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"
(Tell me about your childhood)
At the tender age of three
I was hooked to a machine
Just to keep my mouth from spouting junk.
Ha! Must have took me for a fool
When they chucked me out of school
'Cause the teacher knew I had the funk.
But tonight I'm on the edge -
Fellas, shut me in the fridge
'Cause I'm burning up! (I'm burning up.)
With the vision in my brain
And the music in my veins
And the dirty rhythm in my blood!
They are messing with my heart...
And they're messing with my heart
And they're messing with my heart
Won't stop messing with my... ohh!
Ripping me apart!
Hyperactive: when I'm small
Hyperactive: now I'm grown
Hyperactive: and the night is young
(And in a minute I'll blow!)
Semaphore out on the floor
Messages from outer space
Deep heat for the feet
And the rhythm of your heartbeat
'Cause the music of the street
It isn't any rapattack
It isn't any rapattack
I can reach into your homes
Like an itch in your headphones
You can't turn it up
I'm the shape in your back room
I'm the breather on the phone
And I'm burning up
But there's one thing I must say
Before they lock me up again -
You'd be safer at the back
When I'm having an attack!
Hyperactive: when I was small
Hyperactive: now I'm tall
Hyperactive: as the day is long
Hyperactive: in my bones
Hyperactive: in your phones
Hyperactive: and the night is young
Hyperactive : when I was small
Hyperactive: now I'm grown
Hyperactivfe: 'til I'm dead and gone
Stand up : hyperactivate!
Get up: hyperactivate!
Wise up: hyperactivate!
London: hyperactivate!
At the tender age of three
I was hooked to a machine
Just to keep my mouth from spouting junk.
Ha! Must have took me for a fool
When they chucked me out of school
'Cause the teacher knew I had the funk.
But tonight I'm on the edge -
Fellas, shut me in the fridge
'Cause I'm burning up! (I'm burning up.)
With the vision in my brain
And the music in my veins
And the dirty rhythm in my blood!
They are messing with my heart...
And they're messing with my heart
And they're messing with my heart
Won't stop messing with my... ohh!
Ripping me apart!
Hyperactive: when I'm small
Hyperactive: now I'm grown
Hyperactive: and the night is young
(And in a minute I'll blow!)
Semaphore out on the floor
Messages from outer space
Deep heat for the feet
And the rhythm of your heartbeat
'Cause the music of the street
It isn't any rapattack
It isn't any rapattack
I can reach into your homes
Like an itch in your headphones
You can't turn it up
I'm the shape in your back room
I'm the breather on the phone
And I'm burning up
But there's one thing I must say
Before they lock me up again -
You'd be safer at the back
When I'm having an attack!
Hyperactive: when I was small
Hyperactive: now I'm tall
Hyperactive: as the day is long
Hyperactive: in my bones
Hyperactive: in your phones
Hyperactive: and the night is young
Hyperactive : when I was small
Hyperactive: now I'm grown
Hyperactivfe: 'til I'm dead and gone
Stand up : hyperactivate!
Get up: hyperactivate!
Wise up: hyperactivate!
London: hyperactivate!
Lyrics submitted by JpnGht
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The Night We Met
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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.
Dreamwalker
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Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
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This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
No Surprises
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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.
TD says I Ain't Crazy
Great song! So original!