I felt for sure last night
That once we said goodbye
No one else will know these lonely dreams
No one else will know that part of me
I'm still driving away
And I'm sorry every day
I won't always love these selfish things
I won't always live
Not stopping

It was my turn to decide
I knew this was our time
No one else will have me like you do
No one else will have me, only you

You'll sit alone forever
If you wait for the right time
What are you hoping for?
I'm here and now I'm ready
Holding on tight
Don't give away the end
The one thing that stays mine

Amazing still it seems
I'll be twenty-three
I won't always love what I'll never have
I won't always live in my regrets

You'll sit alone forever
If you wait for the right time
What are you hoping for?
I'm here and now I'm ready
Holding on tight
Don't give away the end
The one thing that stays mine

You'll sit alone forever
If you wait for the right time
What are you hoping for?
I'm here and now I'm ready
Holding on tight
Don't give away the end
The one thing that stays mine

(You'll sit alone forever)
(If you wait for the right time)
(What are you hoping for?)
(I'm here and now I'm ready)
(Holding on tight)
(Don't give away the end)
(The one thing that stays mine)


Lyrics submitted by _valerie, edited by MiataMike, asc2

23 Lyrics as written by Richard E Burch James Christopher Adkins

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

23 song meanings
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232 Comments

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  • +9
    General Comment

    Hands down the best Jimmy Eat World song ever... It's fantastic.

    MsTaR1981on September 24, 2004   Link
  • +5
    General Comment

    To me, all these comments are great, and it only proves the greatness of this song. As anything it is led to endless personal interpretation but this song, as a metaphor of a relationship, touches on so much. I will not wax poetic with all of its intricacies but this verse below is just paramount. Sad yet revelatory in the sense that we will all change no matter what and will all be hardened by life.

    amazing still it seems, i'll be 23 i wont always love what ill never have i wont alway live in my regrets"

    Above, in all of its simplicity, it just shows that there will be a time where we will lose that endless guilt of not doing everything we can in life and that we will come to our own personal truths and eventually justify everything in our life. Maybe for lack of energy or some form of cognitive dissonance but it is beautiful because it really shows that if there was a time to give it all one should. That carpe diem(seize the day) is not just about some physical conquest of one's youthful bliss but more of an impact in the sense that in our ignorance of youth we must do all we can because emotionally and passionately to live in our regrets and to love what we will never have is most definitely fugitive.

    just beautiful. no need to waste time when it is the time that we have to just love and explore life.

    These guys are just brilliant..

    Linxsanon July 13, 2010   Link
  • +3
    General Comment

    i think this is by far the best song on 'futures'. its so full of emotion and personally, i get lost in the music and beautiful lyrics everytime i listen to it.

    i sort of agree with the comments made by rbf737, but i also have my own opinion on this song. i feel that its about wanting someone so badly but not being able to tell them because they dont have the courage and they arent sure how the other person feels. for example...

    "I felt for sure last night At once we said goodbye No one else will know these lonely dreams No one else will know that part of me... "

    the way i interpret this is that the person has truly realised their feelings for the other person one night, but in fear, has left in a hurry, not knowing what to do about their feelings. they state that no-one else will ever know their "lonely dreams", meaning they have no desire to tell the other person about their feelings because they dont think it will amount to anything.

    "It was my turn to decide I knew this was our time No one else will have me like you do No one else will have me, only you"

    i think that this part is saying again, that the person is feeling very strongly towards the other... and that its up to him to decide what to do next, and if anything, they feels its "their time" because they are feeling it more than ever before. they say no-one else will have them, like the other does as they feel it is impossible for them to feel this way about anyone else, or for anyone else to have such a stong hold over them.

    "Youll sit alone forever If you wait for the right time What are you hoping for? Im here and now Im ready Holding on tight "

    i think in this part, the person is giving a kind of a 'pep talk' to either themselves or the other person kind of saying 'hey, im going to be alone forever if i keep on waiting for a better oppurtunity, why not give it all ive got now?' the lines "Dont give away the end, The one thing that stays mine" has strong significance, as i think it is saying that the person fears owning up to their feelings because they are scared of the outcome, or "the end", and that they are content with it just being theirs in their own thoughts, as they would like it to be.]

    and thats not all... :P

    "I wont always love what Ill never have I wont always live in my regrets"

    they are the most meaningful lines in the WHOLE song to me! kind of saying the person wont always be stuck in this situation, and wont always regret not saying anything... one day... when they move on... maybe...

    well, thats my opinion :P and what a long one at that! sorry if anyone disagrees with me... but that is how i see the song. i think i like it so much because i feel that i can relate to it at the moment... but anyways, thanks for your time, and ROCK ON jimmy eat world!! best band in the history of the world! peace out =)

    Amy_Claireon October 14, 2004   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    Jim was around 23 when the work for their album clarity was released/made. It makes me wonder if this song is based on that point in his life...

    Regardless, its one of the most amazing pieces of work adkins has ever released. Its very honest seems to give an insight look at the struggles and complications of being young and making life-changing descisions (not matter what they may be).

    Its been said before, but ill say it again - Jimmy eat world is one of the best at what they do.

    Rebirth210on October 11, 2004   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    I relate the meaning to this a lot with "Dizzy" from their Chase This Light album.

    Also, it has definitely been melded to fit the situations of my own life, but hey, that's music.

    I think that this song is referring to a relaionship that doesn't work out, even though it's right...some other factors got in the way, and it's one of those "pleasepleaseplease come around" sort of things.

    Like, despite how many shitty things have happened, I still love you and hope that someday (even if I'm 23) we can fix things.

    Is that not the prettiest song?

  • +1
    General Comment

    i dig

    MixMasterMattyon November 08, 2004   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    this song is truely amazing. one of their best, if not their best ever. it has so many different meanings to so many different people, and each one is incredibly meaningful. the writing is incredibley passionate. you can tell that these aren't just words written down to sell records, but really honest feelings. i know how it feels to have feelings like this and i know how hard it is to express them in your writing accurately and meaningfully. i think its safe to say that he has done a grand job of just that.

    vindicatedon November 27, 2004   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    i think this song can be interpreted (for me... i know everyone takes the meaning of a song differently) by explaining something that recently happened to me...

    he was into her... she was into him... they had rarely spoke before but one day they started talking... all the feelings came out and they became a (very close in such a short time) couple...

      (about 3 months before she had ended a long relationship with a total asshole)

    about 10 days into it she suddenly pulls out... saying that she thought she was but just isnt ready to commit to anything at the moment (and probably wont be able to for a long while)... she tells him not to wait for her and that she hopes he can move on and meet someone else...

          (its quite obvious to all her friends (and to him) that she most likely just has the jitters because of how fast they had gone from being almost complete strangers to where they suddenly were...)

    she tells him he has to let her go but he just cant bring himself to do so...

    ttchamp13on November 05, 2008   Link
  • +1
    Lyric Correction

    these lyrics are wrong...

    it's "i wont always live, not stopping..."

    samanthabrookehat1014on September 13, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Honestly, there is no definite way to interpret the meaning of this song other than the fact that it's a love story of some sort, but dear God, best rock ballad EVER! "No one else will have me like you do/No one else will have me, only you...." :'( Also, after listening to this song, "12.23.95," and "Christmas Card," 23's kind of become my favorite number, especially since 1998 was the year Jim turned 23 and that was the year I was born. :)

    mapleoak23on October 06, 2012   Link

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