You'll retire with some
well deserved space that you needed years ago
it's not the same as if you pushed it away
unescorted through the longest mile
now that it's over

I have some regrets
but I can just forget them

I must admit now going down within this ship
I couldn't have a better crew to travel with
If I make it in one piece back to land
I will never sail again
never

Peace and quiet
start to interrupt,
your life is not the same as you had hoped
Living up to all the things that you played down
If you don't get a hold of it, I wont be around
now that it's over

I've made mistakes
it's all I have to learn from

I must admit now going down within this ship
I couldn't have a better crew to travel with
If I make it in one piece back to land
I will never sail again,
never

Now that it's over

I can't help
but think that
we're coming to the end
If that is
the case then
I know we can't pretend
to never make a sound again
Never make a sound


Lyrics submitted by HomerunHenry

The Longest Mile song meanings
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11 Comments

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  • +3
    General Comment

    I think this one is about Anthony's struggles the past two years and not knowing if the band would last. Maybe he wrote the lyrics at a time of despair when he thought the band was over with, since the song sounds pretty hopeless

    Carouselboyon May 04, 2010   Link
  • +3
    General Comment

    this seems like the most legitimate interpretation.. the going down with this ship(the band) i couldn't have a better crew to travel with(the band) i would never sail again( Play in another band if it means they're not all together) to never make a sound again(if the bands not together none of them will make music)

    this is easily my favorite song on the albumn.. i get the chills everytime i hear it and i might even get the corus tattood to my arm. my meaning would be all my family and friends as the (crew) and the going down in the ship would be the end of my life as i'm looking back at it. i'll never sail again, because i'll be dead

    absoultely amazing song..

    Rainhawkon May 24, 2010   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    tylerzx2002, ever hear of a metaphor? I mean, yes I guess that is the literal translation but that is in no way what the song is about. I just don't understand how someone could willingly listen to a band like Circa Survive and take the lyrics at face value. Embarrassing.

    ihatehatehaterson May 03, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    until 0:12 this song could be easily mistaken for the cure... Very impressed with what I've heard so far, I was kind of dissapointed with On Letting Go; but this is quite an impressive rebound. Not to say OLG was horrible...

    bathosdrifton April 15, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    This song could be about the switch to a major label using "sailing" as the metaphor. Just talking about the difficulties of funtioning creatively there, but the overall solidarity of the band or "crew".

    lilyloveson April 22, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I like to think this song is pretty self-explanatory.

    About a sea captain who miraculously survived the sinking of his vessel, and despite promising his crew that he would never sail again, he has done just that after a long time without sailing (which possibly explains the regrets he has), and the song title could also explain his first time in a boat since the accident which would make the first mile the longest.

    tylerzx2002on April 28, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    haters gonna hate

    HomerunHenryon May 03, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Yeah I pretty much agree with most of you. Thought this song was about the band. Seems like Anthony wrote this song to himself at a time when he wasn't sure if this album was going to sell as well as the others. But how could we ever not like anything Anthony creates. :-P

    Samzzieon August 18, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I know that this song is probably about the band nearly breaking up, but I also think it may mean something deeper at the same time. I believe that Anthony had a friend that was caught up in dealing drugs. Anthony was stuck in the middle of his friend's decision to live his life this way; he wanted to support his friend, but he knew, at the same time, that his friend could get in deep shit living this way. So Anthony got involved in his friend's personal life and tried to put an end to his bad choices. Yes, it makes perfect sense that the context of the song is about the band almost breaking up: "I couldn't have had a better crew to travel with," but what about "I would never sail again?" Perhaps at a more abstract level of analyzation Anthony is saying: "If I make it back to land, in one piece, I will never sail (sell) again." In other words, Anthony got involved with his friend, maybe trying to finish his friend's last drug sale for him so that he will stop entirely. Again, I am probably completely wrong, but I feel that my hypothesis is a reasonable/highly unlikely underlying meaning to the lyrics. Furthermore, "You'll retire with some well deserved space." His friend has wanted to get out of the drug scene for so long, but he has never had the necessary support to steer him in the morally right direction. "Living up to all the things that you play down; if you don't get a hold of it, I won't be around." Anthony threatened to end the friendship if his friend was not willing to conform and do as Anthony suggested. It's a sad song whether you look at it either way. However, you cannot ignore the last repetitive line of the lyrics: "I will never sail again; Never." If we make it out of this predicament alive I will never go back to the way things were before. This song is up for interpretation, and I want to hear negative/positive criticism. I'm certain that most people, if any, have ever thought of this song in the manner I have. Most Circa songs are sad. I love to listen to Circa and reflect on my own life. Just don't comment if you simply want to state the obvious or contradict yourself. This website is for opinions NOT dumb fucks that are not open to others opinions. Just read the lyrics, and think about them in this way or another way altogether, and you may just find yourself relating to Anthony Green more so than before. Congrats on the superb new album Circa Survive. Can't wait to see you at the House of Blues in New Orleans on Tuesday.

    CameHonoron October 22, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    from anthonygreenschildren.com/2009/03/09/iceberg/ "my dad always sends me text messages or emails with song ideas in them, sometimes they re really weird. he send things like” how did they sink the titanic!”— uhh i think it hit an iceberg, and who’s they???–but then i typed that into google and a whole bunch of interesting shit comes up about how they built the ship all half assed- great song idea daddy."

    summabeeon December 08, 2010   Link

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