Tricks Of The Trade Lyrics

Lyric discussion by TheMoff 

Cover art for Tricks Of The Trade lyrics by Paolo Nutini

I've written two theories for this song: number 1, (The bird is a symbol for a woman, this part is about a man meeting the woman that he loves)

Was it love or recognition that has healed this man's condition? Oh I'm hoping and I'm wishing that this bird won't fly away

(This is the man courting the woman)

And we can see life hand in hand The green, the blue, the ruff, the sand And in our time and in our land, we'll savour every day

(I think this is the man talking about growing old with the woman)

Oh how our glory may fade Fade, well at least we've learned some things along the way

(This is the man talking about how he fell for the woman)

Oh you took me from my bubble knowing my defense was weak And you sat there and you listened anytime I chose to speak

(Extending from her listening to him, she thought that he was a "clown")

Oh, and you gathered from my pleas to you that I am but a clown No fear only a hero can defeat these demons now

(Chorus repeat)

And oh how our glory may fade Baby, well at least we've learned some tricks of the trade

("4 strong legs" meaning the man and the woman's legs)

And as time shall inevitably move on Well at least we'll have four strong legs to stand on - to keep us alive

Theory number 2, (The bird is literal this is about someone who loves animals)

Was it love or recognition that has healed this man's condition? Oh I'm hoping and I'm wishing that this bird won't fly away

(Talk of living in the wild, the green being fields, the blue being the sea, the ruff being rocky land and the sand being the desert/beach)

And we can see life hand in hand The green, the blue, the ruff, the sand And in our time and in our land, we'll savour every day

(Talking about nature fading away, since it's leaving off from the last two lines)

Oh how our glory may fade Fade, well at least we've learned some things along the way

(The man has been taken from living with nature and is now being questioned about it)

Oh you took me from my bubble knowing my defense was weak And you sat there and you listened anytime I chose to speak

(The people that are questioning him think that he is a "clown" because he wants to stay with nature, and he starts to believe that only a "hero" can stop them from either taking him away from what he has found to be his home or destroying the habitat that he called home)

Oh, and you gathered from my pleas to you that I am but a clown No fear only a hero can defeat these demons now

(Possibly learning about how the world works under the powers that be)

And oh how our glory may fade Baby, well at least we've learned some tricks of the trade

(Time moves on as in he is trying to get over his loss of home, i'm guessing that the last bit is a reference to some sort of animal, since he said "4 strong legs")

And as time shall inevitably move on Well at least we'll have four strong legs to stand on - to keep us alive