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The Strokes – Reptilia Lyrics 9 years ago
Firstly, it's pretty obvious it's "driving" not "drowning" and I am baffled that all the lyric sites have it wrong and only one person 'pomd' noted it. Makes more sense considering the rest of the chorus says 'changing lanes' and 'ran me off the road.' It brings it all together much more nicely than 'drowning'. If you're not sure, seek out the video of just Julian's vocals of the song on youtube, it's pretty clear there.

The Reptilian aspect of the brain that deals with our basic urges has already been discussed. I think it's key to the meaning of the song. It seems to me the narrator is the reptilian part of the brain...so it sees the girl at a party and is shocked it's human body/brain is interested in her with the "he seemed impressed"and is sarcastically telling her to tell a story...Should go without saying since this is the brain 'talking' she can't hear it...the whole time he's talking to himself...he tells himself he was afraid he wouldn't "insist" on hitting on this girl...then says "you sound so sleepy, take this, now leave me" as he's saying he sounds boring, take this (shot, drug w/e) and let his primitive side take over, through this "strange part of town" or basically all the party stuff that goes down. The chorus he's taunting himself, "you're not trying hard enough" is sarcastically taunting himself to take back control of his wild side. Lives changing lanes is referring to his-self growing up and trying to leave his party lifestyle behind ("ran me off the road") but he's back now, taking over, it's serious business ("no longer laughing") and he's not 'driving' fast enough even for his reptilian side...basically, it's gonna be a wild ride.

The second verse, he's woken up after the one night stand, groggy, hung over looking at himself in the mirror and again the reptilian side is taunting him, "i thought I told you, this world is not for you". It then gets angry as it takes in the scene around him wanting to break out and get crazy again, while this girl is just going about her normal ways...he then reminds himself no need to get angry, as he's back in full swing having succumbed to temptation...it's possible instead of a one night stand it's referring to a full relationship as well, that part is unclear, but I don't think he's talking to the girl at all...I think it's all in his mind based on the pronouns he, she, you and when they're used...

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The Strokes – Reptilia Lyrics 9 years ago
@[pomd:2240] Just logged in to say, I read all the comments and you're the only one that realized it's 'driving' not 'drowning' which seems obvious since the rest of the chorus talks about changing lanes and running off the road...good job sir...

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Oasis – Wonderwall Lyrics 12 years ago
Firstly, before I get flamed, let me say I really like this song...but for a long time, I always felt like the lyrics were sort of half-a$$ed and thrown together, because as a whole, they didn't really seem to agree with each other. Sure, you can take a piece here and there, but as a songwriter myself, that would greatly offend me. My song should be taken in its entirety in order for the meaning to make sense. But today I had an epiphany and I think I have it...see, the pieces of the lyrics make sense by themselves, but as whole, it seemed to fall short...

"today is gonna be the day that they're gonna throw it back to you, by now you shoulda somehow realized what you gotta to do"
makes it sound like she (we'll say she) has a tough decision she's gonna make and will take a lot of criticism for it

then "I don't believe that anybody feels the way I do about you now" a little weird to throw basically i love you in there, but possibly just giving his encouragement

"back beat, the word is on the street that the fire in your heart is out, I'm sure you heard it all before but you never really had a doubt" maybe this is part of that criticism she's supposed to endure

then the roads and light thing is pretty self explanatory...there's a long path up ahead and it's filled with twist and turns and obstacles

then out of nowhere, it busts out with the love thing again

"there are many things that I would like to say to you, but i don't know how"

and then the (chorus)

so it starts out sounding like an encouragement song, and then switching who needs the encouragement/saving...

lastly it comes back to the original verse but makes it past tense, and implies she didn't do it, hence "was" and no criticism

you could infer that the decision was she was going to leave him, but who would criticize her for that, except him...then maybe the decision was to stay with him, and if he needs saving, he's prob a loser so she would take much criticism...BUT if we follow this logic, then at the end she leaves him and I don't think that's it...

Which brings me to the fact that Noel flat out said the song was not about his girl, but an imaginary friend. Thus a figment of his imagination, essentially himself. The decision was suicide, he was contemplating it, discussing it with himself, and at the end he doesn't do it. It all makes sense...fire being out, means he's lost the will to live and it's obvious, the next line either means he's heard all the "don't do it" speeches, but he's pretty set on doing it, or he's heard everyone's criticism of him but there's no doubt that it's the world that is screwed up so he's done trying..."I don't believe that anybody feels the way I do about you now" can be taken as no one understands him, and at the end it takes on a different meaning, as no one knows how amazing he is (sounds kinda fruity, but when you're that low, you kinda need to think that or you're done)...the "there are many things I would like to say to you, but I don't know how" is he knows he shouldn't do it, but doesn't know how to convince himself, later it could mean, there are still many things he needs to figure out...the last bridge, says "roads were winding" instead of "are", meaning he persevered, but then the rest of the bridge is "are" still, and since the chorus repeats "save me" this implies he's not out of the woods yet, but he passed that intersection unscathed...perhaps I'm giving the writer too much credit, but when I write a song, I take a great deal in painstakingly making sure it is a cohesive message. I would think and hope that Noel has done the same. In which case, this is the only interpretation that doesn't have one of the other lines tear it apart. thanks for reading...

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Civil Twilight – Letters From The Sky Lyrics 13 years ago
Ok, I think I can piece this together...I gotta go with the delusional love...The way the song is sung and performed really must be considered. The biblical references to Armageddon are there to signify that when the end of the world comes, he's still only worried about being with his lost love. Hence, the shift from a calm voice, to a meager, almost weak/vulnerable falsetto, on "I was made to taste your kiss" after describing cataclysmic events very calmly he says everyone will know they were meant to be together...delusion...Second voice follows suit, and has the same apocalyptic idea followed by the fact that he will let everyone know she's coming back. The planes overhead are most likely signs of war and apocalypse, but all he cares about is holding her...The end is the real give away, he becomes loud/impassioned almost crazy/insane that they won't have to be scared, and that she's coming back for him...it dwindles back to helpless delusion and gives me the image of someone rocking in the corner as he repeats the phrase "coming back for me" as if trying to convince himself/comfort himself to no avail...great song, one of my favorites...

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