| Rilo Kiley – A Better Son/Daughter Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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FutbolChica said it already… but the beginning to this song is a dead on description of sleep paralysis. I have it all the time, unfortunately. It’s what really pulled me in about this song the first time I heard it. …and yeah, the lyrics posted are wrong. It should be: “And your mother’s still calling you, insane and high, Swearing it’s different this time” Anyway, to me this song is about losing your innocence and growing up. Your mom calls you on the phone, for the whatever-ith time, she has mental health issues or depression or abuses drugs or is an alcoholic or chronically bites her nails (whatever problem or habit you can relate to most), and over time she just hasn’t changed. You finally realize: she probably never will. So you hang up and go back to bed. She’s still your mother and you still care about her, but you realize it’s not your responsibility to look out for her and that you just can’t help her. Then it moves on… Everyone has days when they feel invincible, when they are on top of the world. Then again, there also seems to be a whole lot more days when it feels like the world is collapsing on them and they can’t do anything right (this can be depression, but it can also just be life) … “But you’ll fight and you’ll make it through,” and knowing that you are fighting and battling your torments (whatever they may be), “not giving in”, will make you “better… smarter… more grown-up… a good friend… awake… alert… positive (even through the pain of the struggle)… a good listener… honest… brave… handsome/beautiful… happy.” Even if you “fake it” and don’t really get through, “you’ll go out fighting.” Life is an endless current of forces you have no control over (and they greatly outweigh the forces you can control). If you give in, they will certainly pull you into the stream, but if you push back and battle upstream long enough, your “ship” will have more to get to you, or you might just reach your destination all on your own. The struggle is what makes you a better person… To me, this song isn’t about being depressed, or being bi-polar, or illness…it’s just about life. Listening to it inspires me and makes me happy. …Of course, when my mom heard it, the first thing she said was, “You didn’t tell me you were going to play me a sad song.” …I didn’t know I had. So maybe the beauty of the song and these lyrics is that everyone can relate to it, regardless of how they interpret it or how it makes them feel. I know that was long. Sorry for the rambling… I just really love this song. |
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