This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
I must be careful now in my steps
Years of calculations and the stress
My science is waiting, nearly complete
One glass will last for nearly a week
Let me not get down if I'm walking with no one
And if I stumble from exhaustion
These buckets are heavy, I've filled them with water
I could ask these people, but I shouldn't bother
Oh no, I've stumbled, was I going too fast?
Some get angry and some of them laugh
They told me I wouldn't, but I found an answer
I'm Van Occupanther, I'm Van Occupanther
[Chorus x2:]
Let me not be too consumed with this world
Sometimes I want to go home
And stay out of sight for a long time
Years of calculations and the stress
My science is waiting, nearly complete
One glass will last for nearly a week
Let me not get down if I'm walking with no one
And if I stumble from exhaustion
These buckets are heavy, I've filled them with water
I could ask these people, but I shouldn't bother
Oh no, I've stumbled, was I going too fast?
Some get angry and some of them laugh
They told me I wouldn't, but I found an answer
I'm Van Occupanther, I'm Van Occupanther
[Chorus x2:]
Let me not be too consumed with this world
Sometimes I want to go home
And stay out of sight for a long time
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Son Şansın - Şarkı Sözleri
Hayalperest
Hayalperest
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
I totally found the Christ analogy very present as well. I think Jesus felt rejected or forsaken when he carried his own cross to his crucifixion, and they back it up with "and if i stumble from exhaustion". Great song that I thought shows the depth of the Christian faith, we are going down the right path if we feel exhausted or forsaken sometimes, this is how God can speak to humanity, through our hopelessness
There's certainly room for a Christ analogy here in that you hear the lament of a heart struggling against all odds to claim their identity, their mission, their purpose. But then the song (like most biblical stories) can be a useful analogy for anyone with a mission whether it be a messiah headed for martyrdom or a nervous man at a crossroads (marriage, career, lost love, lost family, etc) who is starting to ignore all the voices and push forward confidently.
Midlake creates such an incredible amount of emotion in that otherwise calm verse where the author declares he's found an answer in spite of the many votes of no-confidence from his peers and states his name. They retain the somber mood of the song but still communicate this overwhelming, triumphant feeling (at least this is how I feel when I hear it). I'm too used to my other favourite bands who would celebrate such a lyrical victory with either power chords or obscene amounts of distortion. I'd like to hear Yo La Tengo or Sonic Youth cover this song just to see what they'd do for Van Occupanther's self proclamation.
Anyway, I can't help but be uplifted by hearing such a simple (to the point of being abstract) statement of identity and purpose. It's hard to nail that in a pop lyric. Truly inspiring to the right set of ears.
In other words... great song.
When I first heard this wonderful song I was in the process of approaching a major deadline in work. I had a given myself a lot to do through my own fault and I received a lot of criticism for it. Underneath it all, I was worried that my mental health would suffer with all the 'stress'. It was like this song was written for me.
'These buckets are heavy, I filled them with water I could ask these people but I shouldn't bother'
I love the way he takes ownership for his predicament - I filled them with water. There is a real sense of annoyance towards other who won't help him in his hour of need and see through his shyness that he is in trouble. That get angry, laugh and put him down.
Then comes the change, although it is confusing. The line 'I'm Van Occupanther' reminds me of a Simpsons episode actually where Lisa was distraught when her inspiring substitute teacher Mr Bergstorm was leaving. 'When all else fails in life' he said ' just read this note'. It said 'You are Lisa Simpson'.
So the narrator triumphantly announces that he is has a value as he is an unique human being.
However instantly he moves towards a very gloomy outlook when he considers what he has just been running through his mind. 'This world causes me so much grief and I just want to stay alone and keep out social interaction'.
Utterly brilliant. I miss Tim Smith so much.
@Thel great insight on the song!
it doesn't get much deeper than this. this song singlehandedly helped me fall in love with Midlake. I'm touched.
I'm almost one hundred percent certain that this song is about someone who gets picked on or messed with at work/school. Most likely a lab tech of some sort.
He starts off with intense concentration on some special thing he's working on and says that he MUSN'T stumble, he MUSN'T make a mistake, but he's so tense that he does stumble, he does mess up.
Some are angry and upset by his mistake, while others laugh at him. These bullies tell him that he has no idea who he really is, that he's just a loser.
But he knows who he is, he's found the answer. He's VAN OCCUPANTHER!
They say the world "chews you up and spits you out", so I believe the last few lines are a play on this cliche. The singer wants to runaway from the pain of it all (stay out of sight for a long time)
This is one of my favorite songs, off one of my favorite albums so i really feel like i NEED to find out where they got the name VAN OCCUPANTHER from....Maybe they completely made it up, but i just feel like its a reference. anyone know?
If you listen to Midlake's interview at SoundOpinions.net they discuss how the band came up with the name Van Occupanther.
Basically they all created names on the spot to be goofy when leaving a message etc for one another, and one of them was Van Occupanther.
I think theres a bit of a christ theme here, especially his trials and walking with the cross etc.
U4ia, i agree. that's actually what drew my attention to the song while i was listening to it. especially this part: "Let me not be too consumed with this world Sometimes I want to go home and stay out of sight for a long time" yeah, i don't know if there was a deeper, christ-centered meaning to this song. but that's what i got from it.
I got the feeling he was brewing some kind of elixir that would turn him into a panther, or something, as some means of escapism. Wicked song either way.