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Plastic Soldier Lyrics
Everything carries weight
Everything is the same
Within us, all together
Everything carries weight
Everything is the same
And we are all together
I can't keep my head up
I'd like to stay by my friends
Stay by my friend
But I can't keep my head my head up
I can't seem to keep my head
Could it be we got lost in the summer?
Well I know you know that it's over
But you're still in
Treading water
But you're still in
Treading water
I'd hate to seem so shallow
I'd like to get deeper in
Swim deeper in
But I can't find the water
I can't seem to find my way
Could it be we got lost in the summer?
Well I know you know that it's over
But you're still in
Treading water
But you're still in
I can't keep my head above ground
(I can't keep my head above ground, can't keep my head)
I can't keep my head above ground
(I can't keep my head above ground, can't keep my head)
I can't keep
(x2)
But you're still in
Treading water
Could it be we got lost in the summer?
Well I know you know that it's over
But you're still in
Treading water
You can drift along
You've got the time
The rest of us will live and die
Like plastic soldiers
Only growing older
(x3)
Everything is the same
Within us, all together
Everything is the same
And we are all together
I'd like to stay by my friends
Stay by my friend
But I can't keep my head my head up
I can't seem to keep my head
Well I know you know that it's over
But you're still in
Treading water
Treading water
I'd like to get deeper in
Swim deeper in
But I can't find the water
I can't seem to find my way
Well I know you know that it's over
But you're still in
Treading water
(I can't keep my head above ground, can't keep my head)
I can't keep my head above ground
(I can't keep my head above ground, can't keep my head)
I can't keep
(x2)
Treading water
Well I know you know that it's over
But you're still in
Treading water
You've got the time
The rest of us will live and die
Like plastic soldiers
Only growing older
(x3)
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This is such a great record I cant believe im first to comment...Seems like a breakup that John cant really wrap his head around but he knows hes shallow as hell but really doesnt care LOL...I feel alot of his songs have the message "yea im a complicated, fucked up dude..deal with it"
I really like that theme in the album too. It's kind of like an album of rebellion, but not like a teenager rebellion. Adult rebellion. A lot of people are rebellious as teenagers, then try to grow up and be responsible in their mid-late 20's, then get tired of it, say fuck it, and have this kind of new-born rebellion. I feel like this album is them getting that stuff out of their system, and I love it.
I really like that theme in the album too. It's kind of like an album of rebellion, but not like a teenager rebellion. Adult rebellion. A lot of people are rebellious as teenagers, then try to grow up and be responsible in their mid-late 20's, then get tired of it, say fuck it, and have this kind of new-born rebellion. I feel like this album is them getting that stuff out of their system, and I love it.
I dunno, I don't really get a flippant "deal with it" vibe from this song. It feels kind of like he was in a relationship but has come to the realization that there's no future in it, a summer romance that has run its course, but she's not letting go. He doesn't want it to be that way but he kind find any sort of deeper connection with this girl (he'd "like to get deeper in" but can't even find the water in the first place).
I dunno, I don't really get a flippant "deal with it" vibe from this song. It feels kind of like he was in a relationship but has come to the realization that there's no future in it, a summer romance that has run its course, but she's not letting go. He doesn't want it to be that way but he kind find any sort of deeper connection with this girl (he'd "like to get deeper in" but can't even find the water in the first place).
I dunno, I don't really get a flippant "deal with it" vibe from this song. It feels kind of like he was in a relationship but has come to the realization that there's no future in it, a summer romance that has run its course, but she's not letting go. He doesn't want it to be that way but he can't find any sort of deeper connection with this girl (he'd "like to get deeper in" but can't even find the water in the first place).
I dunno, I don't really get a flippant "deal with it" vibe from this song. It feels kind of like he was in a relationship but has come to the realization that there's no future in it, a summer romance that has run its course, but she's not letting go. He doesn't want it to be that way but he can't find any sort of deeper connection with this girl (he'd "like to get deeper in" but can't even find the water in the first place).
I think that a lot of the songs on this album have little meaning without taking the other songs in context. There is so much lyrical repetition from song to song, especially front and back. I feel like its the most organized album I've listened to in a while. The most obvious instance of that being Plastic Soldier, the 1st song, ending: "You can drift along You've got the time The rest of us will live and die Like plastic soldiers Only growing older" And Smile, the last song, ending: "I'd like to try to forget the times have changed And we all live and die Like plastic soldiers never growing older" There's an obvious change in mood, and a lot going on in between. My favorite being the concept of "It's not that I'm evil" (Creep in a T-shirt and Evil Friends) at the start, to "I just want to be evil" (Purple Yellow Red and Blue) at the end. What a wonderful album, and the best birthday gift ever.
I believe it's "stay by my friends," not "step on my friends." (submitted this as a correction but it still hasn't shown up)
I'll leave this as a stand-alone comment rather than as a reply to a previous comment:
"I don't really get a flippant "deal with it" vibe from this song. It feels kind of like he was in a relationship but has come to the realization that there's no future in it, a summer romance that has run its course, but she's not letting go. He doesn't want it to be that way but he kind find any sort of deeper connection with this girl (he'd "like to get deeper in" but can't even find the water in the first place)."
The reason I came back to it is that I hadn't said anything about the connection to this (the first song on the album) and Smile (the last song), which links back here and sort of comes full circle. Not just the "plastic soldiers slowly growing older" line but also the seasonal theme. In Plastic Soldiers the summer has ended, but in Smile it's just beginning. ("It seems like the spring has come and gone / It felt like forever / Wait 'til the summer comes / Then you'll find me there." It's like he's been waiting through the long fall, winter, and spring so that he can reconnect with this girl and get lost in the summer all over again.
this is a tough one..
carries the same overall theme as almost everything else portugal has done - we're all one and in this together. could be the death of a friend or death of a relationships. last verse pulls it all together.
To me this song is about the ending relationship of avoidant singer. His entourage, is very similar to him, but he wants to distance himself from them. This is why the lyrics are "step on my friends", rather than "stay by my friends". Even though the other person in the relationship is also withholding "But you're still in Treading water" he sees their potential to change toward complexity and real intimacy, that he denies himself.