Back & Forth Lyrics
In another life I saw myself.
Way back then, back when I was new.
Years gone by, biting my lip.
All the while, all this time i knew.
Over the hill and through the ages.
Does my heaven burn like hell on you?
Rolling like an earthquake under the pavement.
Where they now? Tell me Mr. True.
I'm looking for some back and forth with you.
Are you feeling the same as i do?
Now and, now and then.
I'm looking for some back and forth with you.
Are you feeling the same as i do?
Down and out.
How'd this simple life get so complicated?
Shoes to fill, secrets to spill down you.
Dear in the headlight, spoke in the wheel.
You want pretend, i need for real.
I'm taking it back, all my IOU's.
I'm looking for some back and forth with you.
Are you feeling the same as i do?
Now and, now and then.
I'm looking for some back and forth with you.
Are you feeling the same as i do?
Down and out.
I'm looking for some back and forth with you.
Are you feeling the same as i do?
Now and, now and then.
I'm looking for some back and forth with you.
Are you feeling the same as i do?
Now and, now and then.
I'm looking for some back and forth with you.
Are you feeling the same as i do?
Down and out.
Why are all the reviews destroying this song? I love it!
The chorus is SO F*CKING CATCHY!!!
The new album is truly exceptional.
I think that this lyric '? now, tell me Mr. True.' is actually 'Heavy now, tell me Mr. Truth.'
chorus is so damn catchy!
I think this song is excellent.
People are blasting this song as the weakest song on the album. But, it's a standard Foo Fighters song. On almost every album they have an upbeat, really happy, catchy song, the style of which doesn't really fit with the rest of the album.
Examples include: -Big Me -See You -Breakout -Resolve
LOVE this song.
It's KILLING me right now though because I can't figure out whether Dave is singing "Way back then, back when I was NEW" OR "Way back then, back when I was YOU".... It changes the song in the beginning if its either one. If it is 'new' then he's talking about being new to life/complications. If its 'you' then he's being vindictive of whomever 'you' is. And the damn thing is, every time you try to get a clear listen whether on the CD version or the live versions it seems to sound like either. Sometimes it sounds like he says 'new' and sometimes it sounds like he says 'you.'
Another angle is would Dave really try to rhyme 'new' in the first verse with 'knew' in the second? When I first heard the song I thought it was 'you.' Rhyming 'you' with 'knew' would keep the lyrics off using the same sounding word. Then again, there is a lot of use of the word 'you' in the song already so using 'new' wouldn't be so bad.
HEEELLLLPPP!!! Opinions? I'm going crazy over here.
@polepino If you're ever stuck on lyrics, try watching there live shows, the lyrics can sometimes be more clear. Unless your listening to Monkey Wrench "What do you do when all your enemies are french?"
@polepino If you're ever stuck on lyrics, try watching there live shows, the lyrics can sometimes be more clear. Unless your listening to Monkey Wrench "What do you do when all your enemies are french?"
I must first say that I love this song, and think the whole album is phenomenal. Definitely the best i've heard in a long time, and I keep playing the whole thing and never skipping a song, they're all awesome.
As this song has also formed the title for the documentary dvd on the band, it fits with my initial interpretation of this song. When dave went off to drum with queens of the stone age, foo fighters went through a rough patch. There were a lot of tensions before they came together for their next album, and I get the sense that this was written about that whole period of time.
I think it starts off telling of his personal journey, when they band first formed and everything was new (he was new to the experience of his own band, leading it etc), then the rough patches, where nothing was said about the bad things creeping in to the band ('biting my lip').
I think the next verse references his departure (while drumming with qotsa), and leaving the band to finish the new album on their own, which was a first - 'Now you're on your own, one for the pages.'
'Over the hill and through the ages.' - This is pretty much a direct reference to the foos getting over their issues (which peaked just before coachella), 'through the ages' - being a reference to his period with qotsa directly after this.
'Does my heaven burn like hell on you?' - Its documented that dave enjoyed his time with queens of the stone age and the rest of the band did not share this sentiment. He was having a lot more fun than they were and did resent it a bit.
The chorus I think is pretty much about the tone of discussions that may have been had with the band - he felt weighed down by the responsibility of it all, and responsibility to keep the band motivated when they had lost their spark for a while. Its like, I feel like crap, so do you, can we help each other out a little please?
I don't know enough of the history to tie up any other direct references, but I'm sure the whole tone of this song is about the ups and downs of the band, the struggle they've had to keep it together over the years.
And my god i'm glad they did, foos rock :)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everett_True
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everett_True
The song seems to be about the altercation between Courtney Love and Everett True a few years ago. Courtney gave Guitar Hero the rights to Kurt's image for version 5 of the game, and Dave and Krist signed off to allow 2 Nirvana songs to be sang by Kurt's image in the game.
The song seems to be about the altercation between Courtney Love and Everett True a few years ago. Courtney gave Guitar Hero the rights to Kurt's image for version 5 of the game, and Dave and Krist signed off to allow 2 Nirvana songs to be sang by Kurt's image in the game.
What Dave and Krist didn't know was that players can use the image to sing any song they want. So Kurt singing Bon Jovi tunes seemed like a huge sellout to some Nirvana and Kurt fans. One of those fans...
What Dave and Krist didn't know was that players can use the image to sing any song they want. So Kurt singing Bon Jovi tunes seemed like a huge sellout to some Nirvana and Kurt fans. One of those fans is Everett True (Where they now? Tell me, Mr. True). True had some crude remarks for Dave and Courtney on Twitter, to which Courtney replied with a finger-pointing Tweet blaming Dave for the game's blasphemy. Krist and Dave released a statement making it clear that they had nothing to do with it other than approving the 2 songs, and pointing out that only Kurt's estate has the right to his image and not them.
Also, if you read the info on True in the wiki link above, you'll see that he was friends with Kurt and Courtney, and apparently followed the band around enough to publish a 600+ page book on Nirvana. I feel certain that these lyrics has something to do with True's book as well.
My theory for Dave's music is that many of his songs are Dave's way of speaking for Love saying the things that he thinks she would say, or spilling Courtney's secrets in lyrics that are actually like a confession from her (DOA). He also speaks for Kurt since Kurt can no longer speak for himself, and I think that he's vowed to never stop speaking for him.
No, I don't think that all of his songs are about Kurt or Courtney, but I think he has them in mind in some of the lyrics. And some songs simply sound like they could be able nothing else to me.
Once upon a time I was somebody else.
In another life I saw myself.
Way back then, back when I was new.
"Once upon a time" is the opening to many fairy tales, so Dave speaking as CL is hinting that the book makes up a number of untrue statements and situations involving her. I think the next part is saying just that..."I was somebody else", as in, apparently I was this other person that True made up.
"In another life I saw myself" is more indication that he is looking at the book, which has quotes from CL as well as photos as I understand it.
Somewhere down the line I started to slip. Years gone by, biting my lip. All the while, all this time i knew.
CL knew for years that there were things that she said to True that could be turned into something looked at in a negative light. So she knew that one day True would write a book, but she was hoping that True would have enough respect to leave the negativity out...but knowing True, she doubted that he wouldn't mention them.
Now you're on your own, one for the pages. Over the hill and through the ages. Does my heaven burn like hell on you?
More references to the book and True being an author now instead of writing for a magazine. CL is pointing out that True is probably jealous of her success which is probably motive for writing about her.
Out beneath the cracks they're coming in waves. Rolling like an earthquake under the pavement. Where they now? Tell me Mr. True.
Dave is mentioning the sudden Nirvana success that took them all by surprise. CL and True had "friends" in the music industry all around them all of a sudden, but now they're all gone. Here he addresses True as well.
You got a lot of nerve.
Now show a little backbone why don't you. I'm looking for some back and forth with you. Are you feeling the same as i do? Now and, now and then. I'm looking for some back and forth with you. Are you feeling the same as i do? Down and out.
I get the sense that the chorus is a reference to the Twitter exchange between True and Love. It seems to be written from Love's perspective challenging True to respond to her numerous Tweets about his comment. It also sounds like CL is reaching for True to befriend her once again, but he apparently has nothing to do with her now.
Holding my breath, i waited and waited. How'd this simple life get so complicated? Shoes to fill, secrets to spill down you. Deer in the headlight, spoke in the wheel. You want pretend, i need for real. I'm taking it back, all my IOU's.
CL knows the book is coming out, and is anxious about its content. After Kurt's death, she thought she could be as big as he was and "fill his shoes". She told these things and more secrets to True (secrets to spill down you). Deer in the headlight, spoke in the wheel...she was shocked when she read what she read in the book, stopped in her tracks. She says it's untrue (pretend) and says he gets no more favors from her cause their friendship is over.
You got a lot of nerve.
Now show a little backbone why don't you. I'm looking for some back and forth with you. Are you feeling the same as i do? Now and, now and then. I'm looking for some back and forth with you. Are you feeling the same as i do? Down and out.
(guitar solo)
You got a lot of nerve.
Now show a little backbone why don't you. I'm looking for some back and forth with you. Are you feeling the same as i do? Now and, now and then. I'm looking for some back and forth with you. Are you feeling the same as i do? Now and, now and then. I'm looking for some back and forth with you. Are you feeling the same as i do? Down and out.
Great song from the best Foo Fighters album EVER!... And might I add that the whole recording sounds so warm and gorgeous. Hail to the analogue generation! Digital is not worthy.
I always hear the word 'you' not 'new'.
There's a school of thought that believes a soul can be reincarnated after death into any person at any point in time (past, future or present). Karma becomes quite literal: if you inflict pain in this lifetime on someone else, you could be reincarnated as that person, and suffer the pain you inflicted. So, within that school of thought it becomes possible that you have lived in this century before: as your mother, your sister, a friend, or even Dave Grohl! Memories of previous incarnations aren't clear or vivid, but can come to us in dreams or in 'deja vu'.
"Once upon a time I was somebody else In another life I saw myself Way back then, back when I was you"
Anyway - my favourite line: "does my heaven burn like hell on you"... "I have a great life, that must make you feel terrible..."
Great song!
I think it's about two people who like each other finally getting to talk after a really long time, but it's hard because they both don't want to mess up. "Holding my breath I waited and waited, how did simple life get so complicated?"
I think this song is about how he sold his soul hence all the references to heaven hell IOUs he then says shoes to fill secrets to spill down you, it could be the burden of being a rockstar you can never let yourself down because of the people that count on you but it could also b that even if he wants to he can not get out because he has made a bargain it’s either this or “suicide”.