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When We Were Young Lyrics
When we were young, we could piss up the boy's bog wall
A black expanse of pitch, or tar, or whatever it was
It doesn't matter much anymore
And tussles with the girls before the advent of pubescent awe and confusion
Knickers thick, pasty in the roar of adolescence's dawn
How innocent and cruel
Ran the gauntlet of first stirrings in the changing rooms of May
Where are you now? Don't answer that
I’m still ugly
You’re still fat
I’ve still got spots
I’m still afraid
Our parents made us what we are
Or was it God?
Who gives a fuck, it’s never really over
A black expanse of pitch, or tar, or whatever it was
It doesn't matter much anymore
And tussles with the girls before the advent of pubescent awe and confusion
Knickers thick, pasty in the roar of adolescence's dawn
Ran the gauntlet of first stirrings in the changing rooms of May
I’m still ugly
You’re still fat
I’ve still got spots
I’m still afraid
Our parents made us what we are
Or was it God?
Who gives a fuck, it’s never really over
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"we could piss up the boys boat wall" this makes no sense. however this does: "we could piss up the boys bog wall"
bog is English schoolboy slang for toilet and the line describes the upmanship games played by boys when they are young. The next section captures the unease and expectation of puberty.
"Where are you now?" Roger asks of the boy who bullied him at college. "I'm still afraid" "Who gives a fuck, it's never really over." This poignantly expresses the lasting damage bullying has on its victim. This ring true to me.
@Kiwimartin nice catch with the bog wall. Boat wall makes no sense.
@Kiwimartin nice catch with the bog wall. Boat wall makes no sense.
What makes you say "Where are you now?" is directed to a boy who bullied him at college?
What makes you say "Where are you now?" is directed to a boy who bullied him at college?
I interpret "Ran the gauntlet of first stirrings in the changing rooms of May" (after having read wikipedia's article on "running the gauntlet"), as boys running back and fourth between the girl changing rooms (to peek?)
I interpret "Ran the gauntlet of first stirrings in the changing rooms of May" (after having read wikipedia's article on "running the gauntlet"), as boys running back and fourth between the girl changing rooms (to peek?)
Thank you Anders, When we listen to a song or read poem or story we often do so in the context of our own experiences and they can shape the way we encounter a text. What results makes places like this so interesting. This is a good example. When I was in college [high school for our American friends] I was on the receiving end of some rather unpleasant people and bullied for my first years. Hence the way I interpreted with the words. Without the bullying I might have seen it differently. Another clue is Waters tone of voice when he says "I'm still ugly, you're still fat!" It sounds like he's addressing someone he didn't like.
One of the lyrics sites has the other 2 repeated spoken lines as: (Trunks, dripping slowly into the gutter and the floor. Canopy's stretched black...) and (You could, I could, it's invisible...)
I can't figure out the meaning of these. "Canopy's stretched black sounds like "can of piss stretched black" and the second line to me sounds like "(You could, I could, that is a ball...) Either way, I've got no idea. But I think the overall message of this weird album intro is that we're just human compete with our flaws, and as adults we're still flawed and broken. Life doesn't make sense.