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.
'Cause it's a bittersweet symphony, this life
Try to make ends meet
You're a slave to money then you die
I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down
You know the one that takes you to the places
Where all the veins meet yeah,
No change, I can't change
I can't change, I can't change
But I'm here in my mold
I am here in my mold
But I'm a million different people
From one day to the next
I can't change my mold
No, no, no, no, no
Well I never pray
But tonight I'm on my knees yeah
I need to hear some sounds that recognize the pain in me, yeah
I let the melody shine, let it cleanse my mind, I feel free now
But the airways are clean and there's nobody singing to me now
No change, I can't change
I can't change, I can't change
But I'm here in my mold
I am here in my mold
And I'm a million different people
From one day to the next
I can't change my mold
No, no, no, no, no
I can't change
I can't change
'Cause it's a bittersweet symphony, this life
Try to make ends meet
Try to find some money then you die
I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down
You know the one that takes you to the places
Where all the things meet yeah
You know I can't change, I can't change
I can't change, I can't change
But I'm here in my mold
I am here in my mold
And I'm a million different people
From one day to the next
I can't change my mold
No, no, no, no, no
I can't change my mold
No, no, no, no, no,
I can't change
Can't change my body,
No, no, no
(You've got to change your violence,) Got your sex and violence,
Melody and Silence
I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down
I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down
Been down
Ever been down
Ever been down
Ever been down
Ever been down
Have you ever been down?
Have you've ever been down?
Try to make ends meet
You're a slave to money then you die
I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down
You know the one that takes you to the places
Where all the veins meet yeah,
No change, I can't change
I can't change, I can't change
But I'm here in my mold
I am here in my mold
But I'm a million different people
From one day to the next
I can't change my mold
No, no, no, no, no
Well I never pray
But tonight I'm on my knees yeah
I need to hear some sounds that recognize the pain in me, yeah
I let the melody shine, let it cleanse my mind, I feel free now
But the airways are clean and there's nobody singing to me now
No change, I can't change
I can't change, I can't change
But I'm here in my mold
I am here in my mold
And I'm a million different people
From one day to the next
I can't change my mold
No, no, no, no, no
I can't change
I can't change
'Cause it's a bittersweet symphony, this life
Try to make ends meet
Try to find some money then you die
I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down
You know the one that takes you to the places
Where all the things meet yeah
You know I can't change, I can't change
I can't change, I can't change
But I'm here in my mold
I am here in my mold
And I'm a million different people
From one day to the next
I can't change my mold
No, no, no, no, no
I can't change my mold
No, no, no, no, no,
I can't change
Can't change my body,
No, no, no
(You've got to change your violence,) Got your sex and violence,
Melody and Silence
I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down
I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down
Been down
Ever been down
Ever been down
Ever been down
Ever been down
Have you ever been down?
Have you've ever been down?
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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”
Holiday
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@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
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/
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.
This is a brilliant song. It is about the feeling of being trapped and powerless to change your behavior or your life due to circumstances beyond your control. It is about the sense of desperation you feel as your life passes before your eyes and you struggle unsuccessfully to control and shape it. It is about the perpetual conflict between the path you want to follow and the path you are compelled to follow.
Walking down a busy London street is a metaphor for how he feels about his life. He walks down the street and is almost hit by a passing car, runs into people, walks over a car hood that is in his path, etc. As a result everyone is annoyed — even angry with him. When a young woman confronts him physically he calmly and resolutely moves forward along his path without a trace of animosity or anger. People are critical and disdainful of the path he is walking — insisting he should be able to avoid these obstacles— to choose a better, safer and more conscientious path to walk. But he feels completely powerless to change his speed and direction. His path is mandated and not chosen by him.
He knows emphatically that he could be different — be a better person and live a different, more meaningful life. He knows if it were merely up to him he could change (“I can change, I can change, I can change”), but the circumstances of his life have cast him into a rigid mold that keeps him on a steady trajectory, limiting his choices. It isn’t his lack of ability, intelligence, imagination or flexibility that is holding him back (“I’m a million different people from one day to the next”) but the circumstances of the culture / world into which he was born.
He wants more meaning in his life. But the overriding importance of the pursuit of making a living is always threatening to squeeze out his uniqueness, nullify his aptitudes and mold his path to a formal structure of daily life that he had no part in designing. He wants to be a better person. Yet, he continually finds himself walking down the same familiar self-destructive paths, despite his effort to avoid them. There is never a time when he can break free of this mold because he is stuck in a pattern of behavior until he dies.
He can’t accept this. Because this is the only life he will ever have, he is pressed with frequent internal anguish. He is on the verge of breaking and is walking through life in a fog. He doesn’t generally pray, but he is getting desperate. He gets down on his knees to pray — if only to hear the sound his own voice recognizing the frustration he feels. Any sound of compassion - any recognition of his pain - is better than the silence. He prays sincerely, earnestly and desperately. While he is pleading and making his case, his prayer is like a melody that helps him to feel better. It is a song that clears his mind, grounds him and makes him feel like he can break free of his mold and change his life. But it is a false hope. When he finishes praying there is only silence. God does not answer him. The airwaves are clean without a trace of anything but static. For all his singing, no one is singing to him now. He has no idea what to do and finds himself just as discouraged and helpless as before. There must be more to life than this (“Vanity, vanity: all is vanity and striving after the wind” ).
This experience is a microcosm for the whole of his life — a Bittersweet Symphony. There are periods of clarity, beauty and temporary relief in his life. Yet, it is all encapsulated by an overall theme that is heart rending — like waking suddenly from a warm, peaceful dream to find that you are back in cold, dark room — unchanged and unmoved by your dreams.
He can’t accept the path his life has taken, but he has no choice. He will be in perpetual conflict with his situation. He is immobilized in his mold and has no choice but to continue down this path, accepting all its adverse consequences, until it the path finally comes to an end at the place “where all things meet” - Death.
I LOVE your description...its my description on roids, if i had read this first, I would not have written my description after, brilliantly well told!
1 word: BORDERLINE..everything here above is true. It's all about a good friend of mine..and he is fighting against "where all things meet". He is the most brave guy I ever did meet..
Superb elucidation!
Mate, I read your text a thousand times, Bittersweet Symphony is my favourite song in the world and I think your explanation is 99% correct. Richard Ashcroft have depression, he takes Prozac for his depression but he writes a lot of songs about happiness, hope, believe that's is possible and theses kind of things... So the way you explain this song seems like just a sad song but I think its a sad and a happy song, this song always give me hope when I'm down so I don't think the song is a sad song, maybe a song about reality. And I think that one thing that can prove my theory is the Chrous, Richard Sings: No change, I can't change<br /> I can't change, I can't change<br /> But I'm here in my mold<br /> I am here in my mold<br /> And I'm a million different people<br /> From one day to the next<br /> I can't change my mold<br /> No, no, no, no, no<br /> I can't change<br /> I can't change<br /> <br /> And I think that sometimes he didn't sing ''can't'' he sings ''can'', I think thats the thing about life, sometime you think you're can't do something and sometimes you think you can do. Like in their gig on Glastonbury 2008, I think Richard Sings:<br /> You know, I CAN change<br /> I CAN change, I CAN change<br /> But I'm here in my mold<br /> I am here in my mold<br /> And I'm a million different people<br /> From one day to the next<br /> I can't change my mold<br /> No, no, no, no, no<br /> I can't change<br /> I can't change<br /> <br /> So I think he sings that he know he's walking in a road that he didn't want go, and sometimes he think it's impossible go to another direction, but he have hope he will go to that road he want to go and that maybe his troubles won't dissapear but that's, life it's not just sweet, life is bitter too and that's what makes life extraordinary.<br /> <br /> I really want a answer of you, I will be really glad to know if you agree or not with me
Thank you for inspiring me to write my college entrance essays in which I wrote about my lifelong struggle to find out who I really was in a world which a dual-life is inevitable. In fact, the college that I sent it to liked it so much, I was awarded a scholarship money to pay for housing and tuition! This post makes has helped me move along a thin boundary of life in which we endlessly oscilliate between a life of regret and satisfaction.
General Comment:<br /> I agree on your interpretation except for this part.<br /> <br /> "I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down<br /> You know the one that takes you to the places <br /> Where all the veins meet yeah"<br /> <br /> The central nervous system consists of the brain and the spinal cord, that is where all the veins meet. I believe this part of the song says he'll take you down the only road he's ever been down, which is his mind/brain.
@akingry Amazing interpretation. I've listened to Bitter Sweet Symphony countless of times. It has always been my all times favourite however never actually understood the meaning deeply. Til now, when I actually am experiencing these painful feelings of hopelessness, of struggling without a way out and total trapped, I know that I understand every single words of the song to the heart deeply. I know I have to change, need to change, want to change but can't. I'm powerless, feeling so terrible, so guilty and in pain when all I can do is watch my life goes down the destructive path. No one understands, they feel tired, disappointed, and decided to give up on me. No one understands why can't I just "snap it out", just be better and do things. I've been so lost and can not even understand myself either. Now when I once again came across the song, found your explanation and realised all of my struggles, I feel deeply relieved. <br /> Thanks for the amazing, powerful interpretation.
@akingry I made an account just so I could tell you how beautifully written this interpretation was. And your interpretation seems to align with mine also, especially when watching the music video with it. You can even see some demarcation in his life with certain interactions; the girl checking him out could be a hookup or a relationship he had, the girl yelling at him a breakup, or what a breakup would look like, it was shot a lot like what a breakup in movies looks like, and the dark car pulling up and him seeing his own reflection in the dark glass: a death? a near death experience? <br /> <br /> This music video, for its simplicity, is endlessly fascinating.
@akingry - You nailed it. Bro. Fantastic interpretation.
@akingry ok I want to caveat on one thing... it's a visual cue from the video... at the closing of the song, the other band members join up and form a United front. This suggests that with the help of those on your life's journey, sometimes change is not needed or impended. He's in his mold, but that's where he's comfortable, at this time... just a thought
@akingry <br /> Beautifully and thoroughly interpreted! Thank you so much for this :)
For me it means exactly what Richard Ashcroft says before he performs it in concert. Life is like a symphony, but bittersweet in that you have rules and regulations imposed on it and that people are just governed by money and will only be as successful as the amount of it they have. As the man wrote the song, I will go along with his assessment.
its about the belief that you should live your own life. and live that life everyday as if its your last day. cause ultimately thats all youre doing is living each day getting closer and closer to death. dont let sex and money and other material things become what defines your goals in life. very powerful song. lyrically excellent. singer is pretty ugly too.
lol!...that is absolutely true!!!
great song
dosent it just want to make you walk down the street walking into people.
lol
that damn violin part gets stuck in my head like no other ...
The way I see it..hes living his life, making his money, and not real happy with the way things are..but its bittersweet, because he cant really complain. Also, the "change" he says that he can change it, he can change his unhappiness, but he is in routine, he is in his "mould"..he wants to go on in life and do his thing, but he wants it to change..and him, others, arent totally happy with it, he doesnt know what he wants (a million people from one day to the next) but he want to change it, because he needs something new.
This to me is about one man's stubborn refusal to recognise himself and his own desires. As a result, he's "a million different people from one day to the next". He can't change himself. He doesn't know how.
It's a working class hymn, as the album title suggests: a grinding endless string of meaningless jobs, fear, sex and violence, until the average person can't tell who or what they are, but figures out they might as well just push on through. Life never let's up and music is the only momentary release, the only moment when someone else's will isn't more powerful than his own.
The samples from ' The Last Time ' not the original but from an orchestral album of Stones hits.