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Old To Begin Lyrics
Embrace the senile genius
Watch him reinvent the wheel
I don't need your summary acts, summary acts to give into the narrative
age
Old to begin -- I will set you back, set you back, set you
Old to begin -- I will set you back, set you back, set you
We get to feeling like a fixture
Set in 1966 -- time came that we drifted apart
Drifted apart to find an identical twin
Old to begin -- I will set you back, set you back, set you
Old to begin -- I will set you back, set you back, fella
Searching for latent cause -- blame it on menopause
Or perhaps stress and strain -- credit cards, lumbar/numb the pain
But I've seen your double dares everything extraordinaire
I know the things you do are gonna come back
Watch him reinvent the wheel
I don't need your summary acts, summary acts to give into the narrative
age
Old to begin -- I will set you back, set you back, set you
Set in 1966 -- time came that we drifted apart
Drifted apart to find an identical twin
Old to begin -- I will set you back, set you back, fella
Or perhaps stress and strain -- credit cards, lumbar/numb the pain
But I've seen your double dares everything extraordinaire
I know the things you do are gonna come back
Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.
"...Embrace the senile genius, watch him reinvent the wheel..."
That's one of my favorite lyrics ever. I used to think that was referring to the whole approach of Brighten the Corners in general, as it seems on this album, the band was working with more traditional song structures, but inverting them in weird ways.
Now I can see this whole song being about marriage, and SM's low opinion of it. When people fall in love, they think they're reinventing the wheel, that their relationship is unique and they won't have the problems other people have. They find an "unidentical twin", someone with the same opinions they have, but after a while, things get boring and "get to feeling like a fixture set in 1966". When they break-up they make up all kinds of reasons for it, age, work, money, but it was all just doomed from the start.
I really liked your take on this song. But I would argue that it doesn't have to specifically be about marriage, but about relationships in general. It sounds to me like a song about committing to a relationship, but falling into the habits of an old, dysfunctional couple already. Hence, the title -- you guys were old (in spirit, if not literally) to begin with. The idea of setting someone back because of your metaphorical menopause, back pains, etc.
I really liked your take on this song. But I would argue that it doesn't have to specifically be about marriage, but about relationships in general. It sounds to me like a song about committing to a relationship, but falling into the habits of an old, dysfunctional couple already. Hence, the title -- you guys were old (in spirit, if not literally) to begin with. The idea of setting someone back because of your metaphorical menopause, back pains, etc.
Spiral: That would make sense... not sure. :) I put that in. grin
It's "credit cards, lumbar pain"
Just to reiterate, it is indeed lumbar pain.
Also, "Findin' our identical twin." Just throwing that one out there.
However, it should be "numbs the pain" and "un-identical twin" in a perfect world IMO.
Fella? That's just a melodic grunt after "set you back."
SM's lyrics are never set in stone, as anyone who has seen him live or heard bootlegs/alternate takes would agree.
Tangentally speaking, it always bothers me when I hear an awesome line and then read the accompanying album lyrics and it's nowhere near what I thought it was. Of course it's always lamer than my imagined lyric.
I think it's credit cards, numb the pain
It's "Find an un-identical twin."