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.
You might put your love and trust on the line
It's risky, people love to tear that down
Let 'em try
Do it anyway
Risk it anyway
And if you're paralyzed by a voice in your head
It's the standing still that should be scaring you instead
Go on and
Do it anyway
Do it anyway
There will be times you might leap before you look
There'll be times you'll like the cover and that's precisely why you'll love the book
Do it anyway
Do it anyway
Tell me what I said I'd never do
Tell me what I said I'd never say
Read me off a list of the things I used to not like but now I think are ok
Sometimes it's not subjective: wrong and right
Deep down you know it's downright wrong but you're invincible tonight
So you
Do it anyway
It's done
You did it
Despite your grand attempts the chips are set to fall
And all the stories you might weave cannot negotiate them all
Do it anyway
Be honest, anyway
So tell me what I said I'd never do
Tell me what I said I'd never say
Read me off a list of the things I used to not like but now I think are OK
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
Whoa whoa whoa whoa
It's gonna be so very hard to say
And watch the trust and joy all drain from her innocent face
But you must
Do it anyway
It sucks but
Do it anyway
Call it surrender but you know that that's a joke
And the punchline is you were never actually in control
But still, surrender anyway
Tell me what you said you'd never do
Tell me what you said you'd never say
Read me off that list of things 'cause I used to not like you
But now I think you're OK
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
Whoa whoa whoa whoa
Everybody knows that you just gotta do it anyway
Do it anyway
Do it anyway
Do it anyway
Do it anyway
Do it anyway
Do it anyway
Do it anyway
Do it anyway
'Cause you don't do nothing to avoid self punishment
You won't do nothing
You won't feel nothing
Gotta
Do it, do it, do it anyway
Ah
Do it anyway
It's risky, people love to tear that down
Let 'em try
Do it anyway
Risk it anyway
And if you're paralyzed by a voice in your head
It's the standing still that should be scaring you instead
Go on and
Do it anyway
Do it anyway
There will be times you might leap before you look
There'll be times you'll like the cover and that's precisely why you'll love the book
Do it anyway
Do it anyway
Tell me what I said I'd never do
Tell me what I said I'd never say
Read me off a list of the things I used to not like but now I think are ok
Sometimes it's not subjective: wrong and right
Deep down you know it's downright wrong but you're invincible tonight
So you
Do it anyway
It's done
You did it
Despite your grand attempts the chips are set to fall
And all the stories you might weave cannot negotiate them all
Do it anyway
Be honest, anyway
So tell me what I said I'd never do
Tell me what I said I'd never say
Read me off a list of the things I used to not like but now I think are OK
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
Whoa whoa whoa whoa
It's gonna be so very hard to say
And watch the trust and joy all drain from her innocent face
But you must
Do it anyway
It sucks but
Do it anyway
Call it surrender but you know that that's a joke
And the punchline is you were never actually in control
But still, surrender anyway
Tell me what you said you'd never do
Tell me what you said you'd never say
Read me off that list of things 'cause I used to not like you
But now I think you're OK
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
Whoa whoa whoa whoa
Everybody knows that you just gotta do it anyway
Do it anyway
Do it anyway
Do it anyway
Do it anyway
Do it anyway
Do it anyway
Do it anyway
Do it anyway
'Cause you don't do nothing to avoid self punishment
You won't do nothing
You won't feel nothing
Gotta
Do it, do it, do it anyway
Ah
Do it anyway
Lyrics submitted by librarysteg
Do It Anyway Lyrics as written by Benjamin Scott Folds Ben Folds
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
I think this song is really a story; it's not list of static lyrics, but rather some kind of narrative that grows as it progresses through the song.
Parts of this song could be telling a story about being in a relationship with someone you're not actually in love with.
"There'll be times you'll like the cover and that's precisely why you'll love the book" could be talking about finding someone physically attractive, and letting that push you into a relationship that might not be genuine. At this point, whoever the song is about hasn't figured that all out yet; he still "likes the book [read: relationship]," even though it was just the physical attraction that pulled him in.
"Deep down you know it's downright wrong but you're invincible tonight" could be a sexual encounter; at this point, the subject knows he shouldn't be in the relationship anymore, but he's still going to "do it anyway."
"It's gonna be so very hard to say And watch the trust and joy all drain from her innocent face" ... "Call it surrender but you know that that's a joke And the punchline is you were never actually in control"
These two lines are what I based my guess off of, really. The first is telling how the subject has to eventually confront his lack of feeling in the relationship; even though he's been lying for whatever amount of time, he's going to have to break her heart. The next line describes the subject dealing with having hurt someone else by not having reciprocal feelings, and brings up the fact that who we love is generally not something we are in control of as humans.
Other guesses include a narrative about cheating on someone, or, along scarier lines of thought, perhaps a story about alcohol and rape.
This song arose out of Ben Folds not being able to play a song (or not wanting to -- perhaps it was "Rock This Bitch" -- I don't remember, exactly), to which a fan yelled, "do it anyway!".
A video of the resulting improvisation, on July 21, 2011 at the Wiltern in Los Angeles, is on YouTube at youtube.com/watch
Holy crap. He's playing the frickin' banjo on a piano! Unreal.
"You might put your love and trust on the line it's risky people love to let tear that down let 'em try. Do it anyway"
"Sometimes it's not subjective: wrong and right deep down you know it's downright wrong but you're invincible tonight so you do it anyway. It's done, you did it."
"There will be times you might leap before you look, there'll be times you like the color and that's precisely why you'll love the book"
"It's gonna be so very hard to say and watch the trust and joy all drain from her innocent face but you must do it anyway it sucks but do it anyway!"
He took advantage of someone and didn't really love them and knew it was wrong so he broke up with her.
Cover* sorry. He's not racist.
You can listen to the new track here:
<a href="hasiefardiasyah.tumblr.com/post/22580765328/in-case-my-profile-picture-on-this-blog-didnt">hasiefardiasyah.tumblr.com/post/22580765328/in-case-my-profile-picture-on-this-blog-didnt</a>
So awesome to hear Ben's piano again.