Find yourself a girl and settle down
Live a simple life in a quiet town
Steady as she goes (steady as she goes)
Steady as she goes (steady as she goes)
So steady as she goes
Your friends have shown a kink in the single life
You've had too much to think, now you need a wife
Steady as she goes (steady as she goes)
So steady as she goes (steady as she goes)
Well here we go again
You've found yourself a friend that knows you well
But no matter what you do
You'll always feel as though you tripped and fell
So steady as she goes
When you have completed what you thought you had to do
And your blood's depleted to the point of stable glue
Then you'll get along
Then you'll get along
Steady as she goes (steady as she goes)
So steady as she goes (steady as she goes)
Well here we go again
You've found yourself a friend that knows you well
But no matter what you do
You'll always feel as though you tripped and fell
So steady as she goes
Steady as she goes
Settle for a world (settle for the world), neither up or down (neither up or down)
Sell it to the crowd (sell it to the crowd) that is gathered round (that is gathered round)
Settle for a girl (settle for the girl), neither up or down (neither up or down)
Sell it to the crowd (sell it to the crowd) that is gathered round (that is gathered round)
So steady as she goes (steady as she goes)
Steady as she goes (steady as she goes)
Steady as she goes (steady as she goes)
So steady as she goes (steady as she goes)
Steady as she goes, are you steady now?
Steady as she goes, are you steady now?
Steady as she goes, are you steady now?
Steady as she goes, are you steady now?
Steady as she goes
Live a simple life in a quiet town
Steady as she goes (steady as she goes)
Steady as she goes (steady as she goes)
So steady as she goes
Your friends have shown a kink in the single life
You've had too much to think, now you need a wife
Steady as she goes (steady as she goes)
So steady as she goes (steady as she goes)
Well here we go again
You've found yourself a friend that knows you well
But no matter what you do
You'll always feel as though you tripped and fell
So steady as she goes
When you have completed what you thought you had to do
And your blood's depleted to the point of stable glue
Then you'll get along
Then you'll get along
Steady as she goes (steady as she goes)
So steady as she goes (steady as she goes)
Well here we go again
You've found yourself a friend that knows you well
But no matter what you do
You'll always feel as though you tripped and fell
So steady as she goes
Steady as she goes
Settle for a world (settle for the world), neither up or down (neither up or down)
Sell it to the crowd (sell it to the crowd) that is gathered round (that is gathered round)
Settle for a girl (settle for the girl), neither up or down (neither up or down)
Sell it to the crowd (sell it to the crowd) that is gathered round (that is gathered round)
So steady as she goes (steady as she goes)
Steady as she goes (steady as she goes)
Steady as she goes (steady as she goes)
So steady as she goes (steady as she goes)
Steady as she goes, are you steady now?
Steady as she goes, are you steady now?
Steady as she goes, are you steady now?
Steady as she goes, are you steady now?
Steady as she goes
Lyrics submitted by shadowboxing
Steady, As She Goes Lyrics as written by Brendan Benson John Anthony White
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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In the end, the "protagonist" is not such a bad guy: he is just as selfish as anyone else. He has tried to do his agreed upon part in society (which is justice, if anything), but has made the mistake of not examining the hollowness of what society is trying to sell him. He is not, and will not, be happy, but he deceives himself into thinking he is and ends by "send[ing] it to the crowd that's gathered round." That is, he is passing on the same lie that society first told him, and which has by now eaten away at his very life.
Anyways, this song -- I think it's about a guy who loves the single life (who doesn't?), but society never fails to pressure you into getting married and having kids, and that's pretty much what's happening here. He sees his friends in a new light and realizes that, "Hey, maybe I should settle down...?" But that's followed by the fact that if he settles down, he's never going to truly be happy that way. I kinda see it as saying that society is pressuring us into doing things that we're uncomfortable with or just not ready for yet (but maybe I'm crazy...?).
Either way, think what you will -- this is an amazing song. I can't wait for the album -- which comes out on May 15/16. :) Cheers guys!
And your blood's depleted to the point of stable glue"- Good stuff!
Doesnt everybody have a fear of commitment?
I don't think it's about a fear of commitment in general, but making the wrong commitments.
I think the song is about how so many people get married for all the wrong reasons, namely the pressure from family and friends to get married, have kids, settle down, buy a house, etc. and how this person realizes where this road leads down and knows that it will not give them happiness, but rather a sense of disappointment. Thus, you need to look at what are the reasons behind making a commitment, and the singer is remarking how unfortunate it is that many people make such decisions for all the wrong reasons.
But that's just me.
I think it's pretty much about how a guy realizes the life that he has been living is bland and boring, and though he thought he wanted normalcy and the picturesque quiet life with family and all, he now sees that it's not what he wants and everything he has he has "settled" for
" Find yourself a girl, and settle down
Live a simple life in a quiet town"
This is what the people are telling him.
"Well here we go again, you've found yourself a friend, that knows you well
But no matter what you do, you'll always feel as though you tripped and fell"
Hmm...Wierd part of the song, not too sure I understand it. "You found yourself a friend that knows you well" This could be the person they could ask to marry like their friends are telling them....But he knows it's not right, cause he's only doing it for the pressure.
"Settle for a girl and buckle down
Send it to the crowd that's gathered round"
So he found a girl, now he's going to ask her to marry him and brag it to his friends that were pressuring him in the first place. Just doing it for the show.
"Steady as she goes
Are you steady now?"
A question he might ask himself. So, he's married now. Yay. Skippee....Right? Or is he having second thoughts, like it wasn't the right thing to do? Just wasn't ready. Got ahead of himself.
-shrug- I dunno. Just throwin my own idea out there.
The first thing one needs for a successful marriage, as many long-time marrieds have said, is a friend. That's priority one. If you've got a friend on top of searing passion, well, then you've got yourself an amazing combination.
I feel that the subject of the song is indeed feeling the pressures of society, as many here have stated. The bit that gets me is that there must be disappointment, or he isn't committing for the right reasons, etc. He's obviously to a point at his life where he's done with the single bit and now he wants to see how the other half lives.
However, friends, as they often do, want to make sure that the decision-making process isn't flawed. They seem okay with his leap into matrimony, but not quite convinced that he's doing it for himself or society (another fine point that someone mentioned.)
I think the particular line "no matter what you do, you'll always feel as if you tripped and fell" is a metaphor for the infatuation itself, and not necessarily a bad thing. After all, we "fall" in love. Some of us even "trip on it" as well. Countless songs have played with the myriad semantics we use to describe courtship.
But this song has a hidden cynicism -- coming from the single friends, not the marrieds. Once he's "completed what he thought he had to do" (gotten into the married life, settled down, made the commitment) -- "and your blood's depleted to the point of stable glue" (perhaps the most telling line of the song) then everything changes.
For me, this is the hands-down most indicative lyric of the entire song. We see blood as life, virility and dynamism. We even use extreme action words for it. Rushing, pumping, flowing, racing, etc. Regulated by our heart, it's one of the most powerful forces of life.
And here ... it's become stable glue.
Psychologically, the single believes that marriage can only work if that 'blood' becomes 'glue'. If everything that is dynamic, spontaneous and passionate becomes well-worn, routine, and predictable. It's the debate of the ages. Can the passion last throughout marriage?
As a resolution to all his woes, he's deciding to be pragmatic about it. It can't hurt. He's not denying himself the new life nor is he rushing into it. He's evaluating the pros and the cons and deciding to dip a toe before going swimming.
Again, just my $0.02. But that's what this site's about, so ... muse on!
"Find yourself a girl, and settle down
Live a simple life in a quiet town"
He did, but now it's:
"Steady as she goes (steady as she goes)
Steady as she goes (steady as she goes)
So steady as she goes"
He must remain composed as she goes on and on
yapping and bossing him around.
(I guess that would be the typical male point of view.)
OR
"Steady as she goes (steady as she goes)
Steady as she goes (steady as she goes)
So steady as she goes"
He's must keep it cool and not give in and go after her, thus risking the marriage his friends are convincing him to pursue.
(If he is afraid of the commitment.)
"Well here we go again, you've found yourself a friend that knows you well
But no matter what you do, you'll always feel as though you tripped and fell"
He becomes friends with a girl, but as always, ends up falling for her.
"When you have completed what you thought you had to do
And your blood's depleted to the point of stable glue
Then you'll get along"
Obviously, the pair can get along only when one of them yields in favor of the other, in this case HE's the one complying.