Metanoia, reshaping the world
It can teach you
And reprogram you
It can show you the flood
That's trapped inside
This one's alive
The tail is breathing
And she's listening
Kill the serpent
Divide, disperse and grow
Into an oak
A silver lining on a black scale
Wicked hunter on three hooves he still rode
But where is the fourth?
You can climb there
To your lofty perch
It can teach you the fairytale of hurt

Mystic referee, don't look on me with scorn
I'm a child, I'm a lover being born
Satchidananda
Disregard the path I'm on
You can justify the action, should you bless
My ambition and my indecisiveness
Satchidananda
Let me know that you exist
Watch me tremble as I'm answering the phone
I am separate from everything you know
Mystic referee I promise to return
Once I've given up and lessons have been learned
Satchidananda
You can watch my fire burn

We were talkin' junk right,
Just before the show
This wild-eyed kid came up to the fence
He took one look at us, and he said:

"Help me,
Drummer,
Ticket,
Yeah!"

We didn't play his favorite song,
Now he'll never come to another show

Hospitals and woods confirm
Red in the eyes of everyone
Parasites and lovers scrape the meat from bones
Turned into jade and tiger's eye
Save me some dark hair over a face like hers
She'll help the rain come to a pour
Bathroom floor of stone and tiles broke in two
Warm where they touch her porcelain
Timid skin I'm careful to untie this road
Wrapped in a knot indifferent
Lion's foot unearthing all the things I've seen
But never truly understood
Rotten wood from oceans that were never green
Crumbles beneath the canopy
Secretly

Let's pretend we never touched the sugar

Tonight, under rose
You won't find another wheel to roll
When autumn winds appear
We wear these fears on our right
It just wants to be surreal 'cause
All dressed in diamond image jeans
Mercury's found in old field
We miserable in love
And chance we walked
Right on in, into the streets of the city but
Watching people disappear
Without reaching out
Years and years
You're left by yourself
On the wheel


Lyrics submitted by Baldwin_XX

Metanoia Lyrics as written by Andrew Wells Vanwyngarden Benjamin Nicholas Huner Goldwasser

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Metanoia song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

36 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +5
    General Comment

    oh my god-damn, this song gets so 70s rock to me. Reminds me of zeppelin at parts.

    Metanoia is a mental breakdown with the purpose of reconstructing the psyche in a new more positive way. It's an attitude of seeing a breakdown as a good thing. It also refers to thoughts that are just beyond your scope or reach. I often wonder what else I could be thinking.

    My favorite part is the line starting with "mystic referee." I think mystic referee is f***ing great imagery. That feeling that if someone is up there watching our actions, they'll be able to follow our line of thought and understand why we choose to do the things we do.

    Satchidananda was or still is? a very spiritual guru from India who spent many many years meditating.
    Maybe he is the mystic referee being refered to.

    The lyrics seem to be longing for a certain spiritual certainty. He wants to know he's on the right path. maybe he is, and his ambition and indecisiveness is actually blessed and justified... but there is another part of him saying he's on the wrong path, seperate from the mystic referee, and he knows it. He will come back to religion later in life after he has given up trying to solve his problems w/o any religion.

    And in the middle of these deep thoughts....a kid comes up wanting a free ticket. They don't play his favorite song, and now they're afraid he'll never come to another show.

    The lyrics go from extremely deep to hilariously trivial. And that's why I love MGMT so much.

    sgr7447on July 28, 2008   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
Album art
Son Şansın - Şarkı Sözleri
Hayalperest
This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere. In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
Album art
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
Album art
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
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.
Album art
Blue
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.