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Back And Forth Lyrics

There’s a kind of music that reminds me of you
It’s all clear expensive drinks and shiny shirts
And the click of heels as they descend from the taxi like the first foot on the moon
Oh and it glows with ache
And if it hits me right on it’s almost too much to take
And it’s got right angle razor thin lines
That curve and swerve like perfect sines
As we dress to the nines
In an attempt to leave it all behind
In a search of the moment between the seconds
Where everything is just fine
That silver thread embedded deep within our spines
And I used to be kind of weird about this
A fear of dependence on a guilty gilt-edged
hedged transcendence that makes us liars
And tense with fear of looking down and seeing that nothing really suspends us
But it was never just another Saturday night
Not with you in attendance
So throw your hands in the air
And wave them like you just don’t care
It’s on a whim; it’s on a dare
To shrug away what we can’t bear
And we’re going back and forth
And back and forth and back and forth and back
We’re going back and forth
And back and forth and back and forth and back

So it’s a deep blue see-through membrane
That protects us, it connects us
A pulsing cellophane
Party-train skein that helps us and envelopes And keeps us locked inside
Forever and ever along for the ride
And we’re moving through a phosphorescent gel a semi-solid self-lit ocean
And it’s a funny notion, isn’t it?
Yeah, but I’m kinda digging it
And it’s rigged and isn’t nearly so big
And it speaks only of its own perpetual near miss
Like the uncertain memory of a stranger’s mistaken kiss
As faces slide by in glowing shadows
Like snowbound ghosts that go up and down
In epileptic shivers and negative radioactive slivers
In a landscape of endless dull glitter
And a taste in my mouth so sweet, yet so bitter
And we exhaust ourselves trying to get there
Somebody scream "all right"
We’ll try to fill the echoless night
So fasten up and hold tight
We can’t give up without a fight
And we’re going back and forth
And back and forth and back and forth and back
We’re going back and forth
And back and forth and back and forth and back

So in the end, whatever, we die, we dissolve
Equations unbalanced, riddles unsolved
And we were never connected or involved
Except for the intersections and crazy mathematics
With no time and no space and no schedule and no place
And they pass right through us without a trace
And sometimes that music drifts through my car
On a spring night when anything is possible
And I close my eyes and I nod my head
And I wonder how you been
And I count to a hundred and ten
Because you’ll always be my hero even if I never see you again
Song Info
Submitted by
66exeter On Dec 28, 2001
14 Meanings

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Cover art for Back And Forth lyrics by Dismemberment Plan, The

I know it has been a long time since this song was released on the fantastic "Emergency & I" but I have been backpeddling in my record collection and this thing just blows me away. There is more lyrical content and beautiful word choice in this song alone than many subpar groups can pack into a whole record. Not to mention the fast paced delivery just overwhelms you with visual images and deep thoughts. Phew!

Cover art for Back And Forth lyrics by Dismemberment Plan, The

mortisimo they broke up! what do we do now? oh noes!

this song has so much lyrical content and awesome word choice that i think i would cream my pants twice if i listened closely to every single syllable travis utters

Cover art for Back And Forth lyrics by Dismemberment Plan, The

So many memories associated with this song. It's absolutely beautiful and easily my favorite song of all time. As of this posting I'm on my 131st listen. Holy jesus. I'm still not tired of it.

Cover art for Back And Forth lyrics by Dismemberment Plan, The

I agree with the idea that this song is about the unseen complexity of life, but I think there's an element of nihilism that PBCrunch missed. It's especially noticeable when he says:

"So in the end, whatever, we die, we dissolve Equations unbalanced, riddles unsolved And we were never connected or involved Except for the intersections and crazy mathematics With no time and no space and no schedule and no place And they pass right through us without a trace"

The chorus also takes on a nihilist perspective, insinuating that we just go back and forth and back and forth and we "curve and swerve like perfect sines".

Cover art for Back And Forth lyrics by Dismemberment Plan, The

My favorite DPlan song by far. This song gave me shivers the first few time I heard it. See this band live before you die.

Cover art for Back And Forth lyrics by Dismemberment Plan, The

sooo much lyrical content!!

Cover art for Back And Forth lyrics by Dismemberment Plan, The

I think this song is about the unseen complexity of everyday life. As humans, and more specifically, as Americans we just go about our lives, going to parties, doing the cool things, never considering the nature of the ground we stand on or the hopelessly complex strings of atoms and chemical equations that form our bodies.

This notion seems to be weaved in with a tale of a man who goes to a party, meets a woman he is very attracted to, then never sees again.

Cover art for Back And Forth lyrics by Dismemberment Plan, The

dag. the ending is the best.

Cover art for Back And Forth lyrics by Dismemberment Plan, The

Wow, this song is amazing. I like PBCrunch's analysis. I think the complexity/simplicity dichotomy is found in the choice of words as well. He goes from talking about phosphorescent gel and math equations to the simple "wave your hands in the air like you just don't care". I also love how the guitar riff is literally going back and forth over and over. Perfect.

Cover art for Back And Forth lyrics by Dismemberment Plan, The

This song is so crazy good.

 
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