We're out looking for astronauts, looking for astronauts
We're out looking for astronauts, looking for astronauts
It's a little too late, too late, too late for this
Isn't it a little too late for this
Little too late, too late for this
Isn't it a little too late for this

You know you have a permanent piece
Of my medium-sized American heart

We're out looking for astronauts, looking for astronauts
We're out looking for astronauts, looking for astronauts
Are we gone
Come on yeah, we know we're gone
Bye bye bye
Bye bye bye we know we're gone

Take all your reasons and take them away
To the middle of nowhere, and on your way home
Throw from your window your record collection
They all run together and never make sense
But that's how we like it, and that's all we want
Something to cry for, and something to hunt

Are we gone
Come on yeah, we know we're gone
Bye bye bye
Bye bye bye we know we're gone
We're out looking for astronauts, looking for astronauts
We're out looking for astronauts, looking for astronauts
It's a little too late, too late, too late for this
Isn't it a little too late for this
Little too late, too late for this
Isn't it a little too late for this

You know you have a permanent piece
Of my medium-sized American heart
So don't wear the watch
When you're out with the cunts
You can break what you have, but the rest of it's mine

Take all your reasons and take them away
To the middle of nowhere, and on your way home
Throw from your window your record collection
They all run together and never make sense
But that's how we like it, and that's all we want
Something to cry for, and something to hunt


Lyrics submitted by countzero

Looking for Astronauts Lyrics as written by Matthew D. Berninger Aaron B. Dessner

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Looking for Astronauts song meanings
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12 Comments

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  • +4
    Song Meaning

    To me, this song is about dreaming your life away.

    "We're out looking for astronauts, looking for astronauts" This one means that we're stuck in searching for unreal, abstract meaning of life, for something greater than us, something godlike above us, like astronauts. We dream about better things which are unreachable for us. "Are we gone Come on, yeah we know we're gone bye bye bye bye bye bye we know e're gone" Those verses mean that we are perfectly aware that we waste our lives on imagination & dreaming thins, that we're gone in this dreamworld, but we don't care about it, because we like the situation we're in. We're comfortable with dreams.

    And finally, the best lyrics in song: "They all run together and never make sense But that's how we like it, and that's all we want Something to cry for, and something to hunt." Last lyrics are about our wishes - all we want from life & arts is that they give something we could cry for, something romantic & heartbreaking, something what we'll hunt down in our memories for a long time.

    Ultraborison January 08, 2009   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    "But that's how we like it, and that's all we want Something to cry for, and something to hunt"

    What a great line to end on. This song is amazing.

    popbaby1on May 12, 2006   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    You know you have a permanent piece Of my medium-sized American heart

    brokenspoonson November 30, 2006   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I love this song. So much.

    Lewon October 09, 2006   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    An interesting pattern I noticed that would support the theme of failure in the song:

    "Mr. November" could likely reference Derek Jeter, nicknamed after Reggie Jackson's Mr. October who saved his best for last. But despite this nickname, Derek Jeter was 3 for 12 in November that season, and his team the Yankees ended up losing the World Series to the Arizona Diamondbacks. So the pressure was on "Mr November" to bring out his best at the end of the season, but he failed, 'fucked us over'.

    "Blue Bloods" is a racing movie in which the horse ultimately loses - failure again.

    As was mentioned, "The Great White Hope" was the boxer who was supposed to beat African American boxer Jack Johnson, but ended up losing.

    It seems the singer is looking at the situation from multiple perspectives at once in Matt's usual self-aware fashion. He is under pressure, and not wanting to let anyone down he reassures himself that he is "Mr. November", "The Great White Hope", "The New Blue Blood". But somewhere inside he doesn't really have confidence in himself, since Mr November, The Great White Hope, and The New Blue Blood all ultimately failed and let everyone down. He "wishes he believed in fate" - he wishes that he could believe that his destiny to be a winner was set, but instead he is full of self-doubt.

    twiliteminotauron April 26, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    We're all looking for a perfect person to date/marry. Astronauts are ideal humans because they qualify for the job with their above average physical abilities and mental aptitudes. If you hold out too long looking for this perfect person, it might be too late to find anybody.

    infincibleon April 11, 2013   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    What does it mean though?

    Welch151on December 25, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    To me this song is about a woman that slept around. The line "we're out looking for astronauts" paints a picture of two lovers staring at a black sky with stars. Maybe this woman wasn't American maybe some European girl and he's admitting in a sort of mock of himself that she has a piece of his medium sized heart. I think "medium sized" refers to a lack of care or too much apathy. And he's in an argument with her telling her it's too late, and it's already gone. THen he tells her to take all her reasons away, like he doesn't want to hear any more excuses, take them out to the middle of nowhere so they could be left there to die, and while you drive back get rid of your horrible records (maybe he thought her taste in music was bad, maybe she was one of those French girls that listened to old records... haha, i dunno) or maybe throwing the record collection out of the window symbolizes anger or frustration, if it's going to stay consistent with my interpretation it would be that he's breaking up with her, telling her he doesn't want excuses and "by the way I never liked the music you listen to."

    "they all run together and they never make sense" could be a reference to those records, at first I took this to mean that she has a shallow taste in music and all she's looking for is some cheap feeling from a song, and something to "hunt" like you find a song and kill it. Or it could mean that her arguments and excuses run together, don't make sense and that she just wants to argue, be emotional and accuse. But he still admits that she has his heart and he tells her not to wear the watch he gave to her as a present when she's around these sleazy guys she sleeps with.... or girls. and "You can break what you have but the rest of it's mine" may refer to the piece of his heart that she has, and he wants her to break it off, or it could also display a very selfish "have your cake and eat it too" attitude that she has.

    And that's my crazy interpretation of this song. It's very visual, it paints a wonderful story.

    ilyapetushkovon May 08, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    sounds like he's out looking to score some drugs so he can keep ignoring his failing relationship

    simplyEon September 15, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Just being outside at night with someone (or the someones) you love. Fucking around, possibly getting drunk or high, looking at the stars. You know that this world is shit, and that your life is boring, and you feel like you're going nowhere, but you have someone with you and that's all anyone wants. God I love this song! It's so wistful and slightly sad, but more than anything it's a celebration of true friendship and love. At least that's how it sounds to me.

    Aquarius121on October 23, 2012   Link

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