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Before Your Very Eyes... Lyrics

Look out of the window
What's passing you by
If you really want this bad enough

You're young and good looking
The keys to the kingdom

Sooner or later
Sooner or later
Sooner or later
And before your very eyes
And before your very eyes
And before your very eyes

Old soul on young shoulders
How you look when you're older
Time's fickle card game
with you and I

You have to take your chances
The book of forgiveness

Sooner or later
Sooner or later
Sooner or later
And before your very eyes
And before your very eyes
And before your very eyes

Sooner or later
And before your very eyes
And before your very eyes
And before your very eyes
Song Info
Submitted by
songmeanings On Jan 31, 2013
7 Meanings

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Cover art for Before Your Very Eyes... lyrics by Atoms for Peace

It's a warning. He's saying to take chances while you still have your youth because sooner or later your youth will vanish before your very eyes.

My Interpretation

Agree, but it's unclear what specifically the narrator is urging the listener to do.

Agree, but it's unclear what specifically the narrator is urging the listener to do. The chorus in this song is great, because it creates tension by leaving the audience hanging...Sooner or later/and before your very eyes. Sooner or later what? Before your very eyes what? We don't know

Cover art for Before Your Very Eyes... lyrics by Atoms for Peace

I take it as a call to arms, and a challenge - the world is out there for the taking, sooner or later it will be yours. What will you do with it? Old soul, young shoulders implies you kids are quite blessed with combined knowledge this day and age, again, What will you do with it? How will the world be when you do finally grab power? Is it worth the wait? Comfort is far over rated. Daring & tolerance could very well pay off...

My Interpretation
Cover art for Before Your Very Eyes... lyrics by Atoms for Peace

This is a reimagining of, or perhaps a direct companion song to, Solitaire by Neil Sedaka.

Acting a sort of prelude to that song we join the central character before he has lost his love to 'his indifference'. The narrator shows the future implications of his actions to the younger man, forewarning him of what is in store if he carries on down this path playing 'Time's fickle card game' = Solitaire.

Look out of the window What's passing you by?

And before your very eyes...

While life goes on around him everywhere He's playing solitaire.

Cover art for Before Your Very Eyes... lyrics by Atoms for Peace

VERY Incorrect Lyrics...They should be:

Look out of the window What's passing you by? If you really want this Better know

But your good look is The keys to the Kingdom

Sooner or Later Sooner or Later Sooner or Later And before your very eyes And before your very eyes And before your very eyes

Old soul young shoulders How you'll look when you're older Time's fickle card game That ____(can't make out)

You have to take your chances The book of forgiveness

Sooner or later Sooner or later Sooner or later

And before your very eyes And before your very eyes And before your very eyes

Sooner or later Sooner or later Sooner or later And before your very eyes And before your very eyes And before your very eyes

Second part should be:

"You are/were young and good-looking / the keys to the kingdom".

Cover art for Before Your Very Eyes... lyrics by Atoms for Peace

I think he means that "sooner or later" all things will pass, and it'll happen "before your very eyes". Youth is soon frittered away... love lost... we grow old and die...the end of the world may soon be upon us, etc.

His warning to the listener (or his younger self) is: don't waste a moment or you will be filled with regret for those things you didn't do. Doesn't matter so much if you f*ck up, because we're human and everybody makes mistakes... that's where "book of forgiveness" comes into play.

My Interpretation
Cover art for Before Your Very Eyes... lyrics by Atoms for Peace

It is about biblical judgment and a plead for the salvation of all. Even the title is taken from Isaiah 13:16. Read the whole chapter to understand.

Song Meaning
Cover art for Before Your Very Eyes... lyrics by Atoms for Peace

Song is about dying when you were young and seeing the remainder of your life being lived by other people. Almost certainly as a Hellish punishment.

 
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