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.
Do you remember when we were hungry
Do you remember when we were cold
Do you remember when we were happy
Do you remember do you remember
Do you remember when we were lucky
We living the life almost every night
I would wrap you in my thin white arms
We'd sit and watch the stars die
Ayayayayayayayayay
Do you remember when we were the losers
Do you remember when we were the lame
Do you remember when we were the lovers
Do you remember do you remember
Do you remember when we were strung out
Eating Top Ramen and macaroni & cheese
We would get so lost in that basement room
And let the Otis Redding sing us to sleep
I wish I had one more life
[Chorus:]
I don't want to be wasted
I don't want to live inside this daydream anymore
I just want to be happy again
I don't want to be wasted
I don't want to be blind
[Chorus]
I don't want to be wasted
I don't want to be blind (x 3)
I wish I could be like all my heroes
I wish I could be like all yours too
I wish I could sing like Otis Redding
I wish I could play this guitar in tune
Do you remember when we were hungry
Do you remember when we were cold
Do you remember when we were happy
In a way, no one outside
Could ever know
I wish I had one more life...
How I wish I had one more life to live
[Chorus]
I don't want to be wasted
I don't want to be blind
[Chorus]
I don't want to be wasted
I don't want to be (x 2)
I don't want to be wasted
I don't want to be blind
I don't want to be blind
Do you remember when we were cold
Do you remember when we were happy
Do you remember do you remember
Do you remember when we were lucky
We living the life almost every night
I would wrap you in my thin white arms
We'd sit and watch the stars die
Ayayayayayayayayay
Do you remember when we were the losers
Do you remember when we were the lame
Do you remember when we were the lovers
Do you remember do you remember
Do you remember when we were strung out
Eating Top Ramen and macaroni & cheese
We would get so lost in that basement room
And let the Otis Redding sing us to sleep
I wish I had one more life
[Chorus:]
I don't want to be wasted
I don't want to live inside this daydream anymore
I just want to be happy again
I don't want to be wasted
I don't want to be blind
[Chorus]
I don't want to be wasted
I don't want to be blind (x 3)
I wish I could be like all my heroes
I wish I could be like all yours too
I wish I could sing like Otis Redding
I wish I could play this guitar in tune
Do you remember when we were hungry
Do you remember when we were cold
Do you remember when we were happy
In a way, no one outside
Could ever know
I wish I had one more life...
How I wish I had one more life to live
[Chorus]
I don't want to be wasted
I don't want to be blind
[Chorus]
I don't want to be wasted
I don't want to be (x 2)
I don't want to be wasted
I don't want to be blind
I don't want to be blind
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Otis Redding Lyrics as written by Craig Montoya Art Alexakis
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I think it's one of the best, most underrated and more personal songs that Art has written. Obviously he had some addiction problems in the past and he is remembering the days before the addiction problems when he was broke, but emotionally happy. Then he became rich, addicted to drugs and emotionally bankrupt, and this song is basically about when he hit rock bottom and realized that it was ruining his life and wanted to quit and go back to being happy with his true self.
Wishing he has "one more life" is basically about him wanting to give up the drugs and start over clean.
Great song.
i dont' really understand this song, but everclear rules!
my camp "special friend" was obsesseed with this song, and called it the perfect song for a relationship...he related alot of it to our time together, talking about watching the stars glide by and holding me in his arms...
I think this song is about overcoming addiction ("I don't want to be wasted"). He wishes he could do it all over again without the drugs ("I wish I had one more life"). It's another sad relationship song, and also a song about regrets. Art really knows how to write them.
It's Redding, not Reading.
makes you think about past relationship. esp. the stages which you go through as a couple. art's best song.
This is a beautiful song, so powerful in it's deep meaning about wanting to be everything for the one person you sove so much. I love this song so much that when i was pregnant with my son, i would sing this song to him whenever he would get the hiccups, and it would calm him. After he was born, this song was sometimes the only thing that would get him calmed enough to sleep.
When asked what I would consider the best love song ever made, this was it.
Its Do you remember when we were the lovers...not leapers..
Everclear is awesome!
I love when he says I wish I could be like all my heros, I wish I could be like all yours too....
I think this is great. Not only is he saying he wants to achieve all his hopes and dreams, but he is saying he wants to be everything for her, all she had never hoped or dreamed about
this makes me sooo sad...this song tells a story of those people whom has nothing left to do but reminisce.