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"
Jimmy Cream was keen
His brain was always winnin'
I can't keep tabs on mine
It's really quite a joke
I see him down the road
I ask if he'd be willing
To lend me 15P
I'm dying for a smoke
Don't arrange to have me sent to no asylum
I'm just as sane as anyone
It's a just a game
I play for fun, for fun
I told 'em
"Look!, I said I'm not the way you're thinkin'
Just when I'm down, I'll be the clown
I'll play the fool"
Don't arrange to have me sent to no asylum
I'm just as sane as anyone
It's a just a game
I play for fun, for fun
Will he take a sailboat ride?
Well he is very likely to
Will he feel good inside?
Well he ain't very likely to
Will he tell you he's alive?
Yeah he is always trying to, yeah
But nothin', no, no nothin'
Does he say, oh no
In the morning when the day's begun
Hello Good morning, how are you?
And in the evening or the noonday sun
What a lovely afternoon
Well I've been living next to you
Bluesy Monday
Is the one day that they come here
Yeah when they haunt me
And they taunt me in my cage
I mock 'em all
They're feelin' small, yeah they got no answer
Yeah they're playin' dumb
But I'm just laughing as they rage
Don't arrange to have me sent to no asylum
Well it's only a game
I'm playing for fun
Yeah I've been trying to fool everyone
(No that's too heavy)
Will he take a sailboat ride?
Well he is very likely to
Will he feel good inside?
Yeah he ain't ever likely to
Will he tell you he's alive?
Well he is always trying to, yeah
But nothin', no, no nothin'
Does he every say, yeah
In the morning when the day's begun
Do you think it looks like rain?
And in the evening or the noonday sun
You know I nearly missed my train
Well I've been living next to you my friend
But what kind of friend are you?
Oh, is it the beginning or the sorry end?
Will I ever see it through?
No I've never been insane
Oh what's the game?
I believe I'm dying, oh!
He's mad, mad, mad, mad, mad, mad, mad, mad, mad
Not quite right (not quite right)
His brain was always winnin'
I can't keep tabs on mine
It's really quite a joke
I see him down the road
I ask if he'd be willing
To lend me 15P
I'm dying for a smoke
Don't arrange to have me sent to no asylum
I'm just as sane as anyone
It's a just a game
I play for fun, for fun
I told 'em
"Look!, I said I'm not the way you're thinkin'
Just when I'm down, I'll be the clown
I'll play the fool"
Don't arrange to have me sent to no asylum
I'm just as sane as anyone
It's a just a game
I play for fun, for fun
Will he take a sailboat ride?
Well he is very likely to
Will he feel good inside?
Well he ain't very likely to
Will he tell you he's alive?
Yeah he is always trying to, yeah
But nothin', no, no nothin'
Does he say, oh no
In the morning when the day's begun
Hello Good morning, how are you?
And in the evening or the noonday sun
What a lovely afternoon
Well I've been living next to you
Bluesy Monday
Is the one day that they come here
Yeah when they haunt me
And they taunt me in my cage
I mock 'em all
They're feelin' small, yeah they got no answer
Yeah they're playin' dumb
But I'm just laughing as they rage
Don't arrange to have me sent to no asylum
Well it's only a game
I'm playing for fun
Yeah I've been trying to fool everyone
(No that's too heavy)
Will he take a sailboat ride?
Well he is very likely to
Will he feel good inside?
Yeah he ain't ever likely to
Will he tell you he's alive?
Well he is always trying to, yeah
But nothin', no, no nothin'
Does he every say, yeah
In the morning when the day's begun
Do you think it looks like rain?
And in the evening or the noonday sun
You know I nearly missed my train
Well I've been living next to you my friend
But what kind of friend are you?
Oh, is it the beginning or the sorry end?
Will I ever see it through?
No I've never been insane
Oh what's the game?
I believe I'm dying, oh!
He's mad, mad, mad, mad, mad, mad, mad, mad, mad
Not quite right (not quite right)
Lyrics submitted by hardcor_toonz
Asylum Lyrics as written by Roger Hodgson Richard Davies
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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More Featured Meanings
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
Lord Huron
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.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
hmm, it seems to me he has a split personality. like when roger sings, maybe thats the voice in his head,... also: "Well I've been living next to you my friend" "no nothin' does he ever say" "But what kind of friend are you?"
makes sence to me
@sdrawkcab88 I've always felt that the progression in Hide in Your Shell went too far actually providing a third part conclusion to the song where none was needed. I mean how does one follow that up without it being anti-climactic?<br /> Asylum was the perfect follow up. It's like Rick is rebelling against Roger's prior interpretation of Christ being crucified with a heavy metal pushing up of the progression to the point of insanity. Supertramp always liked to follow the first verse with a variance of more complex playing along with new additions of instruments.