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Nothing Special Lyrics
You play guitar for perfect strangers
You write some words they try to sell
And then you sing these things in public sometimes not very well
You get paid to go to parties
Drinking colors...talking trash...
You get laid because you're 'arty'
And you wonder why it never lasts
Maybe these are wonders...more than we may know
Well I hate to steal your thunder
You ain't nothing special
You're no more celestial than anyone else
As far as I can tell
Call it mythology, we see what we want to see
And everyone wants their distant dreams
So sure enough they want your picture
And your deepest point of view
Well you should know you're not that pretty
And you haven't got a clue
But how you love the adoration
You believe your 'in-house' press
And half the critics always hate you
So you get horribly depressed
Maybe these are wonders, more than we may know
Well, I hate to steal your thunder
chorus
And I am the snake who bites his own tail
You write some words they try to sell
And then you sing these things in public sometimes not very well
You get paid to go to parties
Drinking colors...talking trash...
You get laid because you're 'arty'
And you wonder why it never lasts
Well I hate to steal your thunder
You ain't nothing special
You're no more celestial than anyone else
As far as I can tell
Call it mythology, we see what we want to see
And everyone wants their distant dreams
And your deepest point of view
Well you should know you're not that pretty
And you haven't got a clue
But how you love the adoration
You believe your 'in-house' press
And half the critics always hate you
So you get horribly depressed
Maybe these are wonders, more than we may know
Well, I hate to steal your thunder
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1st comment..score! this song is about how he doesn't want more attention than anyone else, the only difference between him and the next guy is that he get paid to sing. He just wants to be treated regularly. "i am the snake who bites his own tail" i think thats inclining that this song is about him. but that is just my opinion. can't wait to see duncan on june 23rd in brooklyn, new york.
i know the person who inspired the song; my friend went to one of his concerts and got to hang with him backstage after it was over. they started to make out, etc. and he (Duncan) kind of got pissed that she didn't want to 'go further'. but she laughed and gave him the ultimate reality check: "hate to steal your thunder but you ain't nothing special. you're no more celestial than anyone else" (that is what she said to him and i can kind of see that b/c she has a habit of using words like "celestial" in unusual ways in normal speech). the rest of the song he built around that fleeting experience. so yes, the song is about him and based on this flash of realization.
p.s. also i'm sure he may have been feeling like this (i.e. sense of dillusionment from fame) for awhile, and perhaps that experience with my friend was the trigger to write about these overall sentiments in a song.