This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Why must I be the thief
Why must I be the thief
Oh Lord, please won't you tell me
Why must I be the thief
Why must I be the thief
Please said today a man
And how come you're the only one
Who's beggaring, who always stays?
Why must I be the thief
But I stop the hanging man
How come you're the only one
Living by the open hand?
Now why must I be the thief
Why must I be the thief
You cursed the butterfly
And the holy man who bowed his head
Looked the Arctic height
The thief tried that cross
To shed the other's face
But the Jesus man said not now
I'd rather not now, it's far too late
Far too late, far too late
Far too late, far too late
Far too late, far too late
Far too late
Do what you must
Take what you can
Steer the part of every heart
Every elder man, every elder man
Every elder man
I'm the thief, I am the thief
And you're my heart, yes, and you're my heart
But I got you then, yes I will
'Cause you're, 'cause I missed just your flight
Just your flight
Fly, fly, fly, fly
Fly, fly, fly, fly
I'll get you late âcause it's just goodbye
I'll get you late, it's just goodbye
I'll get you late, it's just goodbye
Why must I be the thief
Oh Lord, please won't you tell me
Why must I be the thief
Why must I be the thief
Please said today a man
And how come you're the only one
Who's beggaring, who always stays?
Why must I be the thief
But I stop the hanging man
How come you're the only one
Living by the open hand?
Now why must I be the thief
Why must I be the thief
You cursed the butterfly
And the holy man who bowed his head
Looked the Arctic height
The thief tried that cross
To shed the other's face
But the Jesus man said not now
I'd rather not now, it's far too late
Far too late, far too late
Far too late, far too late
Far too late, far too late
Far too late
Do what you must
Take what you can
Steer the part of every heart
Every elder man, every elder man
Every elder man
I'm the thief, I am the thief
And you're my heart, yes, and you're my heart
But I got you then, yes I will
'Cause you're, 'cause I missed just your flight
Just your flight
Fly, fly, fly, fly
Fly, fly, fly, fly
I'll get you late âcause it's just goodbye
I'll get you late, it's just goodbye
I'll get you late, it's just goodbye
Lyrics submitted by Songmeaningsuser, edited by mlsrez
Thief Lyrics as written by Irmin Schmidt Holger Schuering
Lyrics © Royalty Network, Peermusic Publishing
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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The Night We Met
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@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
Mountain Song
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Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
Gentle Hour
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This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
No Surprises
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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.
The above lyrics are completely incorrect. What follows below may not be 100% correct, but it is much closer (the two lines about which I have doubt are marked with (?)). The overarching story is about the repentant thief who died on the cross next to Jesus. It is also a reflection on mortality, with the hangman representing Time/God/Fate/Whatever and the Thief representing mankind as a whole as well as each individual man. For further and deeper interpretation also consider that the Thief is the seven of swords in tarot.
The Thief, by CAN
"Why must I be the thief? Why must I be the thief? Oh lord please wont you tell me, why must I be the thief?" " Why must I be the thief?", he said to the hanging man. "And how come you're the only one whose dagger, uh, that always stabs?"(?)
"Why must I be the thief?", he asked of the hanging man. "And how come youre the only one who lives with an open hand?"
"Yea why I must I be the thief?", he cursed his faded crown. And the hanging man put out his hand and looked beyond his heart.(?)
Oh the thief he climbed that cross, to share that others fate But the Jesus man said "Not now, my brother not now, Its far too late Its far too late Its far too late Its far too late Its far too late Its far too late Its far too late Its far too late."
"Do what you must. Take what you can Steal the pride from every heart of every angry man. Every angry man. Every angry man."
"I am the thief. I am the thief. And you may run, yes and you may hide, but I will get you yet. Yes I will, Cause I will Cause its just your pride. Just your pride. Pride, pride Pride, pride Pride, pride Pride, pride."
"I will get you yet, cause its justified. I will get you yet, its just your pride. I will get you yet, its justified."
Replace<br /> <br /> Its far too late<br /> Its far too late<br /> Its far too late<br /> Its far too late<br /> Its far too late<br /> Its far too late<br /> Its far too late<br /> Its far too late."<br /> <br /> with<br /> <br /> Its far too late<br /> far too late<br /> far too late<br /> far too late<br /> far too late<br /> far too late<br /> far too late<br /> far too late."
It's from the album Delay 1968.
From the Can original, I get:
Why must I be the thief? Why must I be the thief? Oh lord please won't you tell me Why must I be the thief? Why must I be the thief? He said to the hanging man And how come you're the only one Who's like a rock That always stands
Why must I be the thief He asked of the hanging man And how come you're the only one to live with an open hand and Why must I be the thief he cursed and then he cried And the hanging man put out his hand And looked beyond his eye
The thief he climbed that cross To share that other's fate But the Jesus man said not now My brother not now it's far too late Far too late far too late Far too late far too late Far too late far too late Far too late
Do what you must Take what you can Steal the pride from every heart Every angry man Every angry man Every angry man
I am the thief I am the thief And you may run, yes And you may hide But I'll get you yet Yes I will Cos you're, cos it's just your pride Just your pride Pride pride Pride pride Pride pride Pride pride
I will get you yet Cos it's justified I will get you yet it's justified I will get you yet it's justified
I heard radiohead redo this song, live. I love this song, but one problem: i can't find it. Which album is it from? I already have Tago Mago.
Society sets up the crime and waits for the criminal to commit it.