This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
When I graduated high school
College not my scene
So I got a job at home for me
Feeling good about my opportunity
It's got benefits and decent pay... but they say
We hit a stalemate, looks bleak for us
A strike or lock-out or wholesale bust
Think to myself what a hell of a start
As we file down to Kate's Tavern
Katie, bar the door, we are jumping off the rails
Any hope for calm went John B. Sails
We're in your pub tonight to sing of good days left behind
And raise a glass to better times
The rumor mill's dispelled the official word comes down
They're gonna move our jobs real far away
Settle to another country where mistreatment for the workers is so commonplace... the judge says
"We cannot stop them, they're free to go"
He looks me in the eyes he says "I can't help you son"
Whatever happened to America?
She was sold twenty-six fuckin' long years ago
Katie, bar the door, we are jumping off the rails
Any hope for calm went John B. Sails
We're in your pub tonight to sing of good days left behind
And raise a glass to better times
Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey
Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey
Why sing about the unions again?
They have all died away
We are now in the midst of a brand new world economy
I don't believe them, I won't despair
They are regrouping, they're coming back to stay
Twelve percent can climb back up to fifty percent
Once again, my friend, a message we'll send
Katie, bar the door, we are jumping off the rails
Any hope for calm went John B. Sails
We're in your pub tonight to sing of good days left behind
And raise a glass to better times
Katie, bar the door, we are jumping off the rails
Any hope for calm went John B. Sails
We're in your pub tonight to sing of good days left behind
And raise a glass to better times
We'll raise a glass to better times
We'll raise a glass to better times
College not my scene
So I got a job at home for me
Feeling good about my opportunity
It's got benefits and decent pay... but they say
We hit a stalemate, looks bleak for us
A strike or lock-out or wholesale bust
Think to myself what a hell of a start
As we file down to Kate's Tavern
Katie, bar the door, we are jumping off the rails
Any hope for calm went John B. Sails
We're in your pub tonight to sing of good days left behind
And raise a glass to better times
The rumor mill's dispelled the official word comes down
They're gonna move our jobs real far away
Settle to another country where mistreatment for the workers is so commonplace... the judge says
"We cannot stop them, they're free to go"
He looks me in the eyes he says "I can't help you son"
Whatever happened to America?
She was sold twenty-six fuckin' long years ago
Katie, bar the door, we are jumping off the rails
Any hope for calm went John B. Sails
We're in your pub tonight to sing of good days left behind
And raise a glass to better times
Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey
Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey
Why sing about the unions again?
They have all died away
We are now in the midst of a brand new world economy
I don't believe them, I won't despair
They are regrouping, they're coming back to stay
Twelve percent can climb back up to fifty percent
Once again, my friend, a message we'll send
Katie, bar the door, we are jumping off the rails
Any hope for calm went John B. Sails
We're in your pub tonight to sing of good days left behind
And raise a glass to better times
Katie, bar the door, we are jumping off the rails
Any hope for calm went John B. Sails
We're in your pub tonight to sing of good days left behind
And raise a glass to better times
We'll raise a glass to better times
We'll raise a glass to better times
Lyrics submitted by the_clairvoyant
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
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
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.
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
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.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.