This song serves as an ode to the band's hometown in Tennessee, written and sung in a rather loose form of a passionate lament. The lyrics are short and pretty simple, but are packed full of meaning, focusing on three main themes - memories, homesickness, and the inevitable change with time.
The idea of recalling memories is directly evoked with words such as "remind" and "remember," and the recurring lines of "It's taking up our time again" and "we can't go back at all" suggest that the memories are persistent and unable to be relived. Additionally, the line "And I miss who we were and the town we could call our own" summons a clear sense of longing for what is now only present in the past.
The thought of homesickness is brought up in the very first line, with the repetition of the word "home." The line "And going back won't feel the same if we aren't staying" expresses the desire to remain in the hometown, rather than leaving it again.
Most importantly, however, is the idea of changing with time. The word "time" is repeated numerously, as well as the line "Everything has changed," obviously hinting that the current town (overall) is profoundly different from its past self. When viewed alongside the related theme of memories, a stark juxtaposition occurs in the sense that while the actual memories do not change with time, the physical location associated with the memories changes dramatically.
I adore this song and I appreciate its sad, yet personal themes, as well as its overall message - we can never truly return to the "time when we were so alive."
This song serves as an ode to the band's hometown in Tennessee, written and sung in a rather loose form of a passionate lament. The lyrics are short and pretty simple, but are packed full of meaning, focusing on three main themes - memories, homesickness, and the inevitable change with time.
The idea of recalling memories is directly evoked with words such as "remind" and "remember," and the recurring lines of "It's taking up our time again" and "we can't go back at all" suggest that the memories are persistent and unable to be relived. Additionally, the line "And I miss who we were and the town we could call our own" summons a clear sense of longing for what is now only present in the past.
The thought of homesickness is brought up in the very first line, with the repetition of the word "home." The line "And going back won't feel the same if we aren't staying" expresses the desire to remain in the hometown, rather than leaving it again.
Most importantly, however, is the idea of changing with time. The word "time" is repeated numerously, as well as the line "Everything has changed," obviously hinting that the current town (overall) is profoundly different from its past self. When viewed alongside the related theme of memories, a stark juxtaposition occurs in the sense that while the actual memories do not change with time, the physical location associated with the memories changes dramatically.
I adore this song and I appreciate its sad, yet personal themes, as well as its overall message - we can never truly return to the "time when we were so alive."