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Recycled Air Lyrics

I take a breath
And pull the air in until there's nothing left
I'm feeling green
Like teenage lovers between the sheets

Ba ba ba ba . . .

Knuckles clenched to white
As the landing gear retract for flight
My head's a balloon
Inflating with the altitude

Ba ba ba ba . . .

I watch the patchwork farms
Slow fade into the ocean's arms
And from here they can't see me stare
The stale taste of recycled air

I watch the patchwork farms
Slow fade into the ocean's arms
Calm down, release your cares
The stale taste of recycled air
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71 Meanings

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Cover art for Recycled Air lyrics by Postal Service, The

duh. green like teenage lovers between the sheets = inexperienced, not sick. he isn't talking about actually flying, he's comparing the sensation of take-off to the beginning of a relationship, "recycled air" = emotions he has felt before, in other relationships. what he is feeling in this new relationship is exciting and scary and in order to keep himself calm, possibly to avoid being hurt, he's telling himself that it's nothing new, just the recycling of past experiences - stale air

Cover art for Recycled Air lyrics by Postal Service, The

At first I wanted to make fun of all of you. And then I actually started laughing at some of these posts.

Most of you are stupidly over interpreting this song. He describes perfectly; taking off on an airplane. You don't have to read between the lines to figure that out.

This song has limitless possibilities if you're going to read into it so stupidly. It's possible he was thinking of something else when he wrote this song, but you guys sure as hell aren't going to know what it is.

The lyrics are so literal and not even remotely suggestive.

I'm sick of all of you people trying to make every freakin' song you've ever heard into some piece of crap relationship song. This song has NOTHING to do with a relationship and YET YOU TRY SO HARD FOR IT TO BE ABOUT ONE.

Amen. Couldn't have said it better myself!

Not Valid
Cover art for Recycled Air lyrics by Postal Service, The

Can't Ben Gibbard just write a song about an airplane?? Haha, sheesh!

Cover art for Recycled Air lyrics by Postal Service, The

I think this song was purely meant to evoke feelings similar to those one would feel while riding on an airplane. It has great imagery and the melody is very therapeutic. It's a truely beautiful song for that alone, it doesn't need to be made into more than what it is! I can understand having your own opinions on this song but I don't like when people who are INTERPRETING a song try to pass their INTERPRETATIONS off as facts! No offense to anyone who isn't HOLLYHOAX and far from famous.

Cover art for Recycled Air lyrics by Postal Service, The

I think he wrote this song from a seat on an airplane. It sounds to me like he's talking about looking down on earth. He's "feeling green"... feeling sick. He's tasting recycled air which is exactly how the air in airplanes is.

I agree with all of these ideas. That's the beauty of lyrics- they can mean whatever you'd like them to. The only different idea I have is that green to me means turned on/horny. Has anyone else ever heard that? It very well could mean envious but since it follows with talking about teenage lovers I figured he's turned on by whatever the subject is. That's why I think it's mostly about sex.

However, the idea of marijuana struck me too. That fits perfectly, although I don't see Ben writing about that, haha.

I think whatever it is, he's...

Not Valid

I agree with all of these ideas. That's the beauty of lyrics- they can mean whatever you'd like them to. The only different idea I have is that green to me means turned on/horny. Has anyone else ever heard that? It very well could mean envious but since it follows with talking about teenage lovers I figured he's turned on by whatever the subject is. That's why I think it's mostly about sex.

However, the idea of marijuana struck me too. That fits perfectly, although I don't see Ben writing about that, haha.

I think whatever it is, he's...

Not Valid

I agree with all of these ideas. That's the beauty of lyrics- they can mean whatever you'd like them to. The only different idea I have is that green to me means turned on/horny. Has anyone else ever heard that? It very well could mean envious but since it follows with talking about teenage lovers I figured he's turned on by whatever the subject is. That's why I think it's mostly about sex.

However, the idea of marijuana struck me too. That fits perfectly, although I don't see Ben writing about that, haha.

I think whatever it is, he's...

Not Valid
Cover art for Recycled Air lyrics by Postal Service, The

yes it is about what you see when lookign out a plane window. good song

I agree with all of these ideas. That's the beauty of lyrics- they can mean whatever you'd like them to. The only different idea I have is that green to me means turned on/horny. Has anyone else ever heard that? It very well could mean envious but since it follows with talking about teenage lovers I figured he's turned on by whatever the subject is. That's why I think it's mostly about sex.

However, the idea of marijuana struck me too. That fits perfectly, although I don't see Ben writing about that, haha.

I think whatever it is, he's...

Not Valid
Cover art for Recycled Air lyrics by Postal Service, The

I love the way Ben Gibbard brings something as mundane as flying to life and makes it sound almost romantic. le sigh.

Cover art for Recycled Air lyrics by Postal Service, The

this is one of my favorites..it's got such a great beat.. no one makes me feel what they feel.

Cover art for Recycled Air lyrics by Postal Service, The

i think this song is meant to be literal.

Cover art for Recycled Air lyrics by Postal Service, The

i think that recycled air is about someone who lost something important to them and is trying to get away and forget.

I take a breath And pull the air in until there's nothing left this could mean that the singer is "preparing for liftoff-" bracing himself to try and leave his negative memories.

I'm feeling green Like teenage lovers between the sheets the last line is probably jsut a simile, but could refer to a lost love. he's feeling refreshed and is beginning to get used to starting over again.

Knuckles clenched to white As the landing gear retract for flight he's afraid of the path ahead and is still remembering the pain of his nostalgia.

My head's a balloon Inflating with the altitude this could mean hes conflicted about his decisions or that he may be falling in love again, for instance when you are in the presence of someone you may have a crush on, your head feels full of air or lead.

I watch the patchwork farms Slow fade into the ocean's arms the singer pushes any potentially painful past experience into his mind's horizon.

And from here they can't see me stare The stale taste of recycled air the first line suggests that he can still see the people he's lost, but cant actually talk to them, which could mean he left them before he could get hurt again, or he's seen them again after they left(of course lost could mean dead or simply went away). the last line could suggest that the singer continues to lose people and meet new ones he grows attached to, which is becoming a tiring cycle.

of course this is just my interpretation, but i hope you like it.

My Interpretation