This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Show me the sidestreets in your life
Train yards like boneyards sharpened knives
Sidewalks are unassuming fields
Concrete and cracks won't cut you deals
Lost teeth like white jewels of some kind
Petty theft for penny crimes
And we yell
Ahh like a good old fashion nightmare
Riding trains to the end of lines
Still we've got nothin but time
The skyline looks brighter tonight
Lets go smash out every light
Your left foot in front of right
And we yell
Ahh like a good old fashion nightmare
Train yards like boneyards sharpened knives
Sidewalks are unassuming fields
Concrete and cracks won't cut you deals
Lost teeth like white jewels of some kind
Petty theft for penny crimes
And we yell
Ahh like a good old fashion nightmare
Riding trains to the end of lines
Still we've got nothin but time
The skyline looks brighter tonight
Lets go smash out every light
Your left foot in front of right
And we yell
Ahh like a good old fashion nightmare
Lyrics submitted by cartoon violence
Good Ol' Fashion Nightmare Lyrics as written by Matthew Wesley Johnson Kimberly Ann Schifino
Lyrics © Spirit Music Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
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
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
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.
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
Blue
Ed Sheeran
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.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
I second rioking94. I think it is about learning everything about someone and their past, but looking forward to see who they are and appreciate them and their past "nightmares". A lot of this interpretation is founded in the part where he says "Show me the side streets in your life" which means he's looking into all of the little intricacies of a person and admiring every part, much the same way you don't "know" a city until you have seen many of the side streets. Normally, I wouldn't put so much emphasis on a single line, but it's stated without music, increasing the emphasis on the lyric.
He then goes on to discuss a lot of negative imagery, "train yards like boneyards sharpened knives" and how those are the previous situations and nightmares of the past. The sidewalk imagery represents moving along a journey to either know someone or to be who you are. I think it's more about knowing who someone is. The sidewalk is "unassuming" because most people don't ever boast about their past nightmares; they usually try to hide them. "Concrete and cracks won't cut you deals" is more or less talking about the person's past and how their "sidewalk" was harsh and didn't ever cut them any slack. The next lyric pretty much solidifies this whole reasoning for me. "Lost teeth like white jewels of some kind" means that even though this person has had many "good ol' fashion nightmares", these nightmares (lost teeth) have become a sort of jewel for them internally. They use these past horrors to drive them to be who they are.
The second part of the song is all about the person listening simply accepting them for who they are and appreciating their past troubles. The train imagery is meant to represent the journey of this relationship that's being built... Because the listener appreciates the speaker's past pain, they will likely have a stronger relationship (still we got nothin' but time). "The skyline looks brighter tonight, Let's go smash out every light, Your left foot in front of right" comes to describe how they eventually begin to share the same experiences. It's the listener "picking up" and pushing the speaker to be who they are, regardless of their past.
Agree/Disagree? Absolutely love the song.
This song is Sooooooooooo Good.<br /> <br /> To me it's about getting to know somebody more personally, deeper than what most people know about them, and being closer to them for that.
i like the interpretation. i definitely see the sidestreet and sidewalk aspects. <br /> <br /> One thing worth noting in the beginning of the second verse, it seems the extra beats after the first and second line reinforce to the listener the importance of spending a lot of time with someone to understand them. Riding to the end of lines and STILL having nothin' but time. When it comes to really knowing someone, you really have to take the time to do it right.<br /> <br /> the song is great.
Totally agree, i couldn't have said it better myself
Totally agree, i couldn't have said it better myself
At a concert I went to Matt said it was inspired by when Kim used to be a nanny in Brooklyn. Not sure how it translates, but fun fact!
...Still we've got nothin but time. Awesome song. You could take it as understanding that your background can tell a lot about you, and you shouldn't be ashamed of it. Embrace it and be proud of it, no matter what you had or didn't have. It's very upbeat.
I have no idea what this song means but I love the sound. Very original.
"Show me the side streets in your life"
They're seriously brilliant. My love for them expands every day.
My favorite off their new album.
this is probably my favorite song on this album too.
i think it's just about nightmares. i guess.
I think it's about learning everything about a person. Even the bad parts.
It's just about accepting the good in bad in people and in life.
I agree with imjeffwitcher. I see this song as a telling of how many of us have had past troubles and yell AHHHH! to try and make the memories dissapear like in a nightmare, but when you see yourself, and love yourslef, your able to take your past nightmares and throw them out the window without caring anymore, and you can yell AHHHH! as a sign of freedom.
This song rox! I love matt AND kim. I love them like a "Good Ol' Fashion Nightmare".Kudos if you saw that comin'.hahaha =P