This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
Time, time, time
See what's become of me
Time, time, time
See what's become of me
While I looked around
For my possibilities
I was so hard to please
Look around
Leaves are brown
And the sky
Is a hazy shade of winter
Hear the salvation army band
Down by the riverside
It's bound to be a better ride
Than what you've got planned
Carry a cup in your hand
Look around
Leaves are brown
And the sky
Is a hazy shade of winter
Hang on to your hopes my friend
That's an easy thing to say
But if your hopes should pass away
Simply pretend
That you can build them again
Look around
Grass is high
Fields are ripe
It's the springtime of my life
Seasons change with the scenery
Weaving time in a tapestry
Won't you stop and remember me
Look around
Leaves are brown
And the sky
It's a hazy shade of winter
Look around
Leaves are brown
There's a patch of snow on the ground
See what's become of me
Time, time, time
See what's become of me
While I looked around
For my possibilities
I was so hard to please
Look around
Leaves are brown
And the sky
Is a hazy shade of winter
Hear the salvation army band
Down by the riverside
It's bound to be a better ride
Than what you've got planned
Carry a cup in your hand
Look around
Leaves are brown
And the sky
Is a hazy shade of winter
Hang on to your hopes my friend
That's an easy thing to say
But if your hopes should pass away
Simply pretend
That you can build them again
Look around
Grass is high
Fields are ripe
It's the springtime of my life
Seasons change with the scenery
Weaving time in a tapestry
Won't you stop and remember me
Look around
Leaves are brown
And the sky
It's a hazy shade of winter
Look around
Leaves are brown
There's a patch of snow on the ground
Lyrics submitted by Ice
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
Sunglasses at Night
Corey Hart
Corey Hart
In the 1980s, sunglasses were a common fashion for people who wanted to adopt a "tough guy" persona (note all the cop shows from that era -- Simon & Simon, Miami Vice, etc. -- where the lead characters wore shades). So I think this song is about a guy who wears shades as a way of hiding his insecurity after learning that his girlfriend is cheating on him. He's trying to pretend that he's a "tough guy" to hide the fact that his girlfriend's affair is disturbing him.
Small note: Paul Simon wrote all of S&G's songs. Garfunkel only sung the songs, and did a little arranging.
The Bangles cut out part of the lyric. The original had a line, "Funny how my memory slips while looking over manuscripts/Of unpublished rhyme/ Drinking my vodka and lime." The Bangles restored that line in many of their more recent performances, including the one they recorded for their DVD. Aside from the wonderful angst, I think that missing line makes it clear that the narrator of the song is a frustrated writer or poet.
Interestingly for a song about getting old, Simon was about 27 when he wrote the song, and the Bangles weren't much older when they recorded it.
I like both versions.
@fanofoldies <br /> I think (as an older person myself) this song's wonderfully empathic with the plight of that person entering the "winter of her life" and seeing that "patch of snow on the ground." Not quite Dylan Thomas' "rage against the dying of the light," but very close.
Whenever I hear this song, I think of coming of age. The moment when we have come to realize what our life "is" rather than what we would "wish" for it to be. I think this rendition is better than S&G's and that's quite an achievement. The fact that it goes with the movie Less than Zero's soundtrack probably is what makes me believe that it's a coming of age story and not simply the end of our life story. There are many seasons in our lives and probably many winters in our lives to have to weather and for the characters in the movie one's poor choices (Robert Downey Jr.'s character) cause them to miss out on as many winters as the others will endure in their lives. I think that's very poignant along with the lyrics to the song and the moral of the story is take a look at your own life and think about your choices in life and respect how finite our lives might be.
@altamber8 The song is about dying. "wont you stop and remember me". Coming of age. Lol. No.
Great cover - better than the original, and I don't usuaoly say that very often! I used to mistake 'Carry a cup in your hand' for 'carry a gun' as that's what I thought Susanna sang! Guess 'gun' would make more of an impact! ;]
@butterflykiss84 That's odd, I heard "Carry a gun in your hand" too! But "Carry a cup in your hand" goes with <br /> <br /> "Hear the Salvation Army Band<br /> Down by the riverside<br /> It's bound to be a better ride<br /> Than what you've got planned... "<br /> <br /> Because that cup could be for a Salvation Army soup line (or something).
I think the song is about getting old, missing oppritunities. The whole chorus is about time passing.
@Deadink <br /> I agree. And it was unusually empathic and insightful into how older people feel... when their bodies begin to die on them. and they see that "patch of snow on the ground" heralding the winter of their lives.
First heard this last night while watching "Less Than Zero." In tying it to the film, I think it's about inevitable change and what you made of yourself. Getting older and/or maturing.
This is a great cover, never heard the original but I fell in love with this version instantly.
This is a brilliant cover of the song - IMO far better than the original, which is a real achievement. Simon and Garfunkel are one of the best songwriting teams ever, and their versions of most songs are not only the best ,but pretty well unbeatable. However, in this case, by taking a rockier approach to it, I think the Bangles have done a great song real justice.
@Schroedinger <br /> I agree from a different perspective - the "rockier approach" goes with how older people are rejecting decrepitude as a lifestyle - so that "60 is the new 40."<br /> <br /> Many of us who are entering our sixth decade of life don't really FEEL ready to give up. We still want to rock.
I like the Bangles' version of this song as much as the original by Simon and Garfunkel. It's a great song; both versions are wonderful. The Bangles' take was a nice fit for the movie "Less Than Zerio" back in the 80's.
As a side note - this song was released right before the holidays in 1987. I thought that the bridge - the "Seasons change with the scenery ..." bit - sounded almost like a Christmas carol. It really resonated with the holidays that year, and always makes me think of that specific time of my life when I hear it. Just my memory of this song.
One of my favorite and most meaningful songs of my life.
I think the song is about getting old, missing oppritunities. The whole chorus is about time passing.
The song sounds strange... very special. I jst cannot describe my feling when listeing to it