In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
Cozied up to the toilet
Face stuck to the floor
I met expectations
That I was tryin' to ignore
Job had such patience
I wonder, what's that like?
One hundred thousand million
That's what you like
So I was thinkin'
So these cities are sprouting
Like a spit in the eye
And this world isn't waiting
It's just passing me by
I just peak in the window
Lookin' inside
The butcher's got a fork in your face
I'm standing alive
And I was singin'
Face stuck to the floor
I met expectations
That I was tryin' to ignore
Job had such patience
I wonder, what's that like?
One hundred thousand million
That's what you like
So I was thinkin'
So these cities are sprouting
Like a spit in the eye
And this world isn't waiting
It's just passing me by
I just peak in the window
Lookin' inside
The butcher's got a fork in your face
I'm standing alive
And I was singin'
Lyrics submitted by OwnPersonalDemon
I Was a Teenage Hand Model Lyrics as written by Alfredo Hernandez Josh Homme
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
interviewer: Where did "I Was a Teenage Hand Model" come from?
Josh: I moved to Seattle before the whole Screaming Trees thing and I just wanted to move somewhere where I didn't know anybody and where the whole music scene was just dead. Everyone I knew in San Francisco was on drugs, and everyone in San Diego and LA just weren't doing it. So I went to Seattle, because I still wanted to be on the West Coast. So I was in this bar, there's a lot of bitter people there, especially music types. Anyway, I'm in this bar and there's this guy saying the stupidest bitter drunk rant about how he was a model when he was young. He was just a toothless bum screaming about being a child actor, model and shit.
whaha, thought the song was about the regular live of a teenager; drinking, puking while cozied op a toilet
Amazing song.
I always picture someone the morning after a huge party. Waking up at 3, hungover and eating <insert breakfast item here>
Hmmm...the title made me think it was about someone wanking...lol but anyway....I guess your theories are right...kickass song!
I don't think "hand model" is a very common word over here.
Baddass song.
damn, you beat me to it! lol
cool story...great song...great end to the album.... do dat do dat.....
Best hotbox song, I might add.
great song, but the ending hurts your ears a bit. argh! :P
Os artistas geralmente tem esse lance de misturar duas situações ou mais nas musicas/letras. Entendi (pela entrevista que o cara postou acima) que o compositor estava trocando ideia com um cara dizendo que quando adolescente era modelo de mão, e isso deu a ideia de escrever uma letra que mostra "o quão insignificante" nossa vida pode ser. O cara só ganha dinheiro e fica de boa.