Sonnet 130

“So you were never a saint”

Uncle Jerry connects the pre-chorus line 'So you were never a saint' to Shakespeare's Sonnet 130, where the poet catalogues his beloved's imperfections before declaring his love all the more honestly. Both Taylor and Shakespeare refuse to idealise the beloved: imperfection is named directly, and the love is valued precisely because it does not depend on the partner being perfect. Uncle Jerry sees both writers arriving at the same conclusion, that expecting perfection leads to disappointment and that honest love embraces flaws.