Baffled by tenses in some english lyrics

[semantic nuance]

Hi,

I find the tenses of the red-marked part very odd. Could anyone here kindly help me out? How is it possible that when I'm crawling out the door (the present progrssive) I was trying to phone you (the past progressive)? If it is possible, could you please give me an example? Or does it mean: Do you really wanna know something when I'm crawling out that door? And the something are how I was dancing and how I was trying to phone you?

Thanks in advance.

　　It's a blue, bright blue Saturday, hey hey

　　And the pain started to slip away, hey hey

　　I'm in a backless dress on a pastel ward that's shining

　　Think I want you still

　　But it may be pills at work

　　Do you really wanna know how I was dancing on the floor

　　I was trying to phone you when I'm crawling out that door

　　I'm amazed at you the things you say that you don't do

　　Why don't you ring

　　I was feeling lonely, feeling blue

　　Feeling like I needed you

　　Like I've woken up surrounded by me

　　A&E

　　It's a blue, bright blue Saturday, hey hey

　　And the pain has started to slip away, hey hey

　　I'm in a backless dress on a pastel ward that's shining

　　Think I want you still

　　But it may be pills at work

　　How did I get to accident emergency

　　All I wanted was you to take me out high

　　I was feeling lonely, feeling blue

　　Feeling like I needed you

　　Like I hoped you'd call and hoped you'd see me

　　A&E

[stephanhodges]

Assuming any grammar issues are deliberate...

One possibility is just that it's artistic "license" (which means they change it to sound better).

Another possiblity is that there's a shift from talking about the past to what they are currently doing (without a period in the sentence).

Or, it could be ambiguous, so that the listener would think of both situations.

Notice that the tense shift occurs in other stanzas as well, and there are other small "artistic license" changes to grammar in other sections.

[liuzhou]

Or just bad writing.

[Lu]

I agree with the 'artistic license' explanation. 'I was trying to phone you when I was crawling out that door' might not fit the music, since it's one extra syllable.

[mr.stinky]

tell me you're not arguing the finer grammar points of madonna's tripe!

but then it beats arguing the artistic merits.................

[semantic nuance]

Thanks so far. But honestly, it does not really become 'artistic' only for the artistic 'liscense'--changing 'I was' to 'I'm'. Unless the 'I' was in the state of delirim.

Thanks!

[Lu]

But honestly, it does not really become 'artistic' only for the artistic 'liscense'--changing 'I was' to 'I'm'.

You are quite right. In any case you can now rest assured that the problem lies not in your English but in theirs. I always find that a reassuring thought.

[renzhe]

Never attribute to poetic license what can adequately be explained by illiteracy.

[tooironic]

tell me you're not arguing the finer grammar points of madonna's tripe!

WHAT!!! This is the new Goldfrapp single! And what a fantastic album it comes from too. Who cares about good grammar when you have fine music and artistic vision to accompany it...