These Things

Well, first off, I just want to start saying that everyone in this thread is retarded. The lyrics are most of the way plainly stated.

"And those by themselves by choice or by some reward No mistakes, only now you're bored This is the time of your life but you just can't tell."

Those lines pretty much sum up the fact that this song is Anti-Relationship. Saying that the best time of someones life is when they are NOT tied down by a relationship.

The song, therefore, is stating, in all lines and interpretations, that you should just go out there, and pretty much get as much action as possible.

"Lets make a fast plan, watch it burn to the ground" meaning lets get together for the night, then it's done.

"She says I'm a bad man" many women believe that this type of behavior is "Bad", In other words being called a player. Hit it and split it.

"I heard it's cold out, but her popsicle melts" even though there's no real "heat" to the relationship, she's still turned on.

All in all, the song is basically about hitting it and splitting it. No questions asked, no strings attached, one night stands. And those are what the names represent in the video.

I really don't think these is a pedophile or a drug addict or a pleasuring herself with a popsicle. It's a relationship, the type that's on and off, the kind that neither says they want to be in but deep down they can't forget about each other.

[I heard it's cold out, but her popsicle melts. She's in the bathroom - she pleasures herself. Says I'm a bad man. She's locking me out. ] 1st line: She repeats that she doesn't like him, and doesn't want to be with him, yet ten minutes later when they're having sex, her body's reactions tell a different story. 2nd line: When she's alone at night, she thinks about him and gets off on it and hates herself for it. This brings us to.. 3rd line: After sex and after the pleasuring herself, she feels horrible, guilty, tries to keep him away from her... but deep down she feels good and wants more. That's why they'll end up having another 'session' and another. It's because of these things.

[Let's make a fast plan. Watch it burn to the ground. I try to whisper so no one figures it out. I'm not a bad man, I'm just overwhelmed.] 1st line: The fast plan refers to the often-impromptu, hasty, passionate nature of their clandestine love affair. 2nd line: Of course neither wants to admit that they still lust after, if not love, each other. They're keeping it quiet. 3rd line: One of them, if not both, must be cheating on someone; this adds to the guilt factor and yet the 'guilty pleasure' factor as well.

The rest of the lines are the times inbetween their 'meetings'. For all that they're bad for each other and probably have hurt each other a lot in the past in various ways, their lives seem pretty empty and grey. Numb, rainy, without wonder. So it's just another reason they'll end up doing it yet again (XD I can picture in a bathroom stall). It's because of these things.

Personally, I think this song is about desire. I could be slightly influenced in my interpretation by the video. But I just think of these things (if you'll excuse the expression!)whenever I hear the song.

I think the song follows a man who has a girlfriend, but desires someone else who is the polar opposite of her - a fiesty, firey, openly sexual woman. A complete and utter tease. Represented in the lyrics are his desire and temptation for her in the chorus. His thoughts of her are almost physically dominating and manipluating him.

First of all the opening verse. It seems to describe endings and laughing by yourself - lonliness. This represent the relationship with his current girlfriend - stale and dull. Things aren't going anywhere and he craves something fresh and exciting. The refrence to the joke she may be telling him -she laughs alone. Is he there but too busy thinking about this woman he desires? Too much of a coward to leave the relationship for just for lust?

Then we hear the chorus-

"I heard it's cold out, but her popsicle melts" The notion of her firey nature, but perhaps icy exterior. But also perhaps, an explicit phallic refrence to fantasies he may have about this woman.

"She's in the bathroom, she's pleasures herself, Says I'm a bad man, She's locking me out."

This is another refrence to her nature and his fantasies about her. He would probably imagine in her masturbating in her presence, but behind a locked door. Thus, that issue of his relationship as an obstacle being in the way of his lust proves. As well as her promiscuous and teasing nature.

"Says I'm a bad man" Could actually be his psyche putting words in her mouth during his fantasies. Although it is common knowledge that men get off at being called "bad" or "dangerous" - this name he has branded himself with could be a reflection of guilt invading such sexual imagery in his head whilst in a relationship with someone else.

"It's cause of these things" This is his way of saying that his desire towards her is merely because of inability of having her due to being commited. The tangled mess of a struggling relationship being smothered by desire for someone else. His wanting of what he cannot have.

"Let's make a fast plan, watch it burn to the ground" - This could be the protagonists urge to cheat on his current girlfriend. A "fast plan" perhaps meaning a one night stand, resulting in the sudden destruction of his relationship with his girlfriend.

"I'm not a bad man, I'm just overwhelmed" - Again, his response to his fantasies and temptation towards this woman. He's convincing himself that it's all her fault for being so flirtatious and teasing him, he's trying to overthow his lust in favour of saving his relationship. A tug of war between his loyalty and his desire.

The next verse starting - "The crowd on the street walks slowly, don't mind the rain..." Is his bitter attitude towards relationships now he's gotten himself into this mess. "Lovers hold hands to numb the pain" Another bitter, ironic statement - seeing that his relationship is the main cause of his predicament. "Gripping tightly to something that they will never own" - This could possibly refer to boh he and his girlfriend, they both have the freedom to walk away at anytime, but they don't. However, he feels the risk is always there and the urge to have sex with this woman will consume him.

His thoughts move to the woman again and the notion of freedom beyond the dying relationship -

"And those by themselves by choice or by some reward No mistakes only now you're bored"

This is a ponderance on the situation of the woman he desires. Perhaps she is so promiscuous because she is simply single and can do as she please? Perhaps she targets to seduce him because he is commited and was happy and she isn't? Her boredom becoming a greedy and destructive aspect of her personality.

"This is the time of your life but ya just can't tell." This statement is just steeped in bitterness and jealousy towards the woman. He wants to leave his girlfriend and have the freedom that this woman has - but this becomes a vicious cirlce. The boredom of being single creating him into what his crush was- A tease, but also perhaps lonely and insecure inside.

The placement of the chorus again representing that vicious, frustrating tug of war between his lust and his love - his desire and his guilt. And "These Things" that get in the way.

--

Sorry for writing an essay! The more I listen to this amazing, dark song - the more my interpretation of it grows!

Thanks for reading! :)

cool, do you have more SWR lyrics?

The album isn't out yet...so you have to listen to it and type out the lyrics. And that song is really hard to understand a few words...I don't wanna submit it and then get yelled at for screwing up some.

Anit-Hero, u did good at typing the lyrcis. I know i hate it when people yell at u for posting lyrics wrong. It's quite gay if u ask me. Lmao. Well yes. U people have fun now.

I love the bathroom line... I can just picture that scene :)

i love the song because of the popsicle and bathroom line...excellent!!! i love this band

I'm not a bad man, I'm just overwhelmed. That's awesome.

What first caught my attention was the 2nd line in the chorus as well. I also really like these lyrics. "Remember a joke so you turn around. There's no one to listen, so you laugh by yourself." "And those by themselves by choice or by some reward No mistakes, only now you're bored. This is the time of your life but you just can't tell." I think this line is about taking risks and playing it straight. And how living life without taking risks doesn't feel much like living at all.