Anything We Want

These lyrics are inaccurate. These are much more accurate lyrics: My cheeks were reflecting the longest wavelength My fan was folded up and grazin' my forehead And I kept touching my neck to guide your eye to where I wanted You to kiss when we find some time alone

My scars were reflecting the mist in your headlights I looked like a neon zebra shakin' rain off of stripes

And the rivulets had you riveted to the places that I wanted you to Kiss me when we find some time alone

And then we can do anything we want (x3)

We started out sippin' the water And now we try to swallow the wave And we try not to let those bastards get us down

Oh, we don't worry anymore Cuz we know when the guff comes we get brave After all look around it's happening it's happening It's happening now

Let's pretend we're 8 years old playin' hookey I'll draw on the wall and you can play UFC rookie Then we'll grow up and take our clothes off And you remind me that I wanted you to kiss me When we find some time alone

And then we can do anything we want (x4)

my first idler wheel favorite. brilliant.

This song is simply, utterly amazing. During the first week listening to it I would just be on the verge of tears because of how sad and intense the sense of longing in the verses are.

I love the way this song stands out in The Idler Wheel...which is an epic album. This song stands out due to its beauty and it's simplicity.

“My cheeks were reflecting the longest wavelength” Within the visual spectrum, the longest wavelength is red. She is blushing. “My fan was folded up and grazin' my forehead” In Victorian-era fan language, the fan being run across a lady’s forehead meant, “We are watched.” “And I kept touching my neck to guide your eye to where I wanted You to kiss when we find some time alone” This one is self-explanatory. They’re being watched but she wants him to know she’s thinking about where she wants him to kiss her later.

“My scars were reflecting the mist in your headlights” Her paramour’s gaze is powerful and makes her feel like her metaphorical scars are in a spotlight, and she’s sweating from the intensity she feels. “I looked like a neon zebra shakin' rain off of stripes” Nice imagery here. You can really picture her in this spotlight with all her scars highlighted as she shakes beads of sweat from her body. “And the rivulets had you riveted to the places that I wanted you to Kiss me when we find some time alone” The rivulets of sweat, or “mist” rolling down her neck, resting on her collarbones, guided his eyes. And then we can do anything we want (x3)

“We started out sippin' the water And now we try to swallow the wave” Their courtship started out slowly, to test it out, like someone sipping something they are wary of, and they were overcome with adoration of this delightful drink and wanted to consume all of it with passion, more than what was possible for the situation and time. “And we try not to let those bastards get us down” There are some against their relationship.

“Oh, we don't worry anymore Cuz we know when the guff comes we get brave” When people question our relationship, we stand up for our love because we believe in it. There must be something about their relationship that people are against, otherwise they wouldn’t have to “get brave.”

“After all look around it's happening it's happening It's happening now”

They’re being brave right now. Look around, they’re being brave just being together, ignoring the stares from others.

Does anyone have suggestions about the last stanza? I'm a little lost on that one.

I think it's:

Let's pretend we're 18 years old playing hooky

I love this song. What a great feeling it is to feel like you can do anything you want.

But what do people think about the "bastards" she refers to? As well as the next few lines, what is she referring to when she sings "look around, it's happening now"?