Matt Shadows their lead singer says the song was written as per request from the developers of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. Watching the initial trailers for the game & looking at production sketches reminded him of the 'S-Town' podcast & its main protagonist, John B. McLemore. Matt also comments specifically on the lyrics: "I decided that the lyrics would shadow McLemore's life." In 2012, antiquarian horologist John B. McLemore sent an email to the staff of the show 'This American Life' asking them to investigate an alleged murder in his hometown of Woodstock, Alabama, a place McLemore claimed to despise. After a year of exchanging emails & several months of conversation with McLemore, producer Brian Reed traveled to Woodstock to investigate. Reed investigated the crime & eventually found that no such murder took place, though he struck up a friendship with the depressed but colorful character of McLemore. He recorded conversations with McLemore & other people in Woodstock. McLemore killed himself by drinking potassium cyanide on June 22, 2015 while the podcast was still in production. In the narrative of the podcast, this occurs at the end of the second episode; subsequent episodes deal with the fallout from McLemore's death while exploring more of McLemore's life & character.
Though I am grown,
I am living like a child now.
I wish, I want:
Giving myself everything
Fearing the release,
Keeping the peace
Say, for instance,
I pay money for an object
Sight unseen,
How is it that it speaks for me,
Borrowed never earned,
In debt from birth
Fill the days at any cost and spent your earnings,
Ease the losses
We were wealth and we were money,
Of the world and needing nothing
I am living like a child now.
I wish, I want:
Giving myself everything
Fearing the release,
Keeping the peace
Say, for instance,
I pay money for an object
Sight unseen,
How is it that it speaks for me,
Borrowed never earned,
In debt from birth
Fill the days at any cost and spent your earnings,
Ease the losses
We were wealth and we were money,
Of the world and needing nothing
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
Mad Hatter
Avenged Sevenfold
Avenged Sevenfold
Better Than Feeling Lonely
Olivia O'Brien
Olivia O'Brien
This standalone single is the latest in the artiste's album run out. It was produced by Rogét Chahayed, Taylor Dexter & Wesley Singerman, and released via major streaming platforms on January 1, 2021.
Real Groove
Kylie Minogue
Kylie Minogue
This standalone single marks the latest collaboration between the artists. It was produced by Nico Stadi & Teemu Brunila and released on December 31, 2020.
Blue Lights X 216
Jorja Smith
Jorja Smith
This standalone single was produced in its entirety by Elfi Vomberg, and released on December 29, 2020.
Nxbody
TheHxliday
TheHxliday
This standout off the artiste's latest project, an EP titled "Batbxy", was jointly produced by Shop w/ Trap, VDIDIT & Mike Gonsolin. The track was released via notable streaming platforms on January 1, 2021.
I'm hearing more syllables than "poor old lover", and there's definitely an S in the middle of the following line:
Poor o__ never heard/hurt
In days/terms/times of pr____
The closing lines, combining my take with yours, I think it's:
Feel the days end
and we close down
Spend your moment
We shall all see
If we run or fly
we run away
On my own and
We will go free
We will go free
We will go free
i think i did adapt from your lyrics.wikia post.
i've made some changes above using your take and reevaluating.
i think it's "i'm living like a child NOW" sounds like one syllable not "at home"
i don't think it's "i pay money for a second chance", seems like it should be two syllables not three, and it has a more open sound like the words "now" or "ouch" do. hmm...
as far as the "poor old lover" line goes i think you're right that it has the word "never" in there, but i think that she's just elongating that word like never-er-er.
the line after that "in te____ from these"?? is impossibly hard to make out.
i don't think it's "spend your moment" sounds more like there is no closing before the "o" sound of "moment" causing me to believe it's the word "own"
otherwise great work. i hit wye oak up on twitter to see if we could get some official lyrics but i got no response. haha.
It's pretty much impossible to get the words right from one recording; often a few live versions (even on youtube) will confirm a word or phrase without a doubt. Unfortunately there's only one muddy version of this on youtube that I've found.
definitely is "if we were wealth and..." after there it gets shaky...
possibly something like "if we were wealth and / we were golden / on our own and / we will go free"
i'm less sure of the rest now that you've got the section onto its correct start.
if made the appropriate changes above.
i have to say these civilian lyrics began to feel like a little project we were both working on. it's been both mind-numbing and really quite fun, though that may seem an unlikely pairing :) i think it's safe to say that it'll never be 100% complete.