At the dawn, I woke, I was alone, rising
I called you on, the force, of time and space, calling
And as she came, to me, I fell back down, realizing
Oh that it's cool, for you, to love me now, I'm everything

Everything, 'cause tried, and true, I see the light in you
Oh han you dig in my soul, could you smell my whole, life?

You bent the edge, eclipsed, and turned around, aligning
And though the dark, sparked rays of violet light, blinding
I went about, the job, of sowing thoughts, and feelings
Oh some were good, some bad, I felt the cries, of healing

'Cause tried and true, I see the light in you
Oh can you dig in my soul, could you smell my whole, life?

Rise, my Dawn, you've been awake too long
Let me rest in time, while I blow your mind

At the dawn, I woke, I was alone, rising (I got ya)
I called you on, the force, of time and space, calling (see them)
And as she came, to me, I fell back down, realizing (creation)
that it's cool, for you, to love me now, I'm everything (I am)

Everything,'cause tried and true, I see the light in you
Can you dig in my soul, could you smell my whole, life?


Lyrics submitted by HughLloyd, edited by stevieboy97, janeaparis1

Tried and True Lyrics as written by Michael Melchiondo Aaron Freeman

Lyrics © O/B/O DistroKid

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Tried And True song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

17 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +2
    My Interpretation

    To be honest. As I read about it and think of it, this song seems to be about a crazy trip thats completely out of body but in reality he's with someone he loves and that she grounds him and he realizes that he doesn't need drugs to enjoy her, but still high or not its okay to love him.

    Also with yahtzee's input it could also be a song about just having enjoyable sex. Tried and True. Why experiment when you know what you like and you know how to do it? And to possibly add to that its a surprise in the morning. As the sun is coming up.

    At dawn he got out of bed trying to wake up only to find her and get pushed back down...

    RamonLionon October 23, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    umm... actuall most of weens songs are about drugs and strongly influenced by them... read some interviews gene and dean talk about their drugs usage pretty openly

    seanweenon July 16, 2008   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    The last line of the chorus has an intended homophone where he basically sings "Could you smell my hole?". Which is hilarious.

    yahtzeeon October 16, 2009   Link
  • +1
    My Interpretation

    It seems he wants a woman, probably a nurse, to stick a hand up his butt and dig around to find his soul. Then take a good whiff of it and see if it smells like his whole life or what he just ate that day? Haven't we all wondered about this? Unless you don't believe you can access the soul through the butt and you think all souls are kept in god's butt and he lets you have it when you die if you've followed his rules on earth. Seems made up to me, but to each his/her own.....

    Mo Ohlesson March 06, 2018   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Another song about a trip. He's visiting God, or a god, or a force, or whatever he believes to be the all-powerful, and he became that force. Lots of people who take psychedelic drugs feel like everything in the world is tied together through a unifying force, and that's what this song is talking about. He lived his whole life and now he's beyond life, and wants the girl to do the same. "I'm everything." That means he's her too, so she's him, and everything is everything.

    Optimus Primeon March 29, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    How does this song only have one comment? It is above and beyond their best song. Simply amazing lyrics and music.

    mistercrinkleson May 21, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I agree with the drugs...I think he just woke up from some powerful halluconigetic like acid or shrooms and was still high, or took another hit, feeling powerful enough to be at peace with the limits and truth of life. Or he could be trying to return to dream-world, where there are no limits. He describes himself as a worker, one who sews his unique patchwork of heart and mind, emotion and intelligence, into the quilted dimensons of the universe.

    The force of time and space is some divine female who gave birth to life with the conception of those two dimensions, allowing humanity to exist. She is the one singing the chorus, because she has possessed his thoughts with the realization he's having. She's saying it's cool youre doing drugs, making love to my power, but try to stay high without them, keep this mindframe, because my highness is in every one of your thoughts even when you're sober and awake but you're just not realizing it. No matter what, it is in everything.

    "Rise my darling, you've been awake too long"- contradicts it self, it seems, but could be saying just that: dreaming is reality (dreams are like being high, too), and everything is backwards like that. When you die, you are eternally dreaming. Getting high and sleeping is getting closer to death, as well as getting closer to "God"

    Shep420on June 09, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    ween's fuckign songs arent about drugs dont be so shallow this song is very spiritual and anyways drugs just took him back to the dawn if youve ever been high youd understand it

    firstfever11ston July 30, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    dont know what it means, but it's definitely one of their coolest songs ever the best of quebec - no question

    hyperion70on February 28, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    One of my all-time favorite Ween songs. Dean and Gene are always pretty open about their use of drugs. They always have been. A lot of their songs are about drug use and/or written while on some substance. I assumed this song was about an experience while on some substance. I LOVE the background singing of Gene in this song.

    Imajikaon April 14, 2009   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
Album art
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Album art
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988. "'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it." "There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
Album art
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version. Great version of a great song,
Album art
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it. “I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.