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The Dutch Courage Lyrics
Paranoia is hunting you
All these dirty looks, they are right on cue
You're full up to the brim
with that "he said, she said" trash
You exist behind your keyboard
and then you're gone in a flash
Ten bucks says you don't have it in you
to conquer fear and quit believing what they tell you to
You are careening shamelessly into oblivion
where you will live alone with your chemicals and gin
I'm utterly disgusted with the path you trek
as inebriated as you can get
off your latest paycheck
I'm at a loss for words here
I hate to break this you,
but being a coward is not a legitimate career
Ten bucks says you don't have it in you
to conquer fear and quit believing what they tell you to
You are careening shamelessly into oblivion
where you will live alone with your chemicals and gin
We were born and raised the same way
so what gives you the right to say?
At least I'm not a liar,
At least I'm not a liar, at least I'm not a cheat,
at least I don't care what these god-damn mindless people think of me
Ten bucks says you don't have it in you
to conquer fear and quit believing what they tell you to
You are careening shamelessly into oblivion
where you will live alone with your chemicals and gin,
where you will live alone with your chemicals and gin,
where you will live alone with your chemicals and gin
All these dirty looks, they are right on cue
You're full up to the brim
with that "he said, she said" trash
You exist behind your keyboard
and then you're gone in a flash
to conquer fear and quit believing what they tell you to
You are careening shamelessly into oblivion
where you will live alone with your chemicals and gin
as inebriated as you can get
off your latest paycheck
I'm at a loss for words here
I hate to break this you,
but being a coward is not a legitimate career
to conquer fear and quit believing what they tell you to
You are careening shamelessly into oblivion
where you will live alone with your chemicals and gin
so what gives you the right to say?
At least I'm not a liar,
At least I'm not a liar, at least I'm not a cheat,
at least I don't care what these god-damn mindless people think of me
to conquer fear and quit believing what they tell you to
You are careening shamelessly into oblivion
where you will live alone with your chemicals and gin,
where you will live alone with your chemicals and gin,
where you will live alone with your chemicals and gin
Song Info
Submitted by
brandnew1208 On Jun 19, 2005
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This song is good like all Spill Canvas songs. I'm surprised there aren't more comments on it. To me, it seems to be someone is trying to point out to a friend that they've become so wrapped up in what others think about them that they are letting others decide who they are. (You're full up to the brim with that he said she said trash)
The chorus is the singer daring this person to quit listening to these people and to stop traveling the path that's being taken by this person where the only escape for this person is to get drunk and to do drugs.
The next verse is the singer being exasperated over this person's unwillingness to change and to just accept the life he or she is living.
I see the part "We were born and raised the same way so what gives you the right to say" to be the person who is having this song to them replying "who are you to tell me how to live? We were the same at one time."
The singer then replies "At least I'm not a liar At least I'm not a cheat At least I don't care what these god damn mindless people think of me" Or basically, say what you want of me, but at least I don't let others decide who I am.
The person can only say now "we were born and raised the same" now, almost as if he's saying "we were the same at one time, perhaps I can still change just like you changed." I feel as if the singer got through to this person and made them realize that maybe there is still hope for them and they don't need to care what others think. That's just my take on it though. Sorry for the poor grammar. It's late and I don't care about English all that much.
As a side note, I googled Dutch courage, and found it's courage gained by drinking alcohol, or being drunk basically. So, as far as I can tell, the only way this person the song is about can find the courage to go on living the life that he's leading is to drink to cover up the lie he's leading, which makes me think it may also equally be a plea for this person to stop drinking along with caring about what others think.
I think alot of people are looking too much into the drugs and alchohol parts of the song. If you listen to it all, it really fits the place of him talking to a person with a low self esteem and asking them why they bother with what people say so much. The chemicals and gin parts are more of him seeing his friend with a low self esteem getting by with things that make him numb
Reminds me of a girl I was once best friends with. Just fucking infuriates me. What I'd give to scream this at her face and not have it seem totally contrived. A very honest song, if not a bit melodramatic.
I think its about 2 people, 1 who appears like a nobody who just works a minimum wage job who spends their paychecks on alcohol. The 2nd person (main speaker) is telling him how dissapointed he is in him and to stand up from people's expectations of him and do something with his life.
"Ten bucks says you don't have it in you to conquer fear and quit believing what they tell you to"
i've been told that, myself, many times... so this song sort of strikes a chord. one of my favorites on one fell swoop.
its about me! no but erm i relate to this song so much! i think its about a battle within yourself about who you are and the person you want to be! well thats my own personal meaning for this song anyway...
It's definitley about another person. We all know that one person who has everything given to them and appreciates none of it. Or that person who is entirely too self-concious.
Someone who could be so much better if they applied themselves.
This song could be so many things.
"At least I'm not a liar, at least I'm not a cheat, at least I don't care what these god-damn mindless people think of me"
It's funny, that's so highschool.
Absolutely love this song. I can think of playing it to some of the people at my school. wonderful. I think it's just about being sick of those types of people that think they're better, but aren't.
there are some things about this song that i dont understand. mostly the first part. "you exist behind your keyboard and then you're gone in a flash" ? when i listen to that i keep relating it to an close online friendship i have. i dont see how that verse relates with the rest of the song. O.o
"Ten bucks says you don't have it in you to conquer fear and quit believing what they tell you to You are careening shamelessly into oblivion" love it.