This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
What would you do if I sang out of tune?
Would you stand up and walk out on me?
Lend me your ears and I'll sing you a song
I will try not to sing out of key
Oh, baby I get by (Ah, with a little help from my friends)
All I need is my buddies (Ah, with a little help from my friends)
I say I'm gonna get high (Ah, with a little help from my friends)
Oh yeah (Ooh)
What do I do when my love is away?
(Does it worry you to be alone?)
No no
How do I feel at the end of the day?
(Are you sad because you're on your own?)
I tell ya I don't get sad no more
(Ah, with a little help from my friends)
Gonna get by with my friends (Ah, with a little help from my friends)
Yeah yeah, I'm gonna try (Ah, with a little help from my friends)
Keep on getting high, oh Lord (Ooh)
(Do you need anybody?)
I need somebody to love
(Could it be anybody?)
All I need is someone
That's just where I'm going, yeah
Somebody knows that's where I'm showing
Baby
(Ah, with a little help from my friends)
Said I'm gonna make it with my friends (Ah, with a little help from my friends)
Oh, I'm gonna keep on trying (Ah, with a little help from my friends)
I'm gonna keep on trying (Ooh)
(Would you believe in a love at first sight?)
I'm certain it happens all the time, yeah
(What do you see when you turn out the light?)
I can't tell you but it sure feels like mine
(Ah, with a little help from my friends)
Don't you know I'm gonna make it with my friends? (Ah, with a little help from my friends)
I promised myself I'd get by (Ah, with a little help from my friends)
Said I'm gonna try and not work too hard (Ooh)
(Do you need anybody?)
Well I, yeah yeah yeah
(Could it be anybody?)
Oh there's gotta be somebody
Don't treat me wrong Lord
Oh yeah yeah
(Ah, with a little help from my friends)
Said I'm gonna get by with my friends, yeah (Ah, with a little help from my friends)
Oh, yes I'm gonna keep trying, now (Ah, with a little help from my friends)
Keep on trying with my friends (Ah, with a little help from my friends)
Oh, I'm never gonna stop there, oh (Ah, with a little help from my friends)
I'm gonna keep on trying, yeah yeah (Ah, with a little help from my friends)
I'm getting high, I'm gonna make time, oh Lord (Ooh)
Gonna get by with my friends
Oh, I'm gonna get on by, yes I'm gonna get on by, my Lord
I'm gonna tell them all about it, I'm gonna tell them all, yeah yeah
Would you stand up and walk out on me?
Lend me your ears and I'll sing you a song
I will try not to sing out of key
Oh, baby I get by (Ah, with a little help from my friends)
All I need is my buddies (Ah, with a little help from my friends)
I say I'm gonna get high (Ah, with a little help from my friends)
Oh yeah (Ooh)
What do I do when my love is away?
(Does it worry you to be alone?)
No no
How do I feel at the end of the day?
(Are you sad because you're on your own?)
I tell ya I don't get sad no more
(Ah, with a little help from my friends)
Gonna get by with my friends (Ah, with a little help from my friends)
Yeah yeah, I'm gonna try (Ah, with a little help from my friends)
Keep on getting high, oh Lord (Ooh)
(Do you need anybody?)
I need somebody to love
(Could it be anybody?)
All I need is someone
That's just where I'm going, yeah
Somebody knows that's where I'm showing
Baby
(Ah, with a little help from my friends)
Said I'm gonna make it with my friends (Ah, with a little help from my friends)
Oh, I'm gonna keep on trying (Ah, with a little help from my friends)
I'm gonna keep on trying (Ooh)
(Would you believe in a love at first sight?)
I'm certain it happens all the time, yeah
(What do you see when you turn out the light?)
I can't tell you but it sure feels like mine
(Ah, with a little help from my friends)
Don't you know I'm gonna make it with my friends? (Ah, with a little help from my friends)
I promised myself I'd get by (Ah, with a little help from my friends)
Said I'm gonna try and not work too hard (Ooh)
(Do you need anybody?)
Well I, yeah yeah yeah
(Could it be anybody?)
Oh there's gotta be somebody
Don't treat me wrong Lord
Oh yeah yeah
(Ah, with a little help from my friends)
Said I'm gonna get by with my friends, yeah (Ah, with a little help from my friends)
Oh, yes I'm gonna keep trying, now (Ah, with a little help from my friends)
Keep on trying with my friends (Ah, with a little help from my friends)
Oh, I'm never gonna stop there, oh (Ah, with a little help from my friends)
I'm gonna keep on trying, yeah yeah (Ah, with a little help from my friends)
I'm getting high, I'm gonna make time, oh Lord (Ooh)
Gonna get by with my friends
Oh, I'm gonna get on by, yes I'm gonna get on by, my Lord
I'm gonna tell them all about it, I'm gonna tell them all, yeah yeah
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More Featured Meanings
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
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.
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.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
the woodstock version was amazing...