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Colin Hay – Beautiful World Lyrics 15 years ago
Self declraration at its best.

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Manchester Orchestra – I've Got Friends Lyrics 15 years ago
I've got friends is a sarcastic lament

"Dirty on the ground is what I need"

A way of saying he needs somebody to play with

"I got another one to tell you and another one to make you believe"

He want's people to like him, believe is okay, believe he is cool, believe he is worth hanging with.

"pity on the grass; I tried to be the one you needed
when I told you that you wanted something bigger than me"

He wants somebody he can talk to, he's afraid the person he is talking to wont be his friend, so he talks in a disgustingly self effacing way. He tells people they can do better than him secretly hoping they will need him instead of leaving.

"I've got friends in all the right places
I know what they want
and I know they don't want me to stay"

But they don't need him or want him around. They aren't his friends even though he calls them that.

"cause you are not alive when I need you
and I need it quickly
in case you never know"

He is there for them but they are not there for him

"I can't play where I'm not supposed to anyway
any way, anyways, any way, anyways..."

His parents don't approve of his "friends".

"dirty on the ground is what I see"

He sees other people playing with each other and having fun.

"I need another reason why I need another reason
tell me to breathe"

He needs a reason why nobody wants him around, he needs a reason from the people that don't want him around. He is anxious and upset and all they do is tell him to "breath" (calm down in other words). They protagonist of the song is a bothersome hanger on to his "friends."

"the dirtier the sound, the best I breathe"

not sure yet, the dirtier the sound of the truth, the more raw the truth about why nobody want to be around him. Hard not to put sexual connotations on "dirtier the sound" but I don't think that is the intent of the lyric. The lyric is about rumor spreading maybe. Listening to people tell rumors about each other makes him feel involved even though he isn't really a part of the crowd.

"I tried to do it all for you
it didn't do anything for me"

He is "being there" for his friends at his own expense. He is nice to his "friends" in all the wrong ways. He is a "nice" guy, sort of fun to be around sometimes, but is mostly a bother and not well liked or respected.

"I've got friends in all the right places
I know what they want
and I know they don't want me to stay

and you and I will find
that when I need you
I need it quickly
in fact you'll never know

I've got friends in all the right places
I know what they want
and I know they don't want me to stay "

The remaining lyrics just drive the point home. The song is about a guy who is a hanger on in a crowd of people that do not really like him. He desperately wants to be in the know but he winds up the butt of everyone's jokes. Nobody lets him in, he does not belong, he knows he should do something different, but he doesn't. Instead he takes vicarious pleasure in listening to the people in the crowd tell stories behind each others backs because that is the only time he feels involved.

Yeah, he's got friends.

fin

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