| Bombay Bicycle Club – Always Like This Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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First of all, according to Jack Steadman, the lead singer of Bombay Bicycle Club, the lyrics are "kinda sub par, kinda rushed" as a result of being written the day before the song was recorded. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDXS-_gXP7s I think the lyrics are great, but I think that the theme is a chronic depression, sadness or jealousy that inevitably ruins any relationships that the singer (Jack) finds himself in. First, he tries to explain himself to his lover (or something happens that shows a first sign of his inner turmoil) but she "won't believe" him, and enamored as people tend to be at the beginning of relationships, claims that "she can wait" for his love, or is just claiming that she will be patient with his ways-she hasn't seen his true dark side yet. Basically, she doesn't know what she's getting herself into, and this false sense of confidence rubs off on Jack, who, despite knowing himself all too well, wants to believe that he really is OK this time, and the relationship has a chance-"Is it all ok? Will I come off the lightest?". Even then, he knows his personality is starting to rear it's ugly head yet again-"I can't believe it, it's always like this" "Kept it at bay, yes you kept your word"-refers to the girls claim from before, and how so far, she's been true to her word. Knowing that, Jack starts to get more hopeful; her love for him seems to be strong, and maybe that will get them through his detrimental pattern of thinking. If he can focus on her love, and he can pretend that his mental troubles don't exist-"If I follow the light that I deem the brightest, I won't believe it, it's always like this". (There are also the lines "There on your mouth, but it's not what I heard". These may be referring to the fact that Jack is actually hearing from others that the girl is not being faithful and "waiting" for him like she said she would, or may be referring to the fact that he just can't see how someone would be that patient for him.) But then the chorus kicks in, and we hear what might be Jack's subconscious, the part of his mind that takes over and ruins his relationships by destroying his self esteem, telling him that he's "not whole" and that he's always going to "waste it all", or waste the love that anyone tries to show him. By the time the last verse sets in, both parties have already come to the realization that they won't be able to make this relationship work. "Oh you can wait for what I can give, you know what I am so you know how I live"- the girl has finally seen Jack's true personality, she understands what he's going to be like for the rest of their relationship if she stays. "Tried to look proud but you're not in the slightest"-she wants to be proud of herself for her patience, but she's in too much pain because she knows Jack won't ever be able to truly return her love for him (or because she knows that she's already tried looking for love from other guys) "It's happening now and it's always been like this"- further cementing the fact that the relationship has gone to shambles and was never even real in the first place, exactly like the rest of his relationships. The dramatic high guitar lead in the next chorus and the repetition of the sung phrase "like this" emphasize his sadness and feeling of being stuck in the same pattern of ending up alone, despite his efforts to make the relationships work. Back to Jack's quote from the Youtube video...Clearly, there are some aspects that I wasn't able to pinpoint. Was she cheating? What's Jack's inner turmoil, anyway? Is he saying that it's "always like this" because of himself, the unfaithfulness of the girls he's been with, or both? Well, according to him, the lyric's were "rushed", so as much as anyone tries to analyze this song, we'll never really know those specifics unless we heard the exact meaning of the lines from the man himself. But I think this interpretation is pretty close, and I hope it sheds some light on these rather ambiguous (but still very powerful and meaningful) lyrics. |
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| Bombay Bicycle Club – Curl Up Like a Dead Leaf and Go Where the Wind Blows Lyrics | 11 years ago |
| oh and DUH, of course it's a car; you can clearly hear what sounds like a RADIO in the background of the bridge section. | |
| Bombay Bicycle Club – Curl Up Like a Dead Leaf and Go Where the Wind Blows Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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Very insightful post. Didn't think of the fact that they could likely be in a car, but that reminded me of one of the lyrics that always stuck out like a sore thumb whenever I listened to this song; the "red container". I originally thought it could be "red cantina", the public setting where the "scene" may have been started, but now I believe it may be "red Cortina"-the Cortina being a vintage Ford model, specifically built by Ford of Britain(!), which happened to be the UK's best selling car in the 70's. Seems pretty clear to me now after reading your interpretation. |
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