Concrete Seconds

DEFINITELY one of the best pinback songs. Now that I'm thinking about it, i think he's having an encounter with an old flame on a bus or a trolley or a train, and she's asking about what happened between them and he doesn't want to be having the converstaion at all, so the seconds feel "concrete," weighty and long. He'd obviously like to explain, but just can't ("anything i say to you is gonna come out wrong anyway,") And he's close to being home and getting away from her ("near my house, in no seconds" and "its there in front of me) and the anticipation of leaving the bus/trolley/train is really getting to him.

Yeah that might be completely out there, but it's a great song and i really love Pinback. :o)

Certain parts are a reference to the play "Waiting for Godot". In the play two characters do meaningless things while they wait for a man named Godot, who never shows. Among the things they do to kill time is fooling with their shoe laces.

The play is an existentialist work about waiting for answers instead of seeking them, which seems to be what the song is also trying to relate.

There's also the line "everything I say to you is going to come out wrong anyway," which is one of the foundations of existentialism -- the inability to successfully communicate.

this song reminds me of my ex. this song brought tears to my eyes when i heard it, a guy played it for me. this resulted in me buying the cd immediatly!! this song reminds me of how no matter how much i struggle or did struggle to identify with my ex's complexly self destructive self, i never would understand...cuz he doesn't understand himself. and it reminds me of all the times i "took his seat"...but after the talking, arguing,etc....things were always perfect in the silence, the "concrete seconds".

John Carpenter has, tongue in cheek, described "Dark Star" as "'Waiting for Godot' in space."

I fell in love with this song when I was driving home at night. It added to this worderful idyllic moment. I love the line "Anything I say to you is gonna come out wrong anyway." It reminds me of every bumbling crush I've ever had.

yeah, someone needs to fix where it says "everything i say to you will probably come out wrong anyway" when its "anything i say to you is gonna come out wrong anyway". excellent song, though.

this song is awesome. it's one of the best pinback songs.

dealing with the never ending presence of past relationships and problems. trying to get on with your life and be at peace with the past but always being reminded of the way that things havent worked out.

Im really not sure what this song means... especially about the whole reference thing to Waiting for Godot. Idk though... all i know is that the person they're waiting for in that play is God, and I dont know if this song is about waiting for God.

It's about a bad breakup. That she moved on but he can't. He's still upset, and things just get in the way of his thoughts, making them cloudy and unclear.