What about everything?

This is really a call to find beauty in the small things. The words that they use, such as "Holiday quiet on these streets, except for some stubborn leaves That didn't fall with the fall, and now they clatter in vain Holiday sky, midnight clear, wind is high, hard to steer Old muffler rumbles like an old fighter plane" - you'd see that scene in real life and just think it's ordinary, but my gosh, the words they use make it look like it's straight out of a zillion dollar painting.

And then it goes way beyond that, beyond mere physical descriptions, to love, aging, terrorism, loss, and the emotions involved.

Intimate moments are all around you, all you have to do is realize they're there.

While maybe its not the complete picture, this song is basically a description of that time in your life when you stop and wonder about everything in life and you just can't really put things together, like why you're agreeing to live the way everybody else does. (This happened for me after my first year in college)

"In search of some rest, in search of a break From a life of tests where something's always at stake Where something's always so far What about my broken car?"

He's sick of being tied down to commitments and the hardships of life. The car line illustrates this- anytime he needs to get somewhere far, his "car" is broken. Life isn't easy now.

"What about my life so far? What about my dream? What about--"

He hasn't done the things he thought he would have. His childhood dreams aren't coming to fruition

"Before time takes each year-- like a knife cuts it clear It's school, then work and then life that just sharpens the blade"

The blade isn't about suicide- the blade is time. The things we commit to, like school and work, take up our "free time" and only shorten the the years we actually get to use for ourselves.

"I think about time for fun, I think about time for play Then I think about being done, with no resume With no one left to blame What about fortune and fame? What about your love to obtain? What about the ring? What about--"

At first he contemplates just leaving it all so he can have his fun, but then he realizes if he does this, he won't have anything to show for it. He can't become successful, win over the girl, and afford the ring and their lifestyle if he abandons his future.

"The sailboats clatter in vain Holiday sky, midnight clear, wind is high on this pier I find it hard to complain when compared with what about--

[Chorus]"

The leaves and the sailboats clattering in vain are like him...they face high winds rattle...to no avail. He realizes that it's hard to complain when he compares it to the things in life that arent so trivial- the complication of airplanes, the ships (and sailors) who sank at sea, the moon and stars (that are so much bigger and mysterious than the things in life).

The lyric "soldier battle scars and the anger that they eat" is used to show real wounds. The problems and mental pain that he feels are nothing compared to real battle wounds.

He says "I am not in need" because he realizes that in the big picture, his suffering is smaller than the period in this sentence and he's making a big deal about it.

He caps it off with the things that are bigger in life-

"What about aliens? What about you and me and What about gold beneath the sea? What about when buildings fall? What about that midnight phone call, The one that wakes you from your peace? Well, I am not in need."

the "well" is used to concede his complaints. Note that the "midnight phone call" does not wake him from sleep, but peace. This suggests that its the kind of midnight phone call that nobody wants to get and changes life forever.

I think, in the first verse, the guy is talking about driving around, during the Holidays, looking for an escape because he feels like everything he does is life or death, and his first questions are thinking just about himself ("What about broken car? What about my life so far?") But he starts to think of people other than himself, and realizes "I am not in need." Likewise, in the second verse, he's thinking about school and work and life and no time for yourself, because even if you take time to have fun, what do you get out of it? ("I think about time for fun, I think about time for play, then I think about being done, with no resume.") But he starts to see the things that working will get him ("What about fortune and fame? What about your love to obtain? What about the ring?" I.e., marriage.)

He realizes that he can't find it in him to complain "I find it hard to complain when compared with what about--What about everything? What about aeroplanes? And what about ships that drank the sea? What about the moon and stars? What about soldier battle scars and all the anger that they eat?" Finally he thinks about the big things, aliens, "you and me", "what about when buildings fall," (which could be 9/11 reference, but not necessarily,) or "What about that midnight phone call, the one that wakes you from your peace?" Those are the calls everyone's terrified to receive, because they're never good, and it could mean you lost someone close to you.

He's driving and he's thinking about all of this and he realizes, "Well, I am not in need."

Okay, this interpretation may seem a bit odd, but I absolutely cannot hear this song without thinking of the Berlin Wall and the German Reunification. Hear me out here:

First you've got references to the vehicle industry ("broken car" "aeroplanes" "ships that drink the sea") which Germany was/is famous for.

Second, the song sets a seemingly calm, but melancholy and restless scene that could be referencing a post-war Germany with lines like "old muffler rumbles like an old fighter plane", "From a life of tests where something's always at stake", and "What about soldier battle scars?". Note that these lines happen earlier in the song (closer to WW2 than the fall of the Wall)

Third, lyrics such as "It's school, then work and then life that just sharpens the blade", In search of some rest, in search of a break from a life of tests where something's always at stake", and "I think about time for fun, I think about time for play the I think about being done, with no resume" illustrate a clear juxtaposition between work and play (analogous with East and West Germany or Communism and Capitalism, respectively).

Fourth, the line "If I was right on that night, that a future was made" could definitely be taken to mean the initial divide between the country and "What about when buildings fall? What about that midnight phone call?" could reference its fall.

Like I said, maybe a stretch, but the song did only come out 15 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall and 15 years is a pretty significant anniversary.

I actually first heard this song in my Biology class. My teacher played their CD and this song was my favorite. I just really like the tune and the words.

I love this song... great tune, great lyrics, great message... This song is basically the biography of your typical "nice guy." Totally selfless, thinking of everything ('What about aeroplanes...what about ships...what about soldiers...') and never of himself ('I am not in need')

This song is beautiful, heard two of their songs on the radio and I knew I needed the cd...so did my mom lol. I always thought of it as a sum up of life, and all the worries, then thinking of the bigger things, compairing.

Yeah, you both are right, i think it also is talking about all the choices in life and how each one makes a big difference and leads down another path in life, each with it's own challenges to face

This song is about a guy who looks at his life and sees all his hardships and sees his reoccurring everyday routine, and he feels he needs to get out of all lifes burdens and routines, he sees time taking away his life and he needs to go out andvaccomplish more than his everyday routine. He also looks at others lives and the things that consume others lives, soldiers battle scars ships that drink the sea, compared to thing that consume him What about my broken car? What about my life so far? What about my dream?

Well, actually, this is my favorite song right now, I've listened to it like 50 million times at least. >_>; Just thought I'd add my opinion...

I think it's about a teenager being drafted into war. (And not just because of the "soldier battle scars" part :P) The song begins with him talking about a fighter plane, and something's always at stake.

Then in the second verse, he goes on to talk about school, and work, and how he can't think about play as much. Then it seems he talks about promising to marry someone back home, about "the ring" and her "love to obtain".

In the third verse, he talks about a holiday, and sailboats clattering in the harbor... like he's visiting home from the army.

Then the last verse is my favorite, because it goes, "What about when buildings fall? What about that midnight phone call, The one that wakes you from your peace?"... I think this might be talking about September 11th, with the buildings part, and then the midnight phone call is when he calls his girlfriend/fiance from a different time zone and wakes her up.

Anyway, this is just my opinion, clues I picked up and stuff. :D Let me know what you guys think.