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The Jeopardy of Contentment Lyrics
basically, this is an apology.
I still know what's best for both of us, kid.
we've been through enough.
there's nothing left to prove.
the feeling's mutual, but not exclusive.
alibis are only excuses -
allowances for us to abuse the truth.
the truth is i'm done with them.
you may not ever hear them again.
and still they only fulfill so much until
we have to fess up and face the facts
the best we can or live with the consequence...
the resulting accident.
our patience is fading.
consider this courtesy,
if not somewhat evasive underneath.
but even if it just thrills my soul,
or it burns another hole,
I've got to let it go
before we can't.
so long.
you've got to believe there's something better out there,
someone better out there for you than me.
so, there you left me standing
to fend for myself forever.
but I'm holding up,
I'm pulling through.
I'm not sure what else you expect me to do.
but I won't deny that I'm taking it hard...
I'm taking whatever's available to me.
you see, that's just the way I deal with grief.
since I left you here
in our destroyed machine,
I fear you've grown immune
to the difference between
whether you're holding on
or you're just holding out.
do me a favor, love.
let me go.
let me loose before it's too late to choose.
while your pride is numb,
while your face is still young,
while your hands are still clean,
just wash yourself of me.
I still know what's best for both of us, kid.
we've been through enough.
there's nothing left to prove.
the feeling's mutual, but not exclusive.
allowances for us to abuse the truth.
the truth is i'm done with them.
you may not ever hear them again.
we have to fess up and face the facts
the best we can or live with the consequence...
the resulting accident.
consider this courtesy,
if not somewhat evasive underneath.
but even if it just thrills my soul,
or it burns another hole,
I've got to let it go
before we can't.
so long.
you've got to believe there's something better out there,
someone better out there for you than me.
to fend for myself forever.
but I'm holding up,
I'm pulling through.
I'm not sure what else you expect me to do.
but I won't deny that I'm taking it hard...
I'm taking whatever's available to me.
you see, that's just the way I deal with grief.
in our destroyed machine,
I fear you've grown immune
to the difference between
whether you're holding on
or you're just holding out.
do me a favor, love.
let me go.
let me loose before it's too late to choose.
while your face is still young,
while your hands are still clean,
just wash yourself of me.
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this is as close as i could get from listening to it, but the parts i think i got right are too amazing not to have these lyrics up here.
I agree with PinsNeedles, however I feel there's more to it than that. The title says it all: the Jeopardy of Contentment. The song is about that period in a relationship after everything becomes too comfortable. To me, it's about what's at stake when a relationship reaches that point, when the flame is gone and we settle for contentment instead of true happiness. Indeed, the lyrics describe a relationship where the partners no longer relate, where they've been through a lot together but the relationship just isn't what it used to be: "In our destroyed machine". The narrator (for lack of a better term) here still loves their partner but feels that the relationship just isn't strong enough anymore to last. They want something better for their partner and decide to make the sacrifice of ending the relationship in hopes that the other person will find what's best for them "there's got to be something better out there, someone better out there for you than me". Its about giving up before there's any more damage.
Excellent work on the lyrics, and thanks for your work in putting them up here. I tried to decipher them myself when the album first came out and I just couldn't get so much of the song that I gave up.
It's a great song without understanding the lyrics, and a thousand times better with them - so thanks so much.
This is on my short list of best songs of the year.
These lyrics, along with the others off this album, are all posted on the official band web site.
There's a couple discrepancies... correct lines follow...
"So, there you left me standing to fend for myself forever"
"Do me a favor, love: let me go, let me lose before it's too late to choose"
This is the most eloquent and beautiful depiction of a relationship that has gone past the part where the couple is relating to each other.