Warsaw Or The First Breath You Take After You Give Up

This song, I think, is about someone who keeps a distance between himself and everything else (his"mask"), upset by the world and all of its obsession mediocrity, futility, and pretense ("medals & trophies... all before the race has been run"). Eventually, maybe initially for fun ("tease") or having been "teased" himself or maybe just out of a sense of hopelessness, he starts fucking around. Then he abandons his determination to rail against the world ("you finally drop the knife") and allows himself get lost in sex ("The long arm of important things/disappears in her gown" and "it feels so good to give up give in her arms"). The last part of the song seems to be this person reminiscing and saying how "it hurts to be young," to be so adamant about one's principles and priorities and beliefs especially once one finds out, gradually but inevitably, that it's a losing game ("you gotta hack your way through and realize it's almost entirely lies"). But then nothing matters anymore and it all becomes a joke (my favourite lyric in the song, "But then you'll begin to smile. Smile for me... real... wide."). That realization changes the individual, and thus "The First Breath You Take After You Give Up" and the last four lines:

"Then you accept what you are. The transforming is done. You've become...absorbed into, & you know. I think I know what to do."

I think this song general embodies Homme's experience with people who have sex with him in attempt to manipulate him. All they want is money, but they pretend to care for Homme, when Homme may believe he is cared about by someone he appreciates (or believes to appreciate). Homme is saying "Take off the mask" of being a predator (in some sort). "Give it a try to care for me; throw that mask away, or kiss your ass goodbye."

I think this song is about an insecure teenage boy ("out of place or ignored") losing his virginity. The lyrics even spell "come" as "cum." A "cotillion of friction" seems to point toward having sex for the first time as well. The character in the song thinks that once he has sex, he'll have more and more until he's "had enough," but as of now he's "had none." He keeps trying to convince someone to fuck him ("go on and give it a try"), and finally at the very end of the song seems to do so.

"The long arm of important things" must be his dick.

My fav song on an incredible record. I think this song is just about growing up, becoming a man, and yes...SEX

I think your right choueezy because Homme has had a bunch of other songs with similiar meanings or at least lyrics

It's about growing up and becoming a man, your first time and I thinks it's criticism to how it's somehow your "duty" to please a woman as a man.

I know it hurts. It hurts to be young. Metamorphosis is pain, I know. I SAID IT HURTS TO BE YOUNG. Gotta learn every goddamn thing. You gotta hack your way through, and realise...it's almost entirely lies. But then you'll begin to smile. Smile for me, real. Wide. Then you accept what you are. The transforming is done. You've become...absorbed into, & you know. I think I know what to do.

I don't know what you others are talking about, but this part is spelling it out quite clearly.

I think fearnotofman could be right. I think its about the frustration of still having your virginity and how this lad becomes alienated and feels persecuted for not loosing his virginity because its all around him but he's not getting any, thus -

"Feel like a no-tell motel painting, out of place or ignored. It's all medals & trophy's, trophy's and medal & all before the race has been run."

and

"It's all "have nots, have nones, hey can I have some's?" Until I've HAD ENOUGH YET I'VE HAD NONE"

and then he finally 'drops the knife' (ie gives up trying, because he's found it?)

"Suddenly it gets easy. The sun goes down. The long arm of important things disappears in her gown. You finally drop the knife, forget you ever h.... It's such a good night, ain't forever. It feels so good to give up, give in... her arms."

he's gone and lost it, and feels good.

Maybe thats just a shallow interpretation, but it seems to make sense... Best track off the album IMO, its like getting a big hug off the big man himself :)

Why Warsaw? Did anyone read any interview or something with Josh saying anything about this title?

Thanks in advance!

This song is obviously about the warsaw pact the east europeans signed during the cold war. Under constant pressure by the west and also soviet russia. Suddenly it gets easy means that the cold war is over they had to start everything all over again as a capitalist state thus morphing into something new. Transforming is done might refer to them being entirely a form of government practice and all citizens have accepted the change and realise its still the same (lies)

This song is obviously about the warsaw pact the east europeans signed during the cold war. Under constant pressure by the west and also soviet russia. Suddenly it gets easy means that the cold war is over they had to start everything all over again as a capitalist state thus morphing into something new. Transforming is done might refer to them being entirely a form of government practice and all citizens have accepted the change and realise its still the same (lies)