This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Your great-grandfather was a great lawyer
And his kid made a mint off the war
Your father shot stills and then directed films
That your mom did publicity for
I saw your older sis on the year's best book list
And your brother, he manages bands
And you're keen to downplay
But you're quick to betray
With one well turned out wave of your hand
You come from wealth,
Yeah, you've got wealth
What a bitch they didn't give you much else
I heard Cuss by The Kinks on your speakers
I saw Poe and Artau? on your shelves
While The Last Laugh's first scene
On your flat panel screen
Lit Chanel that you've wrapped around yourself
You've got outsider art by an artist who arguably kidnapped a kid on your wall
While your designers have slyly
Directed the eye down clean lines in your well-lit hall
You've got taste, you've got taste
What a waste that that's all that you have
You wrote your thesis on the Gospel of Thomas
You shot some reversal film in Angkor Wat
And this book you once read
Says there's less people dead
At this point now than those who are not
And this film we once saw was reviled for its flaws
But its flaws were what made us have fun
And the life some folks had might have made us feel bad
Why feel bad man, it's nothing that you've done
It's all in your hand, it's all in your hand
Like a gun, like a globe, like a grand
And this thing you once said disappeared from my head
In the time that it took to be amazed
And this thing you once did might have dazzled the kids
But the kids once grown up are gonna walk away
And your world is gonna change nothing
And our world is gonna change nothing
And his kid made a mint off the war
Your father shot stills and then directed films
That your mom did publicity for
I saw your older sis on the year's best book list
And your brother, he manages bands
And you're keen to downplay
But you're quick to betray
With one well turned out wave of your hand
You come from wealth,
Yeah, you've got wealth
What a bitch they didn't give you much else
I heard Cuss by The Kinks on your speakers
I saw Poe and Artau? on your shelves
While The Last Laugh's first scene
On your flat panel screen
Lit Chanel that you've wrapped around yourself
You've got outsider art by an artist who arguably kidnapped a kid on your wall
While your designers have slyly
Directed the eye down clean lines in your well-lit hall
You've got taste, you've got taste
What a waste that that's all that you have
You wrote your thesis on the Gospel of Thomas
You shot some reversal film in Angkor Wat
And this book you once read
Says there's less people dead
At this point now than those who are not
And this film we once saw was reviled for its flaws
But its flaws were what made us have fun
And the life some folks had might have made us feel bad
Why feel bad man, it's nothing that you've done
It's all in your hand, it's all in your hand
Like a gun, like a globe, like a grand
And this thing you once said disappeared from my head
In the time that it took to be amazed
And this thing you once did might have dazzled the kids
But the kids once grown up are gonna walk away
And your world is gonna change nothing
And our world is gonna change nothing
Lyrics submitted by smileforthecamera, edited by stormville
Singer Songwriter Lyrics as written by Will Robinson Sheff
Lyrics © Hipgnosis Songs Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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More Featured Meanings
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
Lord Huron
Son Şansın - Şarkı Sözleri
Hayalperest
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.
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
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.
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
"And this book you once read said there's less people dead at this point now than those who are not" is definitely a reference to "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer.
few things: "you come from wealth" and "cuts by The Kinks"
Seems to be about elitism and/or pretentiousness ... and how all the hip stuff you like/do will not amount to anything meaningful if you don't have anything else in your life.
I think The Last Laugh refers to the film by F.W. Murnau, hence why it'd be on a flat panel TV (it also ties in to the pretentiousness theme, cause it'd be a real "film geek" film).
Poe and Artaud*
Hehe.
I was waiting for someone to show me how badly I fucked that up. Thank you. :P
Defiantly about pretentious people. More to the point about the kind of people you find in Hollywood; people who are surrounded by art and artists but don't absorb any of the art they surround themselves with. They "have taste" in that they know what's good, but they only make what they think people want to hear/see, and so they end up nothing but walking cleches rather than the artists that were genuine, and became everlasting because of it.
Is "Anchor Watt" meant to be Angkor Wat? The first one doesn't really make sense and the second one's a pretty famous Cambodian monument which kinda fits with the whole privelaged upbringing thing? Just a thought, anyway.
It's "the Last Laugh's first scene," not foreseen.
Should be "You've got outsider art by an artist who arguably kidnapped a kid on the wall"