This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
One two three four five six seven eight
I am the raping sunglass gaze
Of sweating man and escort agencies
60's Alienation the anthem of care
Now a knife constantly slashing eyelids
Slavery to the beat
Slavery to the chord
Slavery to the pleasure
Slavery to the God
Slavery to the beat
Slavery to the chord
Slavery to the pleasure
Slavery to the God
They dig the new scene and their parties
Where Stonehenge is worshiped and drugs a deity
Vicarious thrills re-run their youth
We follow we have no voice the dead
Radio nostalgia is radio death
I want to cover diamonds on my wife
Hardrock nostalgia the Stones on CD
Tranquilized icons for the sweet paralyzed
Slavery to the beat
Slavery to the chord
Slavery to the pleasure
Slavery to the God
Slavery to the beat
Slavery to the chord
Slavery to the pleasure
Slavery to the God
So cool the new sound of the decade
Thinks it's so fresh not a post Elvis still
All taste is nothing old pictures blowdried
Rebellion it always sells at a profit
I am a face of fashion in Soho Square
My tie is Paul Smith or Gaultier
My cheeks blood red as my favorite port
But hey cocaine keeps cholesterol at bay
Slavery to the beat
Slavery to the chord
Slavery to the pleasure
Slavery to the God
Slavery to the beat
Slavery to the chord
Slavery to the pleasure
Slavery to the God
Some god
I am the raping sunglass gaze
Of sweating man and escort agencies
60's Alienation the anthem of care
Now a knife constantly slashing eyelids
Slavery to the beat
Slavery to the chord
Slavery to the pleasure
Slavery to the God
Slavery to the beat
Slavery to the chord
Slavery to the pleasure
Slavery to the God
They dig the new scene and their parties
Where Stonehenge is worshiped and drugs a deity
Vicarious thrills re-run their youth
We follow we have no voice the dead
Radio nostalgia is radio death
I want to cover diamonds on my wife
Hardrock nostalgia the Stones on CD
Tranquilized icons for the sweet paralyzed
Slavery to the beat
Slavery to the chord
Slavery to the pleasure
Slavery to the God
Slavery to the beat
Slavery to the chord
Slavery to the pleasure
Slavery to the God
So cool the new sound of the decade
Thinks it's so fresh not a post Elvis still
All taste is nothing old pictures blowdried
Rebellion it always sells at a profit
I am a face of fashion in Soho Square
My tie is Paul Smith or Gaultier
My cheeks blood red as my favorite port
But hey cocaine keeps cholesterol at bay
Slavery to the beat
Slavery to the chord
Slavery to the pleasure
Slavery to the God
Slavery to the beat
Slavery to the chord
Slavery to the pleasure
Slavery to the God
Some god
Lyrics submitted by ShiverForMe
Nostalgic Pushead Lyrics as written by Edwards Bradfield
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
Lord Huron
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.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
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.
"It originally started off with the idea of a middle-aged person knocking things that would be exciting and valuable to a new generation. So many people said to us when we started. 'Oh, seen that, done it, don't do it again.' It's really depressing that there's a new generation growing up and being offered the same icons, like The Rolling Stones. The biggest bands now, like Pearl Jam, obviously grew up listening to the same records their parents did. But the whole Sixties perspective of change no longer exists." (Richey James)
Just wondered how the references to God are relevant to the context of the song? Is it comparing on the similarities of nostalgia to religion? Or mocking the older generation embracing religion while still desiring the rebellious music of their youth? Could it even be a reference to Eric Clapton (a.k.a "Clapton is God")? Haha.
" You are Radio Salvation. You are Radio Death. Slavery to the Beat - Slavery to the Pleasure. Slavery to your ego. Anyone can play guitar w/no emotion. Robot Robot Robot. " -Richey James in his 'Nostalgic Pushead' manifesto (the lines for the chorus were taken from there) . Also do u think that the part "slavery to the beat" has anything to do with the other meanings of beat, and the beat generation? For me it seems like that (as Nicky said on an interview they were reading too much Burroughs when writing GT!)
@nava115370 sry i meant GAtS* .-.
Not so much the lyrics, but the way they are delivered. I don't think I have ever heard another song where every line is delivered with such sheer enjoyment bursting from the singer and mic at every line.
Would not surprise me if this song was aimed more at the impresario characters that emerged from the 60s to manage the bands of the time.
Lovely little 5 6 7 8 from Nicky at the beginning there...
It's about the generation of the 1960's sexual revolution and so on growing older and still trying to hang on to the music, sex, ideals and rebellion of their youth even while those things have become nothing more than products marketed to them by corporations. It's the manics when they were young making fun of the older generation of music... of course now the manics are getting old themselves, I wonder if they still sing this song. Anyway it's a rockin' song and the manics totally rock regardless of age, but there's still a sense of schadenfraude.
Feels good to yell "Rebellion, it always sells at a profit!"