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Success Lyrics

Dreams of long life,
What safety can you find?
See the great unknown
That shape for miles
Good eye
I'm a good guy

Dreams of long life
What safety can you find?
If the sea will start strong
Maybe we had
Maybe we had to fly
Was a good try
I'm a good guy

As high as the day
I read the papers
Before crime would pay
I learned to bury most beliefs

I have succeeded
I won't compete for long
I'm not not supposed to show you
I've got two secrets
But I only told you one

Dreams of long life
What safety can you buy?
If the sea will start strong
Maybe we had
Maybe we had to fly
Somebody make me say no, no
Somebody make me say no, no
Somebody make me say no, no
Somebody make me say no, no, no, yes

I have succeeded
I won't compete for long
I'm not not supposed to show you
I've got two secrets
But I only told you one

I'm not supposed to show you
I'm not supposed to
I'm not supposed to show you
I'm not supposed to
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Cover art for Success lyrics by Interpol

So this is my interpretation of the song : it is about GREED.

Dreams of long life, what safety can you find
-If you want to live a long, fulfilled, happy life, you need to find "safety", and security means money.

See the great unknown, that's shade for miles

  • In order to see the world and live, really live, you have a lot of work to do and a long way to go. (need lots of money)

Good eye -I found out how to do the things we want to do (get money and live the good life)

Good Guy -I'm a good guy, even though what I am dong is wrong, I have good intentions (to make our life better)

" "

If the sea was that strong, maybe we had, maybe we had to fly -If things really were as rough as we thought they were, then maybe we really didn't have a choice and just had to do what we had to do

Was a good try, I'm a good guy -It was a good try, and I had good intentions so I'm a good guy.

I have succeeded, I won't compete for long -I've won for now, we got what we wanted (money) but it won't last forever

I'm not supposed to show you -I can't tell you how I got the money

I've got 2 secrets, but I only told you one

  • I am only partially truthful to you, and I can't tell you how exactly we got the money

" "

Somebody make me say no " " no, no, YES -Giving into temptation even though you know you shouldn't

" "

I'm not supposed to show you, I'm not supposed to -I can't tell you what's going on, and I really shouldn't be doing this (regret)

Cover art for Success lyrics by Interpol

Doesn't it sound like "I won't commit for long" instead of "compete"? It's just that I don't hear the "p".

The "no no no yes" part is great isn't it? I think it is somehow a very accurate description of a certain feeling/thought that we all get sometimes...

Why did these guys removed the lyrics from their web page?! WWHHYYYY?!

Nee I guess he does say "compete"... or maybe just in the first...

Not Valid
Cover art for Success lyrics by Interpol

I think it talks about money and in what way you can reach it. (meaby could be another thing)

'Dreams of long life' For me, it talks about the dream of being rich or have a lot of money and the time that will cost (doing it at the good way)

'What safety can you find' -he could work really hard but he may not get what he wants 'safety' and he will be insecure (in this case money)

'see the great unknow That's shade for miles' -Like not being sure what he may get if he trys to reach that at the good way.

'Good eye' -See where is the easy money

'I´m a good guy' -He tells to him self not go for the easy money cuz it will be a bad way

'if the sea was that strong Meaybe we had Meaybe we had to fly' -If reaching what he wants in the good way was so hard, he shuld go for the easy way, but is like he is not sure at first saying 'meaby we had' but then he seems to be sure.

'Was a good try I'm a good guy' He had tryed with the good way

...

'I have succeeded I won't complete for long' He got it(at the bad way) but it wont last

'I'm not supposed to show you' I think in a way he regrets and don't want you to end like him

'I've got two secrets But I only told you one' I really wander what is the one he had told us.

'Somebody make me say no no no, yes' Meaby this could be a fight with his own conscience saying that is wrong and shouldn't do it but at the end he change his mind.

The point may not be money but seems to be something that he can reach at the easy and bad way or de the hard but good way

My Interpretation
Cover art for Success lyrics by Interpol

I really like this song. Good sound to it, nice intro.

Cover art for Success lyrics by Interpol

Lyrically awesome, as always!

Cover art for Success lyrics by Interpol

Great song, one of my favs after a couple of hearings!

One comment on the lyrics:

"Before crime will pay I'll learn to bury most beliefs" - I think Paul isn't singing "beliefs", it sounds like "things" to me, not sure tho...

Lyric Correction

He's saying beliefs.

Not Valid

yeah, i think it's "most things"

Not Valid
Cover art for Success lyrics by Interpol

damn, totally different from what I heard in the live versions! Thanx ppl :D

Cover art for Success lyrics by Interpol

Okay, after reading the lyrics I feel like the song is about him with being with a girl and he's good to her and he's a good guy in general, however, he's hiding something. The following lines make me think this. "I'm not supposed to show you I've got two secrets But I only told you one"

Cover art for Success lyrics by Interpol

I don't know if what I posted above makes any sense to anyone other than myself, but I was trying to get across that because of greed, he is resorting to some sort of life of crime to make his own life better. Let me know how off I am ! lol

I agree with you. And to push your thoughts a bit further, I think his job is to kill, and although he feels bad about killing «I'll learn to bury most beliefs»(to be able to kill) , it's necessary to the safety he seeks with the money he makes doing so.

Not Valid

I think your interpretation fits. But if I had to sum it up in one word I would lean more towards Temptation, as opposed to Greed. But I thought of that only after I read your interpretation. So good job and many thanks.

Not Valid

Totally about temptation. I think this is were the male speaker goes astray. This album is about the death of a relationship -- here's the cheating bit. A nice, unfortunate way to start off a morose and brilliant album. Love it.

Not Valid
Cover art for Success lyrics by Interpol

this is a great song. i think this song means the band really wanted to give us an experimental album but they also know the age old if it ain't broke don't fix it saying. plus its a f-ing recession, lets not jeopardize job security based on hipster backlash of the last album.

i like trickytricky's interpretation. i feel that this song is about their time with Capitol records.

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