| Nine Inch Nails – Getting Smaller Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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I could be wrong, but I see this more as a political song than anything about being a rockstar or heroin addict. His following album, Year Zero, which was completely political, seems to support my interpretation. The whole first stanza refers to the government. He says he doesn't know who to trust--he's talking about politicians. "Flip flop" might be a pop reference as someone suggested, but it might also refer to how politicians tend to flip flop on the issues, diminishing his trust once again. The whole chorus is suggesting that we, the people, are losing our "voice" in democracy. We vote on these politicians who turn around and break the social contracts we voted them in on. And there's nothing we can do about it. We just behave and obey. The next stanza "I can't see through the cracks" is saying that we have *no idea* what's going on in the government anymore--everything takes place behind closed doors. We're losing our grip on the system. I'm unsure why he mentions his one good arm he can beat himself up with. Perhaps he's talking about an arm of the government--the police. Seems like a stretch. The next stanza, "For what it's worth," suggests that used to believe in the system, but try as he might, he is noticing a disparity between what he wants to be true(that we are a democracy), and what appears to be real(that we are losing control of it). Like I said, I could be wrong, but that's how I see it. |
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| Cage the Elephant – Shake Me Down Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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I figure the song is about a man looking back on his life as he dies. Just as the video portrays. In literature, the sea symbolizes many things such as loneliness and death. I assume this is because the sea is incomprehensibly vast, seemingly unending, unforgiving, and just generally mysterious. So when he says, "I've seen people walk into the sea just to find memories plagued with constant misery," he's saying that when people look back on their life as they die, they have so many regrets. So by keeping his eyes fixed on the sun(even on a cloudy day), he's saying that even though sometimes life sucks, he is refusing to look back on his regrets and feel sorry for himself. He's going to look on the bright side, so to speak. Perhaps it's also about drugs or addiction or whatever. But I've never been addicted to any drugs, so I cannot relate to that. Addicted to the internet, maybe. :) But not drugs. |
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| 3 Doors Down – When You're Young Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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Also, I have a correction. What they have as, "Why can't they remember, but I'll never forget." It should actually be, "Why can't they remember what I'll never forget?" |
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| 3 Doors Down – When You're Young Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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I think it's pretty obvious that this song is about growing up. Maybe it's a harsh word, but until we can think responsibly for ourselves, we're essentially slaves to our parents. So we do what our parents want. We dress with the clothes they buy us, we eat the food they make us, we worship the religion they teach us, we live under the roof they provide for us, and WE DO NOT have a choice in any major decision. Simply put, we do not have an identity. We are extensions of our parents until we begin to rebel or until they let us figure life out on our own, whichever comes first. The first four lines of the song I think reflect the narrator's struggle to find his own identity. To find out who he is. Is he going to be a singer? Is he going to be a business owner? What's his role in life? When you're young, so many dreams are shot down by comments such as, "No. You can't do that. You'll never make it" or "You'll get hurt" or "You're too good for that" or whatever. I wanted to play football when I was in high school, but my parents were afraid I would get hurt, so they did not let me. I wanted to join the military when I was 18, but my dad did not want me to, so I was guilted into staying home. Etc. "They all say I don't know what I'm doing, but I say they don't hardly understand." I feel these lyrics. My early adult life was marked by my parents telling me what I could and couldn't do. They thought I was stupid/suicidal for wanting to serve my country. But I would tell myself, they just don't get it. The second stanza, "Why can't they remember..." etc, I believe he's talking about his parents. He's saying why can't they remember when they had dreams of their own? Why did they ruin my childhood dreams? The third stanza, part of the chorus, "You give what you give..." This relates to my first paragraph. Everything you do as a kid, you do it because your parents told you do. Don't talk during the movie. Don't jump on the bed. etc. The line "They want you to be what they make you" refers to his parents shooting down his dreams again. He's saying 'they'(parents) don't want you to follow your own nose--they want you to follow their advice. They want you to dress like them, think like them, etc. I know this in my personal life all too well. "It's already over and done when you're young." He's just reiterating that while trying to shape you in their image, your parents are suppressing your own identity, thereby shattering your chances at living your own dreams. "Trapped in a place that won't take you" I assume this means the "REAL" you. The you whose dreams have been suppressed. The world or perhaps the household won't take "you", so you pretend to be this other person that your parents want you to be... "Everything seems perfect..." I think this stanza just refers to the care-free lives we live as children. You are sort of OK with your parents making your decisions for you because they make your life so easy. They provide everything. but even though they said things would get better, things only get more complicated as you age. "Days really just seem longer..." I think he's saying he's not living the life he wants to live. He's saying the days (probably at work) are dragging, on and on, and they seem to take forever. And he hopes that it gets better. Thanks for reading. This song speaks to me on a pretty personal level. |
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| A Perfect Circle – Pet Lyrics | 21 years ago |
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I keep laughing at these guys who think every song is about addiction, and I laughed especially hard when they said it about this one. I was looking at Tool song meanings and all of those were apparently about addiction too. But anyway, I go with the political point of view. Go to APC's website and watch that little video. It's pretty funny, even if only just mildly entertaining. It has president Bush popping up everywhere and brainwashing all the kids he comes across, turning them into little sheeps. |
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