This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
ft Amerie
(Royce talking)
Come here Royce
(Royce talking over chorus)
Come over here, sit down, let me talk to you
Right here, over here
Sit on daddy's lap
I want to tell you something
(Chorus: Amerie) [Royce]
Life is a moment in space
When the dream is gone, it's a lonelier place
[This is life]
Life is a moment in space
When the dream is gone, it's a lonelier place
[Royce]
Listen, yo
Little Royce Nickel Nine, eyes wide with sight
With a future as bright as the light in the eyes of Christ
Ready to take on the world and whatever is in it
Proof read, sign, and seal whatever you finish
I can only lead you while you're on your quest for knowledge
I'ma teach you to have sense and to respect the dollar
Hope for the best, and you'll see, your world will be solid
I'ma teach you the truth, even behind worldly logic
This is life, cut and dry, days is bright, nights is dark
Fights get sparked, it's almost like to get ahead
You got to be twice as smart, the realities of life is harsh
Just know that God's keeping you level
He'll even speak through the ghetto to reach you
Just to teach you that the streets is the devil
Everybody's dishonest, different
Which means that we're dying by livin'
Oblivious to the time that we're given
So you don't prepare for the death, you live for the life
And live right like, do right by your kids and your wife
Have fun as a child, yo them years is precious
The future brings fear and stresses as the year progresses
You're gonna turn a lot of them down, you're gonna feel rejection
You're gonna tell a lot of lies and you're gonna hear confessions
It's a two way street when you deal in his presence
Only your life can show that everything is real in this message
This is life
(Chorus: Amerie) [Royce]
Life is a moment in space
When the dream is gone, it's a lonelier place
[This is life]
Life is a moment in space
When the dream is gone, it's a lonelier place
[Royce]
Yo, the whole world is upon you, the pressure is on
And you can probably sum your life up the best when you're gone
Upon the creation of all men, destiny's born
For us to reproduce, so you can keep the legacy goin'
I know you think I'm Superman, but I got weaknesses too
I keep a firm leash on things by believing in you
And after I'm gone I live on breathing through you
And anything I had in this life, I leave it to you
Aim for the sky and fly till you come back down
I had you the baton and you run, till you come back 'round
Let your heart tell your temper, "Put that gun back down!"
Dry your tears up and turn that frown upside-down
It'd be plenty to cry for, think life, not death
You got much more to live for than to die for
But you got to stay humble
Cause just as hard as your work to get it
There's people working harder to take it from you
Cause life, something that people take for granted
As time passes, you're gonna want something back
But you won't get it cause history is made every second
So you crave every lesson and save every blessin'
No matter how you view the world yo, you never will get it
The world will be the world through the eyes of whoever is in it
But things ain't gonna always go right
Look at it like, yo this ain't your day, but this your life, and live
Life
(Chorus: Amerie) [Royce]
Life is a moment in space
When the dream is gone, it's a lonelier place
[This is life]
Life is a moment in space
When the dream is gone, it's a lonelier place
[Amerie]
There will be trials and tribulations
But don't let them, don't let them, don't let them bring you down
I said you better keep going to your destination
After your darkest hour the sun will come around
(Royce talking)
This is life
Yo I don't care, I don't care if this song don't sell one copy
That's not even what it's for
It's for you, my boy
This is life
(Amerie singing in the background)
You gotta keep going on, you gotta keep moving on
Be strong, be strong, be strong
Cause this is life
(Royce talking)
Come here Royce
(Royce talking over chorus)
Come over here, sit down, let me talk to you
Right here, over here
Sit on daddy's lap
I want to tell you something
(Chorus: Amerie) [Royce]
Life is a moment in space
When the dream is gone, it's a lonelier place
[This is life]
Life is a moment in space
When the dream is gone, it's a lonelier place
[Royce]
Listen, yo
Little Royce Nickel Nine, eyes wide with sight
With a future as bright as the light in the eyes of Christ
Ready to take on the world and whatever is in it
Proof read, sign, and seal whatever you finish
I can only lead you while you're on your quest for knowledge
I'ma teach you to have sense and to respect the dollar
Hope for the best, and you'll see, your world will be solid
I'ma teach you the truth, even behind worldly logic
This is life, cut and dry, days is bright, nights is dark
Fights get sparked, it's almost like to get ahead
You got to be twice as smart, the realities of life is harsh
Just know that God's keeping you level
He'll even speak through the ghetto to reach you
Just to teach you that the streets is the devil
Everybody's dishonest, different
Which means that we're dying by livin'
Oblivious to the time that we're given
So you don't prepare for the death, you live for the life
And live right like, do right by your kids and your wife
Have fun as a child, yo them years is precious
The future brings fear and stresses as the year progresses
You're gonna turn a lot of them down, you're gonna feel rejection
You're gonna tell a lot of lies and you're gonna hear confessions
It's a two way street when you deal in his presence
Only your life can show that everything is real in this message
This is life
(Chorus: Amerie) [Royce]
Life is a moment in space
When the dream is gone, it's a lonelier place
[This is life]
Life is a moment in space
When the dream is gone, it's a lonelier place
[Royce]
Yo, the whole world is upon you, the pressure is on
And you can probably sum your life up the best when you're gone
Upon the creation of all men, destiny's born
For us to reproduce, so you can keep the legacy goin'
I know you think I'm Superman, but I got weaknesses too
I keep a firm leash on things by believing in you
And after I'm gone I live on breathing through you
And anything I had in this life, I leave it to you
Aim for the sky and fly till you come back down
I had you the baton and you run, till you come back 'round
Let your heart tell your temper, "Put that gun back down!"
Dry your tears up and turn that frown upside-down
It'd be plenty to cry for, think life, not death
You got much more to live for than to die for
But you got to stay humble
Cause just as hard as your work to get it
There's people working harder to take it from you
Cause life, something that people take for granted
As time passes, you're gonna want something back
But you won't get it cause history is made every second
So you crave every lesson and save every blessin'
No matter how you view the world yo, you never will get it
The world will be the world through the eyes of whoever is in it
But things ain't gonna always go right
Look at it like, yo this ain't your day, but this your life, and live
Life
(Chorus: Amerie) [Royce]
Life is a moment in space
When the dream is gone, it's a lonelier place
[This is life]
Life is a moment in space
When the dream is gone, it's a lonelier place
[Amerie]
There will be trials and tribulations
But don't let them, don't let them, don't let them bring you down
I said you better keep going to your destination
After your darkest hour the sun will come around
(Royce talking)
This is life
Yo I don't care, I don't care if this song don't sell one copy
That's not even what it's for
It's for you, my boy
This is life
(Amerie singing in the background)
You gotta keep going on, you gotta keep moving on
Be strong, be strong, be strong
Cause this is life
Lyrics submitted by LegiTAngeL
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
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This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
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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.
i agree one of the tytest songs