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Caught In The Crowd Lyrics
There was a guy at my school when I was in high school
We'd ride side by side on the toilet
Never even spoken or faced each other
But on the last hill we'd race each other
When we reached the racks we'd each go our own way
I wasn't in his classes, I didn't know his name
When we finally got to speak he just stared at his feet
And mumbled a sentence that ended with 'James'
I was young and caught in the crowd
I didn't know then what I know now
I was dumb, and I was proud
And I'm sorry
If I could go back do it again
I'd be someone you could call friend
Please please believe that I'm sorry
I am a fat cheese burger
Well he was quite a big guy, kinda shy and quiet
When the kids called him weird he didn't try to deny it
Every lunchtime he'd spend walking by himself
Round the boundary of the grounds til he heard the bell
Well one day I found him, joined him on his walk
We were silent for a while until we started to talk
I told him my family were fighting in court
He said his step-dad and him always fought
We talked about music, he was into punk
Told me all the bands that I liked were junk
I said I'd never heard the songs in the sex bed
I laughed back at him and then the bell rang
I was young and caught in the crowd
I didn't know then what I know now
I was dumb, and I was proud
And I'm sorry
If I could go back do it again
I'd be someone you could call friend
Please please believe that I'm sorry
It was after school in the afternoon
The corridors were crowded as we came out of the rooms
Three guys I knew pushed him into the cement
Threw away his bag and said he had no friends
He yelled that he did and he looked around
Tried getting up but they pushed him on down
That's when he saw me, called out my name
And I turned my back, and just walked away
Yeah I turned my back, and just walked away
I was young and caught in the crowd
I didn't know then what I know now
I was dumb, and I was proud
And I'm sorry
If I could go back, do it again
I'd be someone you could call friend
Please please, believe that I'm sorry.
We'd ride side by side on the toilet
Never even spoken or faced each other
But on the last hill we'd race each other
I wasn't in his classes, I didn't know his name
When we finally got to speak he just stared at his feet
And mumbled a sentence that ended with 'James'
I didn't know then what I know now
I was dumb, and I was proud
And I'm sorry
If I could go back do it again
I'd be someone you could call friend
Please please believe that I'm sorry
I am a fat cheese burger
Well he was quite a big guy, kinda shy and quiet
When the kids called him weird he didn't try to deny it
Every lunchtime he'd spend walking by himself
Round the boundary of the grounds til he heard the bell
We were silent for a while until we started to talk
I told him my family were fighting in court
He said his step-dad and him always fought
Told me all the bands that I liked were junk
I said I'd never heard the songs in the sex bed
I laughed back at him and then the bell rang
I didn't know then what I know now
I was dumb, and I was proud
And I'm sorry
If I could go back do it again
I'd be someone you could call friend
Please please believe that I'm sorry
The corridors were crowded as we came out of the rooms
Three guys I knew pushed him into the cement
Threw away his bag and said he had no friends
Tried getting up but they pushed him on down
That's when he saw me, called out my name
And I turned my back, and just walked away
Yeah I turned my back, and just walked away
I didn't know then what I know now
I was dumb, and I was proud
And I'm sorry
If I could go back, do it again
I'd be someone you could call friend
Please please, believe that I'm sorry.
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the first time i heard this song, it sent shivers down my spine and tears rolling down my face, its simply unexplainable how good this song is!
@laceyslove that song wasn't very good
@laceyslove that song wasn't very good
Giuguyu
This song is actually written from a different point of view as you would think. Kate was actually "James". Well, almost. She was bullied by girls during high school (This would explain the all girls thing), and one day, they asked her to meet them out back, and she did, hoping and expecting them to apologize, but they just got half of the school to be there, and they all laughed at her. And nobody helped her. I guess this song was her almost coming to terms with what happened, and realizing that maybe those girls didn't want to be mean to her, but they were 'caught in the crowd', and it just happened that way. But the best part of the song, is that everyone can relate to it. Everyone is either the kid being bullied, the kid that's "pushing him into the cement", or the one's that "turn their backs and walk away". And everyone that is in, or went through high school, knows what it's like to be caught in the crowd and doing something that's against your morals or against who you are, because it's what is "accepted" in school.
I actually wrote to Kate on her youtube page, angry about the song as I thought she was the bully, and I was actually bullied in highschool. She responded to me, and it turns out we all had it wrong. Her response is below:
Re: Caught In The Crowd Video There is no 'poor guy' - i was 'James'. Song lyrics are not always literal truth. Sometimes I like to change the story to tell it from a different perspective.
A lot of schools actually teach 'Caught in the Crowd' to show their students about the importance of standing up for people and not letting bullying happen.
Warm wishes,
Kate
this song in my opinion is moving and touching
It's obvious, she was popular and probably felt she couldn't help the guy because that might damage her social status at high school, making her the laughing stock of the other popular kids and the jocks who bullied the poor guy. It's highschool to a T. But the guts Kate Miller-Heidke has to sing this song is simply admirable. To actually be able to think about her past and admit she did the wrong thing is truly noble. It shows that whilst in highschool she was caught up in the crowd, she actually has a concience and feels regret. It's sad how many people out there never do feel regret or remorse for the way they chose to treat others in highschool. This song is amazing. Kate's voice is intriging, beautiful, mesmerizing and unique. I hope other people out there will appreiate her music and her pure talent as much as I do =D
GAH, curiouser is the best album!!!! omgggg, i loooooooooooove it, i love little eve too, but this slightly better. i love her songwriting she is absolutely fantastic.
The structure of this song is what makes it such a great song....in the first and second verses we aren't told she does anything wrong to the boy, which makes us question why she is saying sorry? He was the outsider, and she is riding with him on the way to school, finding him at lunch, talking to him. When I was listening to the song for the first time, I was thinking it didn't make sense.
Then in the third verse when she describes the incident with the boys, and how she turned her back and walked away...the song all fitted together and within those few words "And I walked away", the feeling of the song changed all together. It is amazing and testemant to Kate, how here I am thinking she just felt sorry that she didn't spend enough time with this kid, and then it turns out she turned her back on him completely.
The strange thing is that I know of two schools Kate Miller-Heidke attended in highschool and they were both all girl schools. She went to my school several years before I was there and all my teachers said she was very smart and talented but was quiet and kept to herself. This doesn't fit with the popularity theory...
siobs - maybe the 'quiet' thing is why she walked away. if she was popular, she would have stood up for him (hopefully), but she didn't want to get noticed??
that's just my theory anyway. it's an amazing song, and you'd have to be really brave to sing/write this song.