This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
Will I have learned so very little
When these bones are old and brittle?
I wait to talk when I should listen
And cloud mistakes with false revisions
All my friends are forward-thinking
Getting hitched and quitting drinking
And I can feel them pulling away
As I'm resigned to stay the same
And you can't even begin to know
How many times I've told myself "I told you so"
I was once a loyal lover
Whose lips did never seek another's
But now each love's more like a match
A blinding spark that burns out fast
And they all conclude with the same sentence:
"I've never met someone more self-centered
Who thinks that life with a nice girl's like
Waiting for a bus to work"
And you can't even begin to know
How many times I've told myself "I told you so"
And you can't even begin to believe
There's so many bridges engulfed in flames behind me
If you deem it so
Just cut the cord and go
You'll be fine
There's plenty of hills to climb
You can't even begin to know
How many times I've told myself "I told you so"
And you can't even begin to believe
There's so many bridges engulfed in flames behind me
You can't even begin to know
How many times I've told myself "I told you so"
And you can't even begin to believe
There's so many bridges engulfed in flames behind me
When these bones are old and brittle?
I wait to talk when I should listen
And cloud mistakes with false revisions
All my friends are forward-thinking
Getting hitched and quitting drinking
And I can feel them pulling away
As I'm resigned to stay the same
And you can't even begin to know
How many times I've told myself "I told you so"
I was once a loyal lover
Whose lips did never seek another's
But now each love's more like a match
A blinding spark that burns out fast
And they all conclude with the same sentence:
"I've never met someone more self-centered
Who thinks that life with a nice girl's like
Waiting for a bus to work"
And you can't even begin to know
How many times I've told myself "I told you so"
And you can't even begin to believe
There's so many bridges engulfed in flames behind me
If you deem it so
Just cut the cord and go
You'll be fine
There's plenty of hills to climb
You can't even begin to know
How many times I've told myself "I told you so"
And you can't even begin to believe
There's so many bridges engulfed in flames behind me
You can't even begin to know
How many times I've told myself "I told you so"
And you can't even begin to believe
There's so many bridges engulfed in flames behind me
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This song. This EP. Awwwmahgod. I love it. Love it. So yeah, you guys already got the meaning on this one. I've gotta say the first verse is my favorite part. Especially the first 2 lines. I don't know why, or anything.
Yeah I totally agree. There's a lot of emotion in that first verse.. and the delivery is perfect. Awesome melody too.