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If I Ever Get Around To Living Lyrics
If I ever get around to living, I'm going to put my things away
In the drawers and in the closets
There I'll stay
Stay
If I ever get around to living, it's going to be just like I dreamed
I'm going to take the love I'm given and set it free
Free
If I ever get around to living, I'll take the end of every day
Tie it up to every morning and sail away
Away
Free, free
Maybe it's all a dream I'm having at seventeen
I don't have tattoos
And very soon, mother will be calling me
Saying, "Come upstairs, you've got some work to do"
When you going to wise up, boy?
When you going to wise up, boy?
When you going to wise up, boy?
When you going to wise up, boy?
You are hiding in your mind
Working all the time
Trying to make it better than you got it
And you've been spending all your time searching for a sign
That's never going to look the way you want it
I think you better wise up, boy
I think you better wise up, boy
I think you better wise up, boy
I think you better wise up, boy
I think you better wise up, boy
In the drawers and in the closets
There I'll stay
Stay
If I ever get around to living, it's going to be just like I dreamed
I'm going to take the love I'm given and set it free
Free
If I ever get around to living, I'll take the end of every day
Tie it up to every morning and sail away
Away
I don't have tattoos
And very soon, mother will be calling me
Saying, "Come upstairs, you've got some work to do"
When you going to wise up, boy?
When you going to wise up, boy?
When you going to wise up, boy?
When you going to wise up, boy?
You are hiding in your mind
Working all the time
Trying to make it better than you got it
And you've been spending all your time searching for a sign
That's never going to look the way you want it
I think you better wise up, boy
I think you better wise up, boy
I think you better wise up, boy
I think you better wise up, boy
I think you better wise up, boy
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One of John's most brilliant tracks vocally.
As for lyrically, it's all about him growing up. From being you and naive (no tattoos) to straightening up (wise up, boy). This and Speak For Me go hand and hand.
I agree with you. I would add musically to your vocally.
I agree with you. I would add musically to your vocally.
Its about a dreamer, you know how sometimes you daydream and say if i could get this then i would do that...Or if i had this then i would be able to do that....This is about a person who just keeps dreaming (maybe him) and in the end he says "You been spending all your time, Searching for a sign That's never gonna look the way you want it...when you gone wise up"
basically stop dreaming and start "Living".Life NEVER happens the way you want!
...Interestingly enough I never thought about this as the meaning until I READ the lyrics...
I hear a nod to Amy Mann here. What a great lyric:
"You are hiding in your mind Working all the time Trying to make it better than you got it
You been spending all your time Searching for a sign That's never gonna look the way you want it"
I love that he is introspective yet willing to look bad here. Very liberating, not just for himself but for anyone who gets it.
Reminds me of "You get there by realizing that you ARE there." (Buddhist saying)
It's "It's gonna be just like I dreamed" rather than "It'll be just like I dreamed". Great song about missing youth and coming to terms with being an adult, like many of the songs on this album.
Just saw John play this song live in New Orleans on the Born and Raised tour. Before he played it he introduced it by saying this song is about no more new years resolutions, and that he's ready to finally get around to living. He also said it's a story told in 3 parts. I cant remember what each part was, but I know the middle about "Maybe its all a dream" He called part 2: the dream. and then i think he said part 3: the resolution about the part "I think you better wise up boy"
very cool song. Loved it live!
I think that the key lines in this song are:
"And very soon Mother will be calling me Saying "come up stairs, You got some work to do"
This is clearly sexual. Is it incest? Is he forced to unvoluntary sex? If the lyrics are personal, that should mean that he experienced this in his youth and is trying to block or escape it since then. Or "working all the time" (having sex) to overcome that experience. And still finding it hard to set himself free from it.