Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
I hope you never change
I hope you never go
I hope you always keep
Our little secrets though
But how'd we get here
At this height
And what's this talk of
Dead weight
I know we always drink
But we don't always fight
The landing lights are on
But we're just out of sight
'cause this thing's mobile
There's still wheels
And I'm not done yet
So hang on
You came along to change the grade
To raise the bar I'd made of late
You came along to raise the stakes
To tend to me and my mistakes
I can't pretend that I could be
The man you said you saw in me
But hang around and I'll try and land this thing
no one came
no one saw
Someone pass the manual
And soon I'll go away
I'll see you at the door
So go put David on
Read about the war
We're just blind pilots
In strange planes
Back seat drivers
In dead cars
You came along to change the grade
To raise the bar I'd made of late
You came along to raise the stakes
To tend to me and my mistakes
I can't pretend that I could be
The man you said you saw in me
But hang around and I'll try and land this thing
Yeah I made a list of all the things
That I could change how I could win
I can't and I refuse to say
The wheels have slowly come away
I pray to God my soul to keep
'cause I could never stand the heat
But hang around and I'll try and land this thing
no one came
no one saw
Someone pass the manual
I hope you never go
I hope you always keep
Our little secrets though
But how'd we get here
At this height
And what's this talk of
Dead weight
I know we always drink
But we don't always fight
The landing lights are on
But we're just out of sight
'cause this thing's mobile
There's still wheels
And I'm not done yet
So hang on
You came along to change the grade
To raise the bar I'd made of late
You came along to raise the stakes
To tend to me and my mistakes
I can't pretend that I could be
The man you said you saw in me
But hang around and I'll try and land this thing
no one came
no one saw
Someone pass the manual
And soon I'll go away
I'll see you at the door
So go put David on
Read about the war
We're just blind pilots
In strange planes
Back seat drivers
In dead cars
You came along to change the grade
To raise the bar I'd made of late
You came along to raise the stakes
To tend to me and my mistakes
I can't pretend that I could be
The man you said you saw in me
But hang around and I'll try and land this thing
Yeah I made a list of all the things
That I could change how I could win
I can't and I refuse to say
The wheels have slowly come away
I pray to God my soul to keep
'cause I could never stand the heat
But hang around and I'll try and land this thing
no one came
no one saw
Someone pass the manual
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It's about a relationship, with a plane being a metaphor for the relationship. The people are the blind pilots trying to "land" this thing but are not really sure how "someone pass the manual". It expresses the singer's refusal to accept that it is over "i cant and refuse to say ...etc."
Amazing song. The singing in the chorus is awesome
the chorus sounds quite a bit like nirvana... still a great song
What does it mean?
I agree completely with jonnykuk, and I think this is one of the most tragically beautiful bittersweet love songs of the new decade. If only more music was like this...sigh
I think you need to view this in the context of the whole album - the first lyric of which is "and so it has to change, the notebook's now in pieces, things we'll never say/sing...". It seems to me that there was pressure from management or the record company to make the lyrics less angst than the first album. The "pilots" are the management or record company but he is saying they are blind and that even though he is the one in the driving seat and is going "to try and land" the plane (ship i.e the journey of the band). The reference to "you came along to raise the bar" is again a reference to management trying to make them better by correcting his mistakes.. etc, etc
I also believe it to be about a relationship that is destined to fall apart. In fact I listened to this song over and over again on a 6 hour car ride shortly after my then wife broke up with me and it all made perfect sense and felt that this particular song was meant for that particular moment. Having had listened to it a week or so before together I asked her about her thoughts and the songs input into her decision and she did say (if she was being truthful!!) that she felt the song had the same metaphor and had made her question our relationship one last time!
agreed! the metaphor of blind pilots i find extremely poigniant and at the same time worrying. not that blind people should not be allowed to fly planes, thts discrimination. i think ben gautry, the lyrics probably written by didz, is singing about trying to save a doomed relationship that he feels, whether his patner made him feel that way or not, was ruined because of his inadequecies, this being a common theme in alot of coopers songs. hence the line "I can't pretend that i could be, the man you said you saw in me"