Back In The Box

David Byrne

The sun shines on the living
The sun shines on the dead
The sun shines on you and me
Wherever we lay our heads

The sun shines on the evil
The sun shines on the good
It doesn't favor righteousness
Although you wish it would

Oh Johnny, oh Johnny
Are you still awake?
Oh Johnny, oh Johnny
I'm terribly scared

And now I need an oasis
A place to hide from the day
I'd like a little dark tiny room
Where the music plays

Maybe you just lost somebody
Maybe your whole world has changed
The sun don't really care about that
It shines on anyway

Oh Johnny, oh Johnny
Are you still awake?
Oh Johnny, oh Johnny
I'm terribly scared

I'm goin' back in the box
Back in the box
Back in the box again

Back in the box
Back in the box
Back in the box again

And now love's terrifying
I cannot hide what I want
You cannot hear me or see me now
When I go back in the box

If I don't make no decisions
I won't make no mistakes
But through all these tiny holes
Well the light still gettin' in

I'm going back in the box
Back in the box
Back in the box again
I'm going back in the box
Back in the box
Back in the box again


Lyrics submitted by [inactive account]

Back in the Box [Album Version] Lyrics as written by David Byrne

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

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Back In The Box song meanings
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    General Comment

    I think "going back in the box" is a way of saying that he wants to be alone and isolate himself. He can't make any mistakes, problems, or anything if he just sits alone in his box, away from everyone and anything. It pretty nicely sums up the feelings of the album and of David's emotional state at the time.

    WirelessBrainon October 09, 2014   Link

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