I think this place is full of spies
I think they're onto me
Didn't anybody, didn't anybody tell you
Didn't anybody tell you how to gracefully disappear in a room?

I know you put in the hours to keep me in sunglasses, I know
And so and now I'm sorry I missed you
I had a secret meeting in the basement of my brain
It went the dull and wicked ordinary way
It went the dull and wicked ordinary way
And now I'm sorry I missed you
I had a secret meeting in the basement of my brain

I think this place is full of spies
I think I'm ruined
Didn't anybody, didn't anybody tell you
Didn't anybody tell you, this river's full of lost sharks?

I know you put in the hours to keep me in sunglasses, I know
And so and now I'm sorry I missed you
I had a secret meeting in the basement of my brain
It went the dull and wicked ordinary way
It went the dull and wicked ordinary way

And now I'm sorry I missed you
I had a secret meeting in the basement of my brain
And now I'm sorry I missed you
I had a secret meeting in the basement of my brain
It went the dull and wicked ordinary way
It went the dull and wicked ordinary way
It went the dull and wicked ordinary way
It went the dull and wicked ordinary way
It went the dull and wicked ordinary way
It went the dull and wicked ordinary way


Lyrics submitted by countzero

Secret Meeting Lyrics as written by Matthew D. Berninger Aaron B. Dessner

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management

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Secret Meeting song meanings
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  • +5
    General Comment

    I see this song slightly differently.

    Have you ever gone somewhere and realized that someone that you didn't want or expect to see is there? And then instead of doing the grown-up thing and going over saying hello and dealing with the awkwardness, you simply pretend that you don't see them.

    That's what the song is about to me.

    In the song, I think the person in question is an ex girlfriend or lover. The spies are the people that know he's there. The gracefully disappear part obviously fits this line of interpretation. The sunglasses line is presumably about, how she did everything she could for him but he still decided not to be with her.

    In the chorus, I think he is admitting that he is ashamed and regretful about how he handled the situation but he had a "secret meeting" in the less savory parts of his brain and did the "dull and wicked ordinary" thing. I think the "dull and wicked ordinary way" line actually has two meanings. He is talking about the night in question and the relationship as a whole.

    The rest of the song seems to be different variations of what he already said. The only other parts are the sharks line, which can easy fit my reading of the song, and the Ace/Folding section that I agree is about folding a good hand, or in this case not pursuing a relationship with a good girl.

    Great song by a great band.

    SomethingCleveron October 29, 2008   Link

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