Not Nineteen Forever

For me this song has very little to do with romance and much more to do with being young, naive, foolish and doing drugs/taking things a bit too far. There just so happens to be the control factor of an older woman in the song, to help explain the story a little better.

I think a few people are getting confused by the "tea and toast" lyric. This is nothing to do with going for a date, who goes for a date and has tea and toast? If you read the preceding lines they say, "She tried to peel me off the pavement, Tried to insinuate sometimes, I am in danger of going too far." It doesn't matter that it's a she; it's just someone (an authoritative figure) trying to insinuate that he does too many drinks/drugs. Where he says "Asked me would I like to go for tea and toast," she is trying to help him sort his head out as she takes him somewhere safe in a taxi. Not necessarily to her house, as some of you hopeless romantics will be so quick to jump to. These two could just be friends, at this point. And his response to her attempt at helping is to view it as condescension and tell her to "Get your hand off my thigh." If you've ever been in a similar situation, you may have experienced the same feelings he has here, since older girls will often put their hand on your thigh and try to comfort you, which can be easily seen as condescending and even more so by the immature mind.

The next verse reads "Tried to get your attention all night long, Asked you once, I asked you twice, asked you four times, If you'd like to dance to that song." This part is about hanging around in a bar/club/pub because you think you might be in there with a girl. Then you are waiting around whilst, metaphorically, asking her to dance once, twice and four times. This could be anything, this could just be trying to chat her up or whatever. And what do you do in a bar/club/pub whilst waiting for a girl? You get wasted, perhaps so wasted that you lose the girl you were trying to get in with because she left earlier. So the next line reads, "Front crawled the CURB (not crowd) down the stairs, And I followed you out in the rain, nowhere to be found." So he waited around so long that he had to crawl outside in the rain on the curb because he was so drunk. At this point, his young mind flippantly discards his wasted opportunity with a throw away comment, "Never mind, you'll probably never look that pretty again."

Is this about a romance? Maybe. But I don't see any evidence in this song that refers to said romance, apart from maybe "Both of them doing all they can" but that could be in reference to anything.

On the other hand, there is a lot about being young, foolish and getting fucked up. "You're not nineteen forever, pull yourselves together." This seems like Liam imparting advice on his fans. Don't get too fucked up, take care of yourself, don't be an idiot and enjoy.

ecchy mate u read too much into tunes. its simply about an older woman wanting a guy to settle down but he's in a band getting rat arsed and having a good time. basically live fast die young.

Yeah maybe, but I love to think lyrics are sometimes more than only the first level.

I personnaly can't listen to that song without thinking it's about lady Death talking to a suicidal young man. The song has more impact that way to me.

oh man!

the first time i ever heard this, i thought he said, "she tryed to pee on the other pavement," instead of "she's trying to peel me off the pavement"

oops!

LUV IT SO MUCH ITS ON MY MP3!

=D

^^ i think that is almost right.

i think its about how he turns someone down because he's waiting for something to happen with someone else:

first verse, she tries to 'peel' him 'off the pavement', puts her hand on his thigh, and he says 'get your hand off my thigh'. She's older than he is, - 'older woman and a younger man'

second verse: he rejects the first person, (the older woman) because he's waiting on another woman, who he waits for 'all night long', and who he follows out 'in the rain'. This person is around his age maybe a year or so older, which may make a difference then, but not so much now, so to him its an 'older woman and ever-so- slightly younger man (which is him)'

in terms of the chorus, maybe the first time its person he turns down saying that he's not 'nineteen forever', to urge him to do something and to be with her, as if to say 'you only live once'

second chorus: He says 'You're not nineteen forever' to himself, referring to the person he is chasing. Even though he likes her, he thinks he's wasting his time. Instead of having fun while he's 19, he's moping around because he can't get a girl.

He's also trying to convince himself (unsuccessfully?) that things will get better- 'i know it seems strange but things, they change.' and that she's not worth it- 'never mind, you'll never look that pretty again'.

*God bless the band- a band typically plays music in the background, so maybe its his mates and the people around him saying that he'll get over it, and so in this way they're doing all they can.

Awesome Awesome Song... by an absolutely amazing bandd... clearly jus about someone gettin older... but tryna stay young... Love this tuneeeeeee (8) Courteeners Rockkkkkkk =D

im pretty sure its "she tried to peel me off the pavement" instead of shes had to. and in the second verse where it says "asked you four times if you'd like to dance to that song" after that it says "from ____ the crowd, down the stairs..." yeah not sure what that middle word is :).

yesss it says "front crawled the crowd" it says in the lyrics book from st jude.

urm, cutcopycat, dude (or dudette)you said that the last line should be, "it's not big, you're definitely not clever", and erm if im not , you know, mistaken,

THAT IS THE BLOODY LAST LINE!

and in the words of one of the monty pythons, (probobly john cleeeeeeeeeeeze)

"I'm sorry, I don't know what come over me!"

LOL

yes, weeyin, it's probably been altered since they wrote that comment. duh.