I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
I've got time to think about the beauty of a thousand variations
Of the beating of a wing
Of a hummingbird suspended in the aspic of the world
Moving slower than molasses
As I'm off to catch the girl
Who's falling off the bridge
And I'm there before she knows it
I'll be gone before she sees me
Got my hand around her waist
(as) I pull her back to safety
By the time she knows what's happened
There'll be someone else who needs me
Cause time keeps dragging on
And on, and on, and on
Time keeps dragging on
(Time keeps dragging on)
I've got time to think about my past
As I dodge between the bullets
How my life was so exciting
Before I got this way
How long ago it was
Now I never can explain by the clock that's on the tower
Or the one that's in my brain
And I'm there before you know it
I'll be gone before you see me
And I'd like to get to know you
But you're talking much too slowly
And I know you wanna thank me
But I never stick around
Cause time keeps dragging on
And on, and on
And you say the time goes rushing by
(but) It seems so slow to me
And you see a blur around you fly
But it takes too long
It seems so slow to me
(How) I wish I'd never gone into my lab
To experiment that night
Before lightning flashed around me
And time changed speed
Now I've got to try to be so patient
Till calamity will strike
Because when things change in an instant
It's almost fast enough for me
And I'll be there before you know it
I'll be gone before you see me
Do you think you can imagine
Anything so lonely
And I know you really like me
But I never stick around
Cause time keeps dragging on
And on, and on, and on, and on
And you say the time goes rushing by
(but) It seems so slow to me
And you see a blur around you fly
But it takes too long
It seems so slow
And you say the time goes rushing by
(but) It seems so slow to me
You complain I'm gone before you blink your eye
But it takes too long
It seems so slow to me
And you say the time goes rushing by
(but) It seems so slow to me
And I want to be there when you laugh or cry
But it takes too long
And seems so slow to me
Time keeps dragging on...
Of the beating of a wing
Of a hummingbird suspended in the aspic of the world
Moving slower than molasses
As I'm off to catch the girl
Who's falling off the bridge
And I'm there before she knows it
I'll be gone before she sees me
Got my hand around her waist
(as) I pull her back to safety
By the time she knows what's happened
There'll be someone else who needs me
Cause time keeps dragging on
And on, and on, and on
Time keeps dragging on
(Time keeps dragging on)
I've got time to think about my past
As I dodge between the bullets
How my life was so exciting
Before I got this way
How long ago it was
Now I never can explain by the clock that's on the tower
Or the one that's in my brain
And I'm there before you know it
I'll be gone before you see me
And I'd like to get to know you
But you're talking much too slowly
And I know you wanna thank me
But I never stick around
Cause time keeps dragging on
And on, and on
And you say the time goes rushing by
(but) It seems so slow to me
And you see a blur around you fly
But it takes too long
It seems so slow to me
(How) I wish I'd never gone into my lab
To experiment that night
Before lightning flashed around me
And time changed speed
Now I've got to try to be so patient
Till calamity will strike
Because when things change in an instant
It's almost fast enough for me
And I'll be there before you know it
I'll be gone before you see me
Do you think you can imagine
Anything so lonely
And I know you really like me
But I never stick around
Cause time keeps dragging on
And on, and on, and on, and on
And you say the time goes rushing by
(but) It seems so slow to me
And you see a blur around you fly
But it takes too long
It seems so slow
And you say the time goes rushing by
(but) It seems so slow to me
You complain I'm gone before you blink your eye
But it takes too long
It seems so slow to me
And you say the time goes rushing by
(but) It seems so slow to me
And I want to be there when you laugh or cry
But it takes too long
And seems so slow to me
Time keeps dragging on...
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More Featured Meanings
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
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,
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
"I've got time to think about the beauty of a thousand variations Of the beating of a wing Of a hummingbird suspended in the aspic of the world Moving slower than molasses As I'm off to catch the girl Who is falling off the bridge"
A hummingbird is able to flap its wings up to two hundred times per second in order to fly at speeds of over 50 km/h... which, to a speedster like the Flash, is incredibly slow to the point that he could count each wingbeat and reflect on how their movement affects the hummingbird's motions. Everything else, he perceives as being trapped in 'aspic' or a clear jelly, almost as if they're all stuck in suspended animation from his perspective.
"I've got time to think about my past As I dodge between the bullets How my life was so exciting Before I got this way And how long ago it was now I never can explain by the clock that's on the tower Or the one that's in my brain"
This verse goes into Barry's past somewhat as a forensic investigator at the Central City Police Department before essentially creating the "Speed Force" that gave him his superpowers. It was more exciting to him to be able to deal with criminals on the same level as other humans; everything else seems like mild tedium now that he can dodge bullets going slightly faster than the speed of sound—an extremely casual feat for someone who can still manage to go sub-light speeds on a bad day.
"How I wish I'd never gone into my lab To experiment that night Before lightning flashed around me And time changed speed Now I've got to try to be so patient For calamity to strike Because when things change in an instant It's almost fast enough for me"
In his childhood, Barry was always laid-back and never really went out of his way to do anything extreme, especially after his mother, Nora Thompson was murdered and the crime blamed on his father which sparked his desire for justice later on, leading to his career as a forensic investigator. Adding onto what was said about verse two, Barry never asked to have the power of the Flash, but now that he has it, he can't not use it to better people's lives. Despite being incredibly laid-back, as the Flash, he still has to exercise an inhuman amount of patience because, in his eyes, the world moves at a snail's pace... and with the nearly unlimited power of the Speed Force at his disposal, Barry doesn't want to let what happened to his mother happen to anyone else.
All the other verses and the chorus just work as examples for his unfathomable speed, namely phrases like "I'll be there before you know it / I'll be gone before you see me" and "you complain I'm gone before you blink your eye".