1
These four years were a suicide
But you volunteered and kept it alive
So you can't complain, no you can't complain, no you can't complain, no you can't complain
You can't fix what was born to break
So the marriage lives for the children's sake
And you can't complain, no you can't complain, no you can't complain, no you can't complain
"This is what you signed up for" (Take me off that list)
"This is what you signed up for"
And when tomorrow comes, you're gonna write a song
You're gonna send it out to me
'Cause I'm so vain (No you can't complain)
No you can't complain when you can't come back to me.
These 4 years were a suicide
And you're worse off now 'cause you did survive
But you can't complain, no you can't complain, no you can't complain, no you can't complain
Life turns out just a stepping stone
You forget yourself
You should have known (That you can't complain)
You should've known better. (No you can't complain)
And now you can't complain when you can't come back to me
"This is what you signed up for" (Take me off that list)
"This is what you signed up for"
But when tomorrow comes, you're gonna write a song
You're gonna send it out to me
'Cause I'm so vain (no, you can't complain)
No you can't complain when you can't come back
And when tomorrow comes, you're gonna write a song
You're gonna send it out to me
'Cause I'm so vain (no, you can't complain)
No you can't complain when you can't come back to me
You can't come back to me
This will end (This will end)
If you choose
To do nothing, nothing
This will end (This will end)
If you choose
To do nothing, nothing
This will end (This will end)
If you choose
To do nothing, nothing, nothing
But I can't live like this(I can't live like this)
No I won't be here
And when tomorrow comes, you're gonna write a song
You're gonna send it out to me
'Cause I'm so vain (no, you can't complain)
And when tomorrow comes, you're gonna write a song
You're gonna send it out to me
'Cause I'm so vain (no, you can't complain)
And when tomorrow comes, you're gonna write a song
You're gonna send it out to me
but you can't complain
to me
But you volunteered and kept it alive
So you can't complain, no you can't complain, no you can't complain, no you can't complain
You can't fix what was born to break
So the marriage lives for the children's sake
And you can't complain, no you can't complain, no you can't complain, no you can't complain
"This is what you signed up for" (Take me off that list)
"This is what you signed up for"
And when tomorrow comes, you're gonna write a song
You're gonna send it out to me
'Cause I'm so vain (No you can't complain)
No you can't complain when you can't come back to me.
These 4 years were a suicide
And you're worse off now 'cause you did survive
But you can't complain, no you can't complain, no you can't complain, no you can't complain
Life turns out just a stepping stone
You forget yourself
You should have known (That you can't complain)
You should've known better. (No you can't complain)
And now you can't complain when you can't come back to me
"This is what you signed up for" (Take me off that list)
"This is what you signed up for"
But when tomorrow comes, you're gonna write a song
You're gonna send it out to me
'Cause I'm so vain (no, you can't complain)
No you can't complain when you can't come back
And when tomorrow comes, you're gonna write a song
You're gonna send it out to me
'Cause I'm so vain (no, you can't complain)
No you can't complain when you can't come back to me
You can't come back to me
This will end (This will end)
If you choose
To do nothing, nothing
This will end (This will end)
If you choose
To do nothing, nothing
This will end (This will end)
If you choose
To do nothing, nothing, nothing
But I can't live like this(I can't live like this)
No I won't be here
And when tomorrow comes, you're gonna write a song
You're gonna send it out to me
'Cause I'm so vain (no, you can't complain)
And when tomorrow comes, you're gonna write a song
You're gonna send it out to me
'Cause I'm so vain (no, you can't complain)
And when tomorrow comes, you're gonna write a song
You're gonna send it out to me
but you can't complain
to me
Lyrics submitted by SubtleAsABrick
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This is quite obviously about TBS and Adam in particular I think. Adam responded with a diary entry with the same title on the band's official website.
no i dont think this is about adam... i think it's more of a song confirming how he doesn't regret his decision... and maybe adam just liked the song? or maybe fred's saying that musically he didn't like where tbs was going, but after all the success and fun etc he can't complain or regret because it's all just had such a positive impact? im thinking it's about not regretting the past... you know cuz of the whole "no regrets" thing that the band had.
yes this is about adam... this is soo sad. its just like what happened with john and shaun leaving.. and all these songs they wrote about each other. were fred and adam really fighting and stuff? because i had no clue.. i thought fred was happy. but then he left tbs...
it's def. about adam/his experience with tbs and it's really sad. and i think adam wrote a journal entry with the title of it because he was mad about it.
if you read interviews with fred, you can see that it's about him being in tbs. he wanted to be honest and not edit his songs. i'm not sure what the line about the marriage is about though and if it's referring to his own marriage.
to fivergirl: "So the marriage lives for the children's sake" - The first time I heard that line I thought that maybe Fred was talking about how he stayed in Taking Back Sunday/ TBS is staying together for the fans. I don't know...That's just what I thought at first. Fred did say that they all argued a lot ,but his departure was peaceful and it ended with a dinner with him and Matt Rubano. So, I'm not so sure if it is really about how he hates the members or anything. I think that this song might have been something he wrote when he was angry and needed to let off so steam and he just chose not to edit it because he wanted it to show his emotions he had when he wrote it.
i think it's about adam, too i just hope that if their not friends ne more that they will become them again 'this is what you signed up for' was in quotes in the booklet so i think it was something one of the members said to him(adam, most likely) 'cause i'm so vein' that mite of also been said that he is vein and wants to leave so he can have the spotlight
i love fred and this album is amazing = )
freakyblondey, that just sort of reminded me that i read somewhere that being in a band is sort of like being married to your bandmates (i think fred or someone from tbs might have said it). and i think you're right, about him being angry at the time he wrote the song and not wanting to edit it.
is it just me or is the music/guitar part near the end sound sort of like the same part near the end of Cute Without the 'E' (right before "hoping for the best...")?
fivergirl yeah it does sorta sound like the cute without the 'e' hmm...
Adam must be a real douche to work with, this is the second guy he's pissed off.
DVagnoni, I was actually thinking the same thing. But actually, it's the third person. Nolan and Shaun Cooper were both in TBS before Straylight, and obviously Jesse Lacey, but they weren't in the band together.
So I'm guessing that Adam is just a douche period. But, I've never met him, so I can't completely judge...