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Back In The Box Lyrics
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 favour 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 going 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
But I cannot hide what I want
You cannot hear me or see me now
Because I’ve gone back in the box
If I don’t make no decisions
Then I won’t make no mistakes
But through all those tiny holes
Well the light’s still getting 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
The sun shines on the dead
The sun shines on you and me
Wherever we lay our heads
The sun shines on the good
It doesn’t favour righteousness
Although you wish it would
Are you still awake?
Oh Johnny, oh Johnny
I’m terribly scared
A place to hide from the day
I’d like a little dark tiny room
Where the music plays
Maybe your whole world has changed
The sun don’t really care about that
It shines on anyway
Are you still awake?
Oh Johnny, oh Johnny
I’m terribly scared
Back in the box
Back in the box again
Back in the box
Back in the box
Back in the box again
But I cannot hide what I want
You cannot hear me or see me now
Because I’ve gone back in the box
Then I won’t make no mistakes
But through all those tiny holes
Well the light’s still getting in
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
Song Info
Submitted by
[inactive Account] On Apr 16, 2004
More David Byrne
Like Humans Do
Glass, Concrete & Stone
Dance On Vaseline
Miss America
Tiny Apocalypse
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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.