Like a lot of the other comments are saying, I think this mainly about voyeurism. If the song was about his girlfriend, then why would he use the word spy. If you are a spy it means you shouldn't be caught, that is kind of the whole point, and if you are a voyeur, the whole point of the pleasure you get from it, is the fact that the other people don't know you are watching them. See a bit of a connection there?
Take back the city for yourself tonight
Or I'll take back the city for me
Take back the city for yourself tonight
Whoa
God knows you put your life into it's hands
And it's both cradled you and crushed
But now it's time to make your own demands
Whoa
All these years later and it's killing me
Your broken records in words
Ten thousand craters where it all should be
Whoa
No need to put your words into my mouth
Don't need convincing at all
I love this place enough to know I have no doubts
Whoa
It's a mess, it's a start
It's a flawed work of art
Your city, your a call
Every crack, every wall
Pick a side, pick a fight
Get your epitaph right
You can sing, 'til you drop
Cause the fun just never stops
I love this city tonight
I love this city always
It bears it's teeth like a light
And spits me out after day's
But we're all gluttons for it
We know what's wrong and it's right
For every time it's been hit
Take back the city tonight
Tell me you never wanted more than this
And I will stop talking now
One perfect partner, one eternal kiss
Whoa
Take back the city for yourself tonight
Or I'll take back the city for me
Take back the city for yourself tonight
Whoa
It's a mess, it's a start
It's a flawed work of art
Your city, your call
Every crack, every wall
Pick a side, pick a fight
Get your epitaph right
You can sing, 'til you drop
Cause the fun just never stops
I love this city tonight
I love this city always
It bears it's teeth like a light
And spits me out after day's
But we're all gluttons for it
We know what's wrong and it's right
For every time it's been hit
Take back the city tonight
I love this city tonight
I love this city always
It bears it's teeth like a light
And spits me out after day's
But we're all gluttons for it
We know what's wrong and it's right
For every time it's been hit
Take back the city tonight
I love this city tonight
I love this city always
Or I'll take back the city for me
Take back the city for yourself tonight
Whoa
God knows you put your life into it's hands
And it's both cradled you and crushed
But now it's time to make your own demands
Whoa
All these years later and it's killing me
Your broken records in words
Ten thousand craters where it all should be
Whoa
No need to put your words into my mouth
Don't need convincing at all
I love this place enough to know I have no doubts
Whoa
It's a mess, it's a start
It's a flawed work of art
Your city, your a call
Every crack, every wall
Pick a side, pick a fight
Get your epitaph right
You can sing, 'til you drop
Cause the fun just never stops
I love this city tonight
I love this city always
It bears it's teeth like a light
And spits me out after day's
But we're all gluttons for it
We know what's wrong and it's right
For every time it's been hit
Take back the city tonight
Tell me you never wanted more than this
And I will stop talking now
One perfect partner, one eternal kiss
Whoa
Take back the city for yourself tonight
Or I'll take back the city for me
Take back the city for yourself tonight
Whoa
It's a mess, it's a start
It's a flawed work of art
Your city, your call
Every crack, every wall
Pick a side, pick a fight
Get your epitaph right
You can sing, 'til you drop
Cause the fun just never stops
I love this city tonight
I love this city always
It bears it's teeth like a light
And spits me out after day's
But we're all gluttons for it
We know what's wrong and it's right
For every time it's been hit
Take back the city tonight
I love this city tonight
I love this city always
It bears it's teeth like a light
And spits me out after day's
But we're all gluttons for it
We know what's wrong and it's right
For every time it's been hit
Take back the city tonight
I love this city tonight
I love this city always
Lyrics submitted by dustfinger, edited by mentalism
Take Back The City Lyrics as written by Jonathan Graham Quinn Gary Lightbody
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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
The Spy
Doors, The
Doors, The
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
Lord Huron
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"
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
Holiday
Bee Gees
Bee Gees
@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
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.
In this verse: It's a mess It's a start It's a flowing work of art Your city, your call Every crack, every wall Can't decide, pick a fight ??but get your ???? right?? You can sing till you drop Cos the fun just never stops
the ??? line should be "Get your epitaph right" - at least that's what i'm hearing from the HQ version - it makes sense because it seems like the song's message is to live your life as much as you can so you can die with a 'good' epitaph on your grave? lol