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While You Wait for the Others Lyrics
To make it all worthwhile
All your useless presentations
Are weighing on my time
You could beg for forgiveness
As long as you like
Or just wait out the evening
And always ask me why
Yes you'll only leave me dry
So I'll ask you kindly to make your way
And what was there
The perfect glare
We all fall through
While you wait on the answers
That I'll pretend to find
Keeping up with emotions
Still occupies our time
You could hope for substance
As long as you like
Or just wait out the evening
And always ask me why
Yes you'll always ask me why
I'll ask you kindly to make your way
And what was left
The perfect glare
We all fall through
And all we want
And what was there
And what was there
And what wasn't there
All your useless presentations
Are weighing on my time
You could beg for forgiveness
As long as you like
Or just wait out the evening
And always ask me why
Yes you'll only leave me dry
So I'll ask you kindly to make your way
And what was there
The perfect glare
We all fall through
While you wait on the answers
That I'll pretend to find
Keeping up with emotions
Still occupies our time
You could hope for substance
As long as you like
Or just wait out the evening
And always ask me why
Yes you'll always ask me why
I'll ask you kindly to make your way
And what was left
The perfect glare
We all fall through
And all we want
And what was there
And what was there
And what wasn't there
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While you wait for the others to make it all worthwhile All your useless pretensions are weighing on my time You could beg for forgiveness as long as you like Or just wait out the evening You’ll only bleed me dry Yes you’ll only bleed me dry
So I’ll ask you kindly to make your way And what was left A perfect cleft We all fall through
While you wait on the answers that I’ll pretend to find Keeping up with the motions still occupies our time You could hope for some substance as long as you like Or just wait out the evening And always ask me why Yes you’ll only bleed me dry
So I’ll ask you kindly to make your way And what was left A perfect cleft We all fall through And all we want And what was left
The correct lyrics are extremely important for understanding these rather poetic lyrics. The lyrics are describing a highly emotional situation; well I should say a situation where one person is highly emotional and the other person has taken a removed, dry, upper hand position where they can sit more comfortably in a position that allows them to feign a lack of emotions.
I could well be wrong but I believe the author of these lyrics is describing a romantic break-up. The vital lyrical clue would be the difference between the lyrics written above "the perfect glare" versus the actual lyrics on the liner notes of the CD "the perfect cleft".
The word cleft it means: Adjective: Split, divided, or partially divided into two. Noun: A fissure or split, esp. one in rock or the ground.
Therefore I believe this song is about one person being upset and asking what are the reasons for wanting the break up, with the answer from the author being a rather cold "this is a waste of time, my mind is made up, just move on."
On second thought, the author of these lyrics is not emotionally detached at all, the author is extemely disappointed, resentful and probably angry too. So the pleading protesting of the person who the author feels betrayed by, just leaves the author feeling cold, misunderstood, and the division between them becomes even wider. The author initiated the break up due to a difference between them, and when the protestor doesn't see the difference, doesn't acknowledge the difference, doesn't understand what they did wrong, that just serves as evidence to the author of how unsuited they are for each other.
On second thought, the author of these lyrics is not emotionally detached at all, the author is extemely disappointed, resentful and probably angry too. So the pleading protesting of the person who the author feels betrayed by, just leaves the author feeling cold, misunderstood, and the division between them becomes even wider. The author initiated the break up due to a difference between them, and when the protestor doesn't see the difference, doesn't acknowledge the difference, doesn't understand what they did wrong, that just serves as evidence to the author of how unsuited they are for each other.
I'm pretty sure it's "and what was left the perfect cleft we all fell through"
you're definitely right. and it makes way more sense that way than "what was there, the perfect glare."
you're definitely right. and it makes way more sense that way than "what was there, the perfect glare."
Grizzly Bear are amazing. This song is amazing.
Grizzly Bear are amazing. This song is amazing.
i thought it was "yes, you'll only bleed me dry"
i'm never disappointed by grizzly bear. they've managed to always bring something new to their established sonal ambiance.
Beautiful. I don't know what it is about Grizzly Bear that makes them so fantastic, but they get me every time.
BlackheartCherry is right about cleft.
On the album version I definitely hear him pronouncing
"And what was left? The perfect cleft"
I relate to this so much.
For me, it describes a break-up you know has got to happen, but you don't want it to. You fool yourself into thinking you're working out what's wrong, but you know that the good times are long gone. The chorus, I guess, describes how the break-up is the right thing, the easy thing to do...
In short- you can't explain what's wrong but you know it's bad, and you know there's no chance of sorting it out.
You are wrong. I would appreciate it if you didn't project your personal shit onto it, alright?
You are wrong. I would appreciate it if you didn't project your personal shit onto it, alright?
nobody likes pretentious assholes who act like they know the meaning of everything. theres nothing wrong with personal speculations.
nobody likes pretentious assholes who act like they know the meaning of everything. theres nothing wrong with personal speculations.
well guys if you actually bothered to buy the CD then you could read the album art work, which clearly states perfect cleft
Having written my reply to NewRussian, these are what I believe are corrections to the lyrics that are pivotal to the song's meaning:
or just wait out the evening [and always leave me dry]
and what was there the perfect [cleft] we all fall through You can fall through a cleft much more easily than through a glare!
while you wait on the answers that ill pretend to find keeping up with [the motions] still occupies our time
Thanks for the great start, ThatHansonCover.
all your useless pretensions