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Timelines Lyrics

Sifting through the broken glass
The echoes of my ancient past
Came flooding into every pore
Like scattered seeds of sycamore
Suddenly I started wondering how I got here
Was it a matter of timing?

Catholic school, my private hell
I stuttered 'til the age of twelve
Discovered sex at seventeen
And soon thereafter, self-esteem
The days did not matter
And years were a lifetime away

Drowning in a heavy stock
Of teenage girls and indie rock
I flunked out of each college course
And set my sails for no remorse
The nights were for nowhere
And that's where I wanted to be

Someone said...
"It's not a matter of time, it's just a matter of timing"
Do you ever wonder how you got to here?
It's not a matter of time, it's just a matter of timing
Do you ever wonder how you got to here?

Branded, marked, and paper thin
This angry saint went marching in
To war with scores of ninety-proof
Found nothing but the ugly truth
A decade of wastage
An instant and everything's changed

Woke up feeling thirty-five
Though grateful that I'm still alive
Another chance at normalcy
To chase the dream and now it seems
The days run away
Like wild horses over the hills

Someone said...
"It's not a matter of time, it's just a matter of timing"
Do you ever wonder how you got to here?
It's just a matter of timing
It's not a matter of time, it's just a matter of timing
Do you ever wonder how you got to here?

Take it in
And hold on while you can
All the destruction will one day end
And you'll finally know exactly who you are

It's just a matter of timing
Do you ever wonder how you got to here?
It's just a matter of timing
It's not a matter of time, it's just a matter of timing
Do you ever wonder how you got to here?
It's just a matter of timing
It's not a matter of time, it's just a matter of timing
Do you ever wonder how you got to here?
Do you ever wonder how you got to here?
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Cover art for Timelines lyrics by Motion City Soundtrack

A beautiful song that reminds of nostalgia and what could've been and what has passed. The album is not as hard as their last, but is still great in its own right.

Cover art for Timelines lyrics by Motion City Soundtrack

Great song. I think the song’s chorus “It’s not a matter of time, it’s a matter of timing” underscores the reality that life is not a mere ticking clock, but a series of events that we live out that have meaning, purpose, and value.

Cover art for Timelines lyrics by Motion City Soundtrack

I like how he admits that he was wrong in "Last Night."

Compare: "And I still don't know exactly who I am I never will, amen."

Now it's: "And you'll finally know exactly who you are"

The phrase "it's not a matter of time, it's just a matter of timing" was a saying Justin's father used to tell him. Justin has gone on to state that this is one of, if not the, most personal song he has written; touching on some of the emotional struggles he went through growing up.

I personally love the line "Do you ever wonder how you got to here?". It reminds me that when I look back at everything I have done, and what was done to me, whether good or bad, it helped create who I am today and to never take that for granted.

Cover art for Timelines lyrics by Motion City Soundtrack

"It's not a matter of time, it's just a matter of timing"

What a powerful (and true) line. It doesn't matter how much you want something, it will never happen unless it's "meant to be" (you're at the right place at the right time).