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.
Do you throw it in the well
Wishing you had someone to tell
What it was that you wished for
So it couldn't come true anymore
I've thrown so much away
These times die and stay alive
I've gone and I've stayed
And though both happened
At the same time
I know which one I like
And which one I hate
You never change to fire if you're ice
Even if you melt on a table and dry
And that table is burned
I'll tell you why
'Cause you stayed by going away
And life changes not you
Life changes not you
Every time is contained in now
Now is only time anything happens
Though one moments shot
In infinity's rounds
Now is the one time
Anything happens here
Here, here, here
Here, here, here
Wishing you had someone to tell
What it was that you wished for
So it couldn't come true anymore
I've thrown so much away
These times die and stay alive
I've gone and I've stayed
And though both happened
At the same time
I know which one I like
And which one I hate
You never change to fire if you're ice
Even if you melt on a table and dry
And that table is burned
I'll tell you why
'Cause you stayed by going away
And life changes not you
Life changes not you
Every time is contained in now
Now is only time anything happens
Though one moments shot
In infinity's rounds
Now is the one time
Anything happens here
Here, here, here
Here, here, here
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
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
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.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
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.
I don't understand why there is just one comment for this song! lol I love it like many songs of J.F.! I don't know what this song means, everything I know is that maybe John is only to know what mean his songs because it's very hard to find it!
imo this song is about wishing and wanting to have a soul mate.
"Do you throw it in the well Wishing you had someone to tell" --- 'throw it in the well' is him tossing coins in a well which is the act of wishing, so hes wishing he had someone to tell his feelings to.
"I’ve thrown so much away These times die and stay alive"---- hes constantly wishing he had something more, and these feelings come and go
"You never change to fire if you’re ice Even if you melt on a table and dry" ----your true self always remains the same even if something tragic or emotionally scarring happens to you
"And that table is burned I’ll tell you why ‘Cuz you stayed by going away and life changes not you" ------ the table burned is representing the change that has occured in you. 'youve stayed by going away' means that every person is afffected differently by things and the way youre affected is determined by the type of person you are. so basically, even if something happens to you causing you to act differently than you normally do, your still 'you' (staying), because you repsonded to it in your own way. thats why 'life changes not you'
This is one of my most favorite JF songs (and I love them all!), not only because it is so beautiful musically but the thoughts and emotions conveyed are also so beautiful. I think it is about being true to one's self, through times high and low ('life changes not you') and that through these hardships, he found his true self.
I've gone and I've stayed And though both happened At the same time I know which one I like And which one I hate
And as usual, he talks about the insignificance of time, that you can make mistakes but you can always make it up.
The first paragraph alludes to wishing for someone who can understand him, but I don't think it is in the literal sense. I think the song is about understanding one's self and being content with who you are.
Its about stop whishing for things that cant be done , leave the past behind and realise that you should live in the now , live the moment , thats where life is.
This is basically song about love. Unhappened. Love, which also close to hate feeling. Which have stayed in a heart, even after process of leaving. In a life reminding about itself by continues happening.
"Do you throw it in the well Wishing you had someone to tell What it wad that yiu wished for So it couldn't come true anymore"
Throw it in the well obviously means throwing a coin on a wishing well, but there's something about these wells: you must not tell anybody what you wished for, or it will never come true.
So, I've seen many people getting this part wrong, but here the contradictions already begin, as he is asking if you do wish for somethink that, if came true, would make the wish never come true... He's wishing for someone to tell what he wished for, so that it wouldn't come true anymore...
"I have thrown so much away These times died and stayed alive I have gone and I've stayed And though both happened at the same time I know which one I liked And which one I hate"
I think this part talks about life's choices: If you have to choose from 2 things, the one you choose you will know if you liked or not, and the other one you suppose would be better or worse choice, by exclusion principle, and the options we opt out still manages to change our lifes, even if just for the thought of having had that option...
So, by throwing so much away, he means that he has chosen a lot and thus haven't done the options he chose not, and thus the options he chose not died and the ones he chose stayed alive, as they happened.
"You never change to fire if you're ice Even if you melt on a table and dry And that table is burning and I tell you why Cause you stayed by going away And life changes not you Life changes not you"
This one refers to a common contradiction that many people do in their life, which is saying you'd never do something, and then you do it... You say you'll never change from ice to fire, no matter what (melting and drying), but then, there you are changing your mind and burning the table by changing to fire. And that is because life itself is in constant change, and not you giving up on your essence and changing yourself... So life changes, not you.
"Every time is contained in now Now is the one time anything happens Though one moment shots in infitinity's round Now is the one time anything happens here"
I think this kinda falls back to chaos theory, where major future events could be determined by apparent small life choices in the present...
So, TL:DR, I think this song talks about life's choices and contradictions... how something in your essence that you think is immutable can seemingly change and how every life choice we make impacts our future.
"Do you throw it in the well Wishing you had someone to tell What it wad that yiu wished for So it couldn't come true anymore"
Throw it in the well obviously means throwing a coin on a wishing well, but there's something about these wells: you must not tell anybody what you wished for, or it will never come true.
So, I've seen many people getting this part wrong, but here the contradictions already begin, as he is asking if you do wish for somethink that, if came true, would make the wish never come true... He's wishing for someone to tell what he wished for, so that it wouldn't come true anymore...
"I have thrown so much away These times died and stayed alive I have gone and I've stayed And though both happened at the same time I know which one I liked And which one I hate"
I think this part talks about life's choices: If you have to choose from 2 things, the one you choose you will know if you liked or not, and the other one you suppose would be better or worse choice, by exclusion principle, and the options we opt out still manages to change our lifes, even if just for the thought of having had that option...
So, by throwing so much away, he means that he has chosen a lot and thus haven't done the options he chose not, and thus the options he chose not died and the ones he chose stayed alive, as they happened.
"You never change to fire if you're ice Even if you melt on a table and dry And that table is burning and I tell you why Cause you stayed by going away And life changes not you Life changes not you"
This one refers to a common contradiction that many people do in their life, which is saying you'd never do something, and then you do it... You say you'll never change from ice to fire, no matter what (melting and drying), but then, there you are changing your mind and burning the table by changing to fire. And that is because life itself is in constant change, and not you giving up on your essence and changing yourself... So life changes, not you.
"Every time is contained in now Now is the one time anything happens Though one moment shots in infitinity's round Now is the one time anything happens here"
I think this kinda falls back to chaos theory, where major future events could be determined by apparent small life choices in the present...
So, TL:DR, I think this song talks about life's choices and contradictions... how something in your essence that you think is immutable can seemingly change and how every life choice we make impacts our future.
i think this is a very meaningful song for john. i think it is about, having two lives, one of which is good and normal, the other one is very bad and he wishes he could get rid of it or just tell someone about it. He knows that running away from the problem will not do anything as it will stay with him. And he's come to a point where he has to chose which life he wants to lead... i think it is most likely to be about his drug problems.
This is one of my JF favorites. In general all these songs will remember me of long walks through town, to the park and through the trees and streets, nice warm days and most beautiful sounds in the universe. life's great, too bad I can't see it nowadays. But I'll be back someday, again with the same songs. cheers