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When I Was Older Lyrics
[Chorus]
When I was older
I was a sailor on an open sea
But now I'm underwater
And my skin is paler than it should ever be
Hmm
[Verse]
I'm on my back again
Dreaming of a time and place
Where you and I remain the best of friends
Even after all this ends
Can we pretend?
I'm on my, I'm on my back again
It's seeming more and more
Like all we ever do is see how far it bends
Before it breaks in half and then
We bend it back again
[Pre-Chorus]
Guess I got caught in the middle of it
Yes I've been taught, got a little of it
In my blood, in my blood
Memories burn like a forest fire
Heavy rain turns any funeral pyre to mud
In the flood
[Chorus]
When I was older
I was a sailor on an open sea
But now I'm underwater
And my skin is paler than it should ever be
[Bridge]
I'm watching movies back to back in black and white, I never
Seen anybody do it like I do it any better
Been goin' over you, I'm overdue for new endeavors
Nobody lonely like I'm lonely and I don't know whether
You'd really like it in the limelight
You'd sympathize with all the bad guys
I'm still a victim in my own right
But I'm the villain in my own eyes, yeah
[Outro]
When I was older
I was a sailor on an open sea
When I was older
I was a sailor on an open sea
But now I'm underwater
And my skin is paler than it should ever be
Hmm
I'm on my back again
Dreaming of a time and place
Where you and I remain the best of friends
Even after all this ends
Can we pretend?
I'm on my, I'm on my back again
It's seeming more and more
Like all we ever do is see how far it bends
Before it breaks in half and then
We bend it back again
Guess I got caught in the middle of it
Yes I've been taught, got a little of it
In my blood, in my blood
Memories burn like a forest fire
Heavy rain turns any funeral pyre to mud
In the flood
When I was older
I was a sailor on an open sea
But now I'm underwater
And my skin is paler than it should ever be
I'm watching movies back to back in black and white, I never
Seen anybody do it like I do it any better
Been goin' over you, I'm overdue for new endeavors
Nobody lonely like I'm lonely and I don't know whether
You'd really like it in the limelight
You'd sympathize with all the bad guys
I'm still a victim in my own right
But I'm the villain in my own eyes, yeah
When I was older
I was a sailor on an open sea
Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.
So not a full on interpretation as I've only gleamed bits and pieces, and overall can't say what this song's about.
But imagery of an open sea, I've learned is often a symbol of femininity. This shifts when she says she's underwater depicting being overwhelmed. "Paler than I've ever been," possibly being deathly afraid of something.
"I'm on my back again" I've read as a couple of things. It could be one or the other or both. It could be that the speaker is down and troubled. Dreaming of a place where you and i are best of friends even after all this ends, can we pretend seems pretty straightforward to me.
So something's happened here with this former best friend. The next portion with "see how far it bends before it breaks and back again," tells me that they're a pair always pushing boundaries.
When I look at the whole picture with: "getting caught in the middle of it" being found in a situation where they pressed those aforementioned boundaries, The portion with memories and funeral pyre tells me she's trying to burn those memories simultaneously reliving them and trying to lay them to rest, someone who empathizes with the bad guys insinuating this friend can do or comprehend villanous deeds, while still seeing herself as the perpetrator by saying "But I'm the villain in my own eyes," I wonder if "I'm laying on my back again can be literal...
As if this song is caught in a moment with this possible thing that complicates the friendship, a fight, or sex, or rape... And when she's dreaming of this place where they could still be best of friends, she blames herself for getting into this situation it's possible she's reminiscing before a fight, or taking herself out of her self if it's unwanted sex...
But, I feel like there's more to this song I'm not seeing and would love to hear what else it could be, if i'm missing somethig, and if someone completely disagrees