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Clumsy Lyrics
Throw away the radio, suitcase, keeps you awake
Hide the telephone, the telephone
the telephone in case you realize that sometimes you're just not ok.
You level off, level off, level off, and it's not alright now.
You need to understand - there's nothing strange about this.
You need to know your friends... you need to know that
I'll be waving my hand, watching you drown, watching you scream.
Quiet or loud.
And maybe you should sleep.
And maybe you just need a friend.
As clumsy as you've been, there's no one laughing.
You will be safe in here. You will be safe in here.
Throw away this very old shoelace that tripped you again.
Try to shrug it off, shrug it off, shrug it off - it's only skin now.
You need to understand - there's nothing fake about this.
You need to let me in. Watching you and...
I'll be waving my hand, watching you drown, watching you scream.
No one's around.
And maybe you should sleep.
And maybe you just need a friend.
As clumsy as you've been, there's no one laughing.
You will be safe in here. You will be safe in here.
I'll be waving my hand, watching you drown, watching you scream.
Quiet or loud.
And maybe you should sleep.
And maybe you just need a friend.
As clumsy as you've been, there's no one laughing.
You will be safe in here...
Personally, I believe this song is about someone going through self-injury (cutting possibly) and the friend that's trying to get them through it. I think the SI'er doesn't want anyone to know what's going on, which makes sense, since the world does not accept cutting or other forms of self-harm as reasonable or sane coping mechanisms. "Throw away the very old shoelace that tripped you again. Shrug it off, it's only skin." Many self injurers lie how they hurt themselves when people notice their wounds, such as running into doors, falling, etc. ("As Clumsy as you've been, there's no one laughing.") However the friend isn't falling for it, and knows "there's nothing fake about this," and he wants to be "let in," or know how that person is feeling. But the fact still remains that the friend is on the outside, waving his hands happily, not because the friend doesn't care, but because the SI'er won't let him know what's wrong(pretending his life is just fine), even though the friend already knows. He's calling his bluff basically. I also get this idea because Automatic Flowers is on the same cd, and many believe it too is also about self-injury.
The whole song is built around the image of somone drowning and waving for help, but their friends on the shore just wave back.
Agreed. It's the chorus and the song is very melancholy.
Agreed. It's the chorus and the song is very melancholy.
@egoat711 love that analogy, how instead of using his hand to help he's just using it to wave. I still take it like it's about a friend who has suicidal tendencies and doesn't realize there are friends around to help if they want it, or wave goodbye if they don't. In the end there has to be the realization that there is a choice to be made and there are options one way or another (hence the lines 'maybe you should sleep' versus 'maybe you just need a friend')
@egoat711 love that analogy, how instead of using his hand to help he's just using it to wave. I still take it like it's about a friend who has suicidal tendencies and doesn't realize there are friends around to help if they want it, or wave goodbye if they don't. In the end there has to be the realization that there is a choice to be made and there are options one way or another (hence the lines 'maybe you should sleep' versus 'maybe you just need a friend')
I used to think of this song in a negative way, the people watching the person in trouble drown, but making no move to help him. I've done a lot of thinking about this song, and I think what it comes down to is that, the speaker (singer, whoever) doesn't know how to help his "drowning" friend so he just waits on the shore for his friend to come to him to talk. The speaker wants his friend to know that he's there for him, when he's ready. At least, that's what I think.
Tenacious Joe, the song "Little Things" is by Good Charlotte.
AS in: if you try to help someone who is drowning, they will take you down with them.
AS in: if you try to help someone who is drowning, they will take you down with them.
i had not thought about that... :)
i had not thought about that... :)
the way I see it is, someone is having a serious problem and is deeply depressed and the singer is saying that it isn't uncommon, that I know what your going through but there is nothing I can do about it but watch and let you know that i'm here. Thats what it means to me at least.
It is a wonderful song by under-rated band.
this is one of the first OLP songs i head, and i think that sickntwistd is right, about it being about someone going down the wrong path. it means alot to me, b/c at one point in my life i was going down the wrong path, and my friend got me into this band, and was there for me, and the more i listened to the music, the more personal it became to me, and i was able to relate to OLP's songs. i just needed a friend, just like in the song, and i found one, in my friend, and in OLP.
The start of the song refers to one throwing away the radio, suitcase, etc. that keeps one awake. I feel that his is reality, when someone chooses not to listen to those around them...such as friends or family because they do not like what they are saying, even if they are correct, right, or looking out for your best interests.
The speaker is disagreeing with what the person is doing and is a true friend. So much of a friend that s/he is stepping back and not enabling the individual, such as in the case of drug abusers or addicts. The speaker is saying that you need to understand, there's nothing strange about this...I am your true friend and I will be waving my hand watching you drown, scream, no one's around. The speaker is referring to the "clumsy" behavior of the person that is/as pushed everyone away.
However the degree of "tough love" given by the speaker, s/he also tells the person that s/he needs to "let me in" and that "you should sleep," "you just need a friend," etc. These are all examples of the speaker extending out, but if and only if the clumsy behavior stops because as they speaker mentions there's no one laughing and the shoe lace that keeps tripping the person can be seen as the habit and/or excuse that s/he keeps using.
A friend keeps fucking up their life and fucking you over and finally you just say, fuck it, fine, if that's how you want to be then do it.
Maybe one day that guy will have a friend as "clumsy" with their own life and their friendship and learn a lesson.
i love this song, when i was little they were my favorite
egoat711, i think its more than that. it's about seeing things in general but not seeing it for what they really are. People should think more and question things.