We used to talk about death, she said. We don’t anymore. Why is that? I don’t know. It’s because it’s here. There’s nothing left to talk about. I wouldn’t leave you. I don’t care. It’s meaningless. You can think of me as a faithless slut if you like. I’ve taken a new lover. He can give me what you cannot. Death is not a lover. O yes he is. Please don’t do this. I’m sorry. I can’t do it alone.”” [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A character confronts death, love, and meaninglessness, showing how grief can distort reality and relationships. **In simple terms:** Death and love clash, causing confusion. Key Takeaway Seek clarity amid emotional turmoil. Themes grief existentialism relationships Mood somber intense Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - therapy sessions - personal reflection - creative writing Key Concepts meaninglessness love death Questions to Reflect On - How does grief reshape perception? - Can love heal existential dread? A Different Perspective Emotional intensity may obscure rational thought. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Lover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lover/) [New Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-love/) ## Related quotes > [“You can think of me as a faithless slut if you like. I've taken a new lover. He can give me what you cannot.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/you-can-think-of-me-as-a-faithless-slut-if-you-like-i-ve-taken-a-new/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“I was still asleep; distracted in my idyll with death. She wouldn’t let me go… my lover… my accomplice into nothingness. The Night… who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-c-lemus/i-was-still-asleep-distracted-in-my-idyll-with-death-she-wouldn-t-let/) [E.C. Lemus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-c-lemus/) > [He can give me what you cannot. Death is not a lover. Oh yes, he is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/he-can-give-me-what-you-cannot-death-is-not-a-lover-oh-yes-he-is/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [If Death is your father, you don't ever have to worry about what part of his body the disease will strike next. If Death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francesca-lia-block/if-death-is-your-father-you-don-t-ever-have-to-worry-about-what-part/) [Francesca Lia Block](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francesca-lia-block/) > [Death is my lover and he wants to move in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-kane/death-is-my-lover-and-he-wants-to-move-in/) [Sarah Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-kane/) > [If death is your lover, you don't got to be afraid ever that he will ever leave you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francesca-lia-block/if-death-is-your-lover-you-don-t-got-to-be-afraid-ever-that-he-will/) [Francesca Lia Block](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francesca-lia-block/) > [Love of My life Look deep in My eyes There you will find what you need Give Me your life The lust and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yamin/love-of-my-life-look-deep-in-my-eyes-there-you-will-find-what-you/) Yamin > [A lover in life will be a lover in death, a lover in the tomb, a lover in paradise, a lover on the day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/a-lover-in-life-will-be-a-lover-in-death-a-lover-in-the-tomb-a-lover/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [“The Trifler Death's the lover that I'd be taking; Wild and fickle and fierce is he. Small's his care if my heart be breaking-…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-parker/the-trifler-death-s-the-lover-that-i-d-be-taking-wild-and-fickle-and/) [Dorothy Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-parker/) > [“Death is one lover who cannot be spurned.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nenia-campbell/death-is-one-lover-who-cannot-be-spurned/) [Nenia Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nenia-campbell/) > [The stroke of death is as a lover's pinch, which hurts and is desired.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/the-stroke-of-death-is-as-a-lover-s-pinch-which-hurts-and-is-desired/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“He had entered into every relationship in his life in good faith, reveling in the breathless flush of new love for as long as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-earle/he-had-entered-into-every-relationship-in-his-life-in-good-faith/) [Steve Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-earle/) > [No matter how caring you are, you can never help your ex in finding a new lover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/usman-ismaheel/no-matter-how-caring-you-are-you-can-never-help-your-ex-in-finding-a/) [Usman Ismaheel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/usman-ismaheel/) > [I'm not saddened and I don't miss you, 'cause I have moved on too. I'm not concerned about your new lover, 'cause I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-not-saddened-and-i-don-t-miss-you-cause-i-have-moved-on-too-i-m/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There is no fury like a woman searching for a new lover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-connolly/there-is-no-fury-like-a-woman-searching-for-a-new-lover/) [Cyril Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-connolly/) ## More by Cormac McCarthy > [The cooler days have brought a wistful mood upon him. The smell of coalsmoke in the air at night. Old times, dead years. For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/the-cooler-days-have-brought-a-wistful-mood-upon-him-the-smell-of/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“The events of the world can have no separate life from the world. And yet the world itself can have no temporal view of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/the-events-of-the-world-can-have-no-separate-life-from-the-world-and/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“I had two dreams about him after he died. I dont remember the first one all that well but it was about meetin him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/i-had-two-dreams-about-him-after-he-died-i-dont-remember-the-first/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“You think people was meaner then than they are now? the deputy said. The old man was looking out at the flooded town. No,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/you-think-people-was-meaner-then-than-they-are-now-the-deputy-said/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“They set forth in a crimson dawn where sky and earth closed in a razorous plane. Out there dark little archipelagos of cloud and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/they-set-forth-in-a-crimson-dawn-where-sky-and-earth-closed-in-a/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“Nothing. Where all was burnt to ash before them no fires were to be had and the nights were long and dark and cold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/nothing-where-all-was-burnt-to-ash-before-them-no-fires-were-to-be/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [He said that whether a man's life was writ in a book someplace or whether it took its form day by day was one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/he-said-that-whether-a-man-s-life-was-writ-in-a-book-someplace-or/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“He lives in a room above a courtyard behind a tavern and he comes down at night like some fairybook beast to fight with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/he-lives-in-a-room-above-a-courtyard-behind-a-tavern-and-he-comes/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“Ultimo hombre. Last man standing, must've been one. Where'd he go?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/ultimo-hombre-last-man-standing-must-ve-been-one-where-d-he-go/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“To seek out the upright. No fall but preceded by a declination. He took great marching steps into the nothingness, counting them against his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/to-seek-out-the-upright-no-fall-but-preceded-by-a-declination-he-took/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“They went through the last of the cars and then walked up the track to the locomotive and climbed up to the catwalk. Rust…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/they-went-through-the-last-of-the-cars-and-then-walked-up-the-track/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“Night fell upon them dark and starblown and the wagon grew swollen near mute with dew. On their chairs in such black immobility these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/night-fell-upon-them-dark-and-starblown-and-the-wagon-grew-swollen/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“When I was in school I studied biology. I learned that in making their experiments scientists will take some group - bacteria, mice, people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/when-i-was-in-school-i-studied-biology-i-learned-that-in-making-their/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [ “We none of us knew him to speak \[Dutch\]. Asked him where he'd learned it you know what he said? What did he say.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/we-none-of-us-knew-him-to-speak-dutch-asked-him-where-he-d-learned-it/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“You know that the things you put it your head stay there, right?' 'Yeah. But you remember some things, don't you?' 'Yeah. You remember…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/you-know-that-the-things-you-put-it-your-head-stay-there-right-yeah/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) [Explore all 927 Cormac McCarthy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) ## More Death quotes > [“He wondered how it was fair that your dying should depend so much on when you were born.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/he-wondered-how-it-was-fair-that-your-dying-should-depend-so-much-on/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [I do not want to live at the cost of the life even of a snake. I should let him bite me to death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-do-not-want-to-live-at-the-cost-of-the-life-even-of-a-snake-i/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [“It was beautiful. He thought he had never seen anything so beautiful in all his life; that, having seen it, he could die content,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mira-grant/it-was-beautiful-he-thought-he-had-never-seen-anything-so-beautiful/) [Mira Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mira-grant/) > [Retirement? You're talking about death, right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-altman/retirement-you-re-talking-about-death-right/) [Robert Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-altman/) > [With multiplayer, permanent death, and an ever-changing world to explore and conquer, 'A Valley Without Wind' might be the place you're looking for if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-manuel/with-multiplayer-permanent-death-and-an-ever-changing-world-to/) [Rob Manuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-manuel/) > [“What did you see?” she asked gently. His brow furrowed, as if he could not understand the question. Then his eyes turned to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-anthony-torino/what-did-you-see-she-asked-gently-his-brow-furrowed-as-if-he-could/) J. Anthony Torino > [Those whose life is long still strive for gain, and for all mortals all things take second place to money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/those-whose-life-is-long-still-strive-for-gain-and-for-all-mortals/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [“I practice Dying--every night-- But have not learned to, still-- Though Talented--by Mortal bones-- For such a common Skill.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-powers/i-practice-dying-every-night-but-have-not-learned-to-still-though/) Alan W. Powers > [“You must understand the pain and grief of losing someone is nothing more than a function of survival.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-cooper/you-must-understand-the-pain-and-grief-of-losing-someone-is-nothing/) [Steven Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-cooper/) > [I am not a depressive person at all, but I reflect a lot on my life, and life in general, from the perspective of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/i-am-not-a-depressive-person-at-all-but-i-reflect-a-lot-on-my-life/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [“Death is a reality that calls the rest of life and all of our assorted strivings into sharp relief.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/death-is-a-reality-that-calls-the-rest-of-life-and-all-of-our/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [I love life. I love life to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmanuelle-riva/i-love-life-i-love-life-to-death/) [Emmanuelle Riva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmanuelle-riva/) > [I think when you’re dying you start looking for important things in the corners. You can’t let anything that seems even semi-important pass, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-crutcher/i-think-when-you-re-dying-you-start-looking-for-important-things-in/) [Chris Crutcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-crutcher/) [Browse all 39,127 Death quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“We used to talk about death, she said. We don’t anymore. Why is that? I don’t know. It’s because it’s here. There’s nothing left to talk about. I wouldn’t leave you. I don’t care. It’s meaningless. You can think of me as a faithless slut if you like. I’ve taken a new lover. He can give me what you cannot. 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