Lyric discussion by Sanu! 

Cover art for Fiddle And The Drum lyrics by A Perfect Circle

let me explain this one by one !

( And so once again, My dear Johnny, my dear friend, And so once again you are fighting us all )

(it's about a person name johnny, he's get piss-off easily )

And when I ask you why, You raise your sticks and cry, and I fall,

( jonny is knows he's wrong, when he ask why, he start to cry)

Oh, my friend, How did you come?, To trade the fiddle for the drum,

( "fiddle for the drum" is a metaphor, he trade his good feelings to low-self esteem.)

You say I have turned, Like the enemies you've earned, But I can remember, All the good things you are,

( every one leaving him and become enemy of him, and jonny think, like everyone he's acting bad toward him, the he says I can remember good things you are, what ever happen)

Oh, my friend, What time is this?, To trade the handshake for the fist

(jonny is satisfied with his talk-down then jonny giving him a hand shake, then he says, we are friend we should be doing fist-bump)