I have lived everyday of my life
Thinking only of what I should think
When I read back on everything that I have written
On how I lived my life

And in the process of doing so
I have to start at the chance to feel alive
Just to stay an observer of an impartial observer

Here I go again, I'm chasing my tail around the sun
Standing beneath a tortoise under an elephant under the world
The gravity of the battle means nothing to those at peace
I can't believe, I thought my thoughts meant anything

When we think we've reached the end
We're only back where we begin
When we think we've reached the end
We're only back where we begin
Superman, Superman, Superman

We are starving to death on full stomachs
Running miles, new hearts on old legs
If I had known all the howls were false alarms
Oh, just imagine the ammo we'd save

Here we go again, I'll come to your party if it goes
Until four question marks at least
Three or less and it's not worth my time at all
On nights like those my absence trumps my company

When we think we've reached the end
We're only back where we begin
When we think we've reached the end
We're only back where we being
Superman, Superman, Superman

I truly believe I'll be remembered
And that even this sentence will be studied
Oh, will you think that I am wise 'cause I'm aware of that?
Or am I just killing myself before they get me


Lyrics submitted by aristuma21

Turtles All the Way Down Lyrics as written by Jordan Buckley Andy Williams

Lyrics © MOTHERSHIP MUSIC PUBLISHING

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Turtles All The Way Down song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

5 Comments

sort form View by:
  • 0
    General Comment

    "Standing beneath a tortoise under an elephant under the world." Reference to the Hindu's view that the world rested upon an elephant, and the elephant rested upon a tortoise.

    When someone asked what the tortoise is resting upon, an old lady replied "You're very clever, young man, very clever, but it's turtles all the way down!"

    "Superman. Superman. Superman." is a reference to Nietzche.

    supernaturalon September 17, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    eternal recurrence is a reference to Nietzsche as well. saying in a universe that is finite in space and matter but infinite in time will have an finite number of outcomes that repeat themselves perpetually. he's saying his thoughts dont mean anything because they are not original, they cant be. "When we think we've reached the end, were only back where we begin"

    sandiejenkinson February 28, 2010   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turtles_all_the_way_down -the concept is a very popular one in the mythology of many cultures.

    i think it's keith's struggle with the value of his own writing. and whether or not he's actually existing in the here and now, rather than spending all his time thinking about how things should be 'observed'.

    and yeah, the nietzsche stuff: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%9Cbermensch that's what i think inspired this.

    although i feel it may be about writers in general, something he can relate to. rather than a direct experience. maybe. that's what i've tried to extract.

    mowglicoyon May 18, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Can someone explain these two lines for me : "I'll come to your party if it goes until 4 question marks at least. 3 or less and it's not worth my time at all. "

    Hypeson July 18, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I think it's about the pseudo-intellectuals we are plagued with in social situations. People who read and quote Nietzsche not because they like it but because they like that other people will think it's impressive. I think the final line is a reference to the newer hipster mentality of meta-awareness, where people know that they do this sort of stuff and think they're justified in it because they know. In the end they're still spending so much time wondering how they should live they've forgotten to live. That's my take on it anyway

    RobFishon August 05, 2011   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
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him. There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
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
When We Were Young
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
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
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it. “I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.