This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
I ask myself, "should I put my finger to the left?"
No
I ask myself, "should I put my finger to the right?"
No
Does it really matter where I put my finger?
Someone else will come along and move it
And it's always been the same
It's just a complicated game
It's just a complicated game
A little girl asked me should she part her hair upon the left, uh-uh-uh-oh
A little girl asked me should she part her hair upon the right, no
I said it really doesn't matter where you part your hair
For someone else will come along and move it
And it's always been the same
It's just a complicated game
It's just a complicated game
A little boy asked me should he put his vote upon the left?
A little boy asked me should he put his vote upon the right?
I say it really doesn't matter where you put your vote
'Cause someone else will come along and move it
And it's always been the same
It's just a complicated game
Oh, it's just a complicated game
They wanted Tom
They wanted Joe
To dress 'em up and stick 'em out on show
They were only arrows in a very bad aim
It's just a complicated game
God asked me should he ought to put his world on the left, no
God asked me should he oughta put his world on the right, no
I said it doesn't really matter where you put your world
Someone will come along and move it
And it's always been the same
It's just a complicated game
It's just a complicated game
It's just a complicated game
Just a complicated game
It's just a complicated game
No
I ask myself, "should I put my finger to the right?"
No
Does it really matter where I put my finger?
Someone else will come along and move it
And it's always been the same
It's just a complicated game
It's just a complicated game
A little girl asked me should she part her hair upon the left, uh-uh-uh-oh
A little girl asked me should she part her hair upon the right, no
I said it really doesn't matter where you part your hair
For someone else will come along and move it
And it's always been the same
It's just a complicated game
It's just a complicated game
A little boy asked me should he put his vote upon the left?
A little boy asked me should he put his vote upon the right?
I say it really doesn't matter where you put your vote
'Cause someone else will come along and move it
And it's always been the same
It's just a complicated game
Oh, it's just a complicated game
They wanted Tom
They wanted Joe
To dress 'em up and stick 'em out on show
They were only arrows in a very bad aim
It's just a complicated game
God asked me should he ought to put his world on the left, no
God asked me should he oughta put his world on the right, no
I said it doesn't really matter where you put your world
Someone will come along and move it
And it's always been the same
It's just a complicated game
It's just a complicated game
It's just a complicated game
Just a complicated game
It's just a complicated game
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The Night We Met
Lord Huron
Lord Huron
Son Şansın - Şarkı Sözleri
Hayalperest
Hayalperest
This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
I asked myself, should I put a comment on this thread? No, I thought, it doesn't really matter if I put a comment. Someone else will come along and say it. It's always been the same; it's just a complicated game.
@tommythecat42 brilliant
Maybe I'm interpreting the lyrics wrong but the song seems to be about no matter what someone does someone else behind the scenes will go and change it.
I guess one could say this song is about shadow governments and such. Or maybe lack of respect for people's individual freedoms?
Maybe, but this song is amazing no matter what!
agreed.
You could read all sorts of things into this song, but I just love the visceral, menacing quality from the hushed, whispering beginning to its manic, growling finish. Classic XTC, I’ve loved them since I first heard them in 1979.