They got my number down
They know how tight to twist
One day they'll claim me
'til then I'll be here
Tic-toc the hour goes
Junk food, junk TV shows
I can't remember
One thing I took in

Everyday, I promise (that)
I will change, the next day
New Years came
And everybody took the same vow we get it, better start it now

Awaken by degrees
Information as disease
The march of progress is
Kicking me lifeless
Good God, look at what we've lost
Built on a holocaust
Gave beads and blankets
For what was priceless

Everyday, I promise (that)
I will change, the next day
New Years came
And everybody took the same vow we get it, better start it now

Things are gonna change this time
Things are gonna change
Every empire has its day, then it fades
Things are gonna change
Things are gonna change

How come it got so bad?
The noblest experiment
Maybe its all done
We'll start a new one

Everyday, I promise (that)
I will change, the next day
New Years came
And everybody took the same vow we get it, better start it now

Everyday, I promise (that)
I will change, the next day
New Years came
And everybody took the same vow we get it, better start it now

Better start it now

Start the next day


Lyrics submitted by SavageMadrox

The Next Day Lyrics as written by Glen Phillips

Lyrics © COMPASS RECORDS GROUP INC

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

The Next Day song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

4 Comments

sort form View by:
  • 0
    General Comment

    Good intentions then success can lead to contentment then laziness.

    I enjoy the lines "Awaken by degrees. Information as disease" they seem to point out how education has at times become indoctrination and accepting this information makes us seem important but yet we become just another drone of the system.

    piemericaon August 28, 2008   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
Standing On The Edge Of Summer
Thursday
In regards to the meaning of this song: Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.” That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
Album art
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve. The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future. Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere" The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
Album art
Dreamwalker
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.
Album art
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
Album art
Page
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.