This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
Aquaman knows what to do
Days seem shorter than they are
Finished counting all the stars
Feel the gears wind down again
Another paycheck to cash in
May the lord of flesh and bone
Leave you some to call your own
As we slowly feel our way
Through another shapeless day
up the hill to sow some seed
Nostalgia's warmth is all we need
Past disappointments turn to steam
We're superheros, in our dreams
Throw the radio up high
Watch it drown out half the sky
Synaesthesia coloured blue
Aquaman knows what to do
The secrets that we keep
Send our children fast asleep
Keep your head lights nice and low
It's a subtle tempting show
Through the windsweep we can see
A cinematic legacy
Leaving cities paved with gold
To pilot frigates through our souls
Days seem shorter than they are
Finished counting all the stars
Feel the gears wind down again
Another paycheck to cash in
May the lord of flesh and bone
Leave you some to call your own
As we slowly feel our way
Through another shapeless day
up the hill to sow some seed
Nostalgia's warmth is all we need
Past disappointments turn to steam
We're superheros, in our dreams
Throw the radio up high
Watch it drown out half the sky
Synaesthesia coloured blue
Aquaman knows what to do
The secrets that we keep
Send our children fast asleep
Keep your head lights nice and low
It's a subtle tempting show
Through the windsweep we can see
A cinematic legacy
Leaving cities paved with gold
To pilot frigates through our souls
Lyrics submitted by forbidden_snowflake
Legacy Lyrics as written by Manuel Sharrad Antonio Giovanni Gambale
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
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/
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.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
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.
Great Song. It took me a while lol...
It is strictly referring to the predicament of modern humans as we serve the 'machine'. It warns us about the toll recent events (i.e.pices has been a now steaming disappointment) and is illustrated by us experiencing the sad feeling blue through multiple senses we possess. It also highlights to us the dangers of being distracted (i.e. by the subtle tempting show), to allow us to be part of the manifest of the Dawn of the age of Aquarius ( hence Aqua Man, the water bearer). We need a collective transcendence of human consciousness (high frequencies), and to no longer continually cover up the atrocities we have committed in our past, which will allow us to hand our children truth for once.
It also touches on our mysterious origins hinting we where a once a grand civilisation (streets paved with gold), but right now our responsibility is to break from our sojourn to discover new truth (piloting the frigate through our soul), as this is the cornerstone of the power available to us in this age.
Let me just say it wasn't very long ago i thought this subject was all just rubbish, now i am realising its our only hope... gonna be a few interesting years!!!
I’ve been on the path of “finding myself” for some time now. I made a recent eye-opening discovery about myself. It was so obvious. But I was blind to it because I didn’t have the balls to face it dead on. It was way too painful, way to shocking to look at. Thus, it was repressed for almost two decades. There’s this saying: a boulder underground is just as heavy as a boulder on the surface. In hindsight, I see that because I repressed it, the pain always came up in some way, shape, or form. Healing began only when awareness and understanding came into the picture.
As I sat there shocked over this discovery, the following lyrics came up:
“The secrets that we keep send out children fast asleep.” I never faced it. Thus I’ve been keeping this secret from myself. I was asleep. I wasn’t aware that something had me on a leash. It was only when I was brutally honest with myself that I woke up from that dreadful sleep and was able to start anew.
“Keep your headlights nice and low, it’s a subtle tempting show.” I interpreted “headlights” as being our conscious awareness. The “subtle tempting show” refers to how we unconsciously put on a show of ourselves to the world. We unconsciously weave together this story/show and we believe this is who we are. We identify fully with it because we know no other way. It’s a subtle tempting show.
“Through the windsweep we can see, a cinematic legacy.” The windsweep refers to the incessant stream of thoughts we identify with. Most people are so unconscious/asleep that they no longer use thoughts as a tool; rather, thoughts have people on a leash. Thoughts control us. By Grace, some people can SEE through this thick wall of thoughts (windsweep)… and thus get in touch with a cinematic legacy. Cinematic Legacy refers to the Essence of who we are… Awareness… Truth… call it what you may.
“Leaving cities paved with gold, to pilot frigates through our souls.” When you go beyond the thick wall of incessant thoughts/windsweep, you get in touch with the Cinematic Legacy/Awareness/Truth… And when that happens, anywhere you go will be paved with gold… Well, in truth, anywhere you go is already paved with gold… it’s just that getting caught up in the windsweep prevents you from seeing it. When you are in touch with the Cinematic Legacy/Awareness/Truth, it is naturally drawn to the pain and suffering in you… It is drawn to that which is false… the very thing that causes pain and suffering. It gently taps you on the shoulder, telling you the importance of having to face that which you aren’t willing to face. Thus, it “pilots frigates through our souls.”