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.
That's us, before we got there
That's morning time, before we got there
That's morning time, before we got there
That's morning time, before we got there
I just want to be, wherever you are
Hard as I can be, it's never too hard
With this our love to see, by it's own light
Love inside of me, it's working at night
Seconds before I see in the dark
Seconds turn, this time that, it's so
Coming to, seconds turn, this time that I
Such fun to be with
It's a big old world
With nothing in it
I can't wait to see you
Another minute
It's a wild combination, it's a wild combination
It's a wild, it's a loving you baby
It's a talk in the dark, it's a walk in the morning (x2)
That's us, before we got there
That's morning time, before we got there
That's us, before we got there
That's morning time, before we got there
For a price, push up and be part of it all
Surfing, swimming
(It's a wild combination)
That's us before we got there
That's morning time before we got there
That's morning time before we got there
That's morning time before we got there
That's you, me, on self-timer
We're leaving at five in the morning
We could get better mileage
That's you, in the pool, you're a swimmer
What a winner, you peek out
That's us before we got there
That's morning time, before we got there
That's us before we got there
That's morning time, before we got there
That's you, me, on self-timer
We're leaving at five in the morning
We could get better mileage
That's you in the pool, it's a swimmer
What a winner, you peek
That's morning time, before we got there
That's morning time, before we got there
That's morning time, before we got there
I just want to be, wherever you are
Hard as I can be, it's never too hard
With this our love to see, by it's own light
Love inside of me, it's working at night
Seconds before I see in the dark
Seconds turn, this time that, it's so
Coming to, seconds turn, this time that I
Such fun to be with
It's a big old world
With nothing in it
I can't wait to see you
Another minute
It's a wild combination, it's a wild combination
It's a wild, it's a loving you baby
It's a talk in the dark, it's a walk in the morning (x2)
That's us, before we got there
That's morning time, before we got there
That's us, before we got there
That's morning time, before we got there
For a price, push up and be part of it all
Surfing, swimming
(It's a wild combination)
That's us before we got there
That's morning time before we got there
That's morning time before we got there
That's morning time before we got there
That's you, me, on self-timer
We're leaving at five in the morning
We could get better mileage
That's you, in the pool, you're a swimmer
What a winner, you peek out
That's us before we got there
That's morning time, before we got there
That's us before we got there
That's morning time, before we got there
That's you, me, on self-timer
We're leaving at five in the morning
We could get better mileage
That's you in the pool, it's a swimmer
What a winner, you peek
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i'm depressed by the fact that i am like the only comment on most arthur russell songs (especially this one) but once i was talking to a friend online and they noted how sometimes you actually understand a line of arthur's in a song and it just....hits you. like right in the gut and then you want to cry. this is one of those songs for me, there's just something magic in there.
tldr, this is the only love song that matters tbh
@gabbagabbaheygirl I totally agree with you, I listen to this song in the car and just let go and feel it, tears come to my eyes. But happy tears, tears because you know life is fleeting and this beautiful moment he's describing will eventually be gone no matter what.
This song... the simplicity of the poetry, how you grow with this music and how it's always there to reassure you of your love for someone and the beginning of it all.
This track is one of the rare few I will never get tired of. It isn't a flowery love song, it's about something much more abstract. Two people, "before they got there." I picture the "morning time" as the dawn of true love between two people.
The longing to be wherever they are, a love that feels so strong it has its own light. A person you have so much fun with that the rest of the world doesn't matter, it's empty without them.
The simple lines "It's a talk in the dark, it's a walk in the morning." Moments you share with someone you care about and who cares about you. Long conversations in dim light at nighttime, summer dew-soaked lawns and sidewalks in the morning as the sun is coming up.
I see the "For a price, push up and be a part of it all" as Arthur's commentary on the modern world. In America, for a price, you can surf and swim, and be a part of society.
I read "that's you, me, on a self-timer" as the feeling of connection and synchronicity you get with someone you've shared a while with.
"That's you in the pool, a swimmer, what a winner," an image of memeory, idyllic beauty in the water, pride in the one you love.
I can go on and on, this will be in my collection forever as the song that accompanied meeting the first person I really fell in love with : )
@michaeldentico Great interpretation.
As the split title indicates, this is probably two songs that Russell combined: "That's Us" and "Wild Combination."
"Wild Combination" is just a love song. We could spend all day speculating about the meanings of specific lines but anyone can get the gist ("I just wanna be wherever you are").
I suspect that "That's Us" on the other hand, is mostly someone going through a stack of photographs or narrating a slideshow of vacation photos ("That's us before we got there", "That's you in the pool"). Russell refers to a self-timer (as in a self-timer on a camera that allows you to pose before the shutter goes off) and gas mileage. Swimming, surfing, leaving early to beat the traffic, smiling for the camera - sounds like a vacation to me.