Friendly Fire

awesome song faggots

this song makes me think a lot about the common fighting that goes on between rebellious, independence-seeking teens and their smothering parents, particularly mothers. 'Walked beyond the fence, played outside our yard. You took it hard.' - metaphor for leaving the nest

'I like my clothes. Don't want to grow. I'll wait around 'til you say go.' - this to me is somewhat of a recollection of childhood, when one's relationship with their parents tend to be good or at least better

'The lights were off when I got home. Black room, blue phone. Don't I know your name? Weren't we almost friends? Guess that depends.' - this just really reminds me of how lots of teens stay out of the house as much as possible to stay away from their parents and come home late at night once they're asleep

'Take some benefit with all your doubt. If this is principle, I'm dropping out.' - this makes me think of fights between parents and their kids. 'take some benefit with your doubt' to me is a kid addressing their parent and telling them to stop assuming the worst, and acting on it, and instead let things go to see that the kid really isn't doing all that bad. It's the kid telling their parents to get off their back.

"if this is principle, i'm dropping out" seems like a sort of thing a teen would say to their parents in a fight--a sort of 'cutting your nose off to spite your face' type of thing--threatening to drop out of school

"My back is warm with your friendly fire. I know you're trying. Could you please aim it higher?" - this, to me, is the kid realizing that even though they feel like their parents are dragging them down, they realize that it is indeed contradictory "friendly fire"--something intended to be friendly, to help, but it ends up hurting or antagonizing.

"So alone I wrote, I wrote this will. I will decline." declining what their parents perceive as "friendly" help, but is "fire" to the kid

"This fish ain't big. This pond is small. So small of mind." - Means that the kid believes all the fighting and problems are their parents' fault. it's not that they're too big of a fish for the pond, the pond is just too small and constricting

just an interpretation reflecting my experiences and the point in life that i'm at

You have the lyrics horribly wrong.

yup, they're inaccurate lyrics, but this is best song off of "Etc". This was taken from the recording sessions for "Dear You", shame it was left off.

Went beyond the fence layed outside our yard You took it hard Through a one way door hinged high on doubt No ins, no outs

I like my clothes Don't want to grow I'll wait around 'Til you say go

The lights were off when I got home Black room, blue phone Hey I know your name weren't we almost friends Guess that depends Take some benefit with all your doubt If this is principle, I'm dropping out

You demonize, you don’t look so bad You wouldn't take, what you couldn’t have My back is warm With your friendly fire I know you’re trying Could you please aim it higher?

So alone I wrote, I wrote this will, I will decline This fish ain't big, this pond is small, So small of mind

I like my clothes Don't want to grow I'll wait around 'Til you say go

You demonize, you don’t look so bad You wouldn't take, what you couldn’t have My back is warm With your friendly fire I know you’re trying Could you please aim it higher?

Actually the first line is

"Walked beyond the fence, played outside our yard"

So, whats this mean? I'm not too sure myself

i love this song i love jawbreaker

Looks to me like it's about a friend stabbing you in the back.

I heard there was a completely different version that they played live. Anybody know where I can find it?

this song is actually, like Boxcar, about the Berkley punk scene. specifically, it was written in anticipation of the backlash and sellout claims that the band was expecting (and had already begun getting) as a result of signing to a major label