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”
Surely there is
No substitute
For company
My mom's ripping
Off her hands
One flake at a time
All her children left the house
And left her all alone
But just like she'd tell me
Things get better
Just wait
And you'll see
take one day at a time
Everything else you can leave behind
Only one thing at a time
Anything more really hurts your mind
I don't want for us to
Take pills
Anymore
Not that it's bad
I don't want for us to take pills
Because we're stronger
And we don't need them
No substitute
For company
My mom's ripping
Off her hands
One flake at a time
All her children left the house
And left her all alone
But just like she'd tell me
Things get better
Just wait
And you'll see
take one day at a time
Everything else you can leave behind
Only one thing at a time
Anything more really hurts your mind
I don't want for us to
Take pills
Anymore
Not that it's bad
I don't want for us to take pills
Because we're stronger
And we don't need them
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
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Little Feat
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
I think this song is about how his mother dealt with his father dying, and I'm surprised that no-one has really mentioned it. The focus seems to have been on prescription medicine. The first verse is quite muted, with his singing almost obscured, and describes the grief his mother felt (my mom's ripping off her hands/one flake at a time) and the advice she gave him when he was young and she was still strong.
The second verse is then suddenly happier and bouncier, as Panda Bear recites back to his mother the advice she gave him. He's suddenly the man in his family, and can't rely on his mother for strength - this strength and positivity has to come from within himself. Strength, positivity, and the growing up he had to do after his father died again appears on 'My Girls'. He's older now, he has a wife and kids, and these are his only concerns. He's had to grow up, and his father's death ('on my father's grave') is a major cause of this. 'Take Pills' is the start of this process. He has his period of grief, but then comes out of it stronger.
It sounds like Panda Bear is giving his own prescription. For happiness!
Rx Take one: Day at a time
@lastdinosaur perfect.
kait1233... another band that comes to mind is obviously Animal Collective.
If you know Panda Bear, then you probably know who Animal Collective are (Panda Bear is an offshoot project by Noah Lennox of AC). If you don't know who they are then def check them out. Feels is a great album, esp Grass, Purple Bottle, Banshee Beat and Loch Raven.
Any other examples out there?
I don't think so. Animal are pretty unique. And I love this song, now that I've read the lyrics I love it even more. A lot more. Lennox is a genius, definitely.
pitchforkmedia.com/article/feature/41637-please-mr-pharmacist
Getting back to bands that sound similar to Panda/AC... or at least a similar genre I think would be:
Yeasayer Atlas Sound Black Dice Deerhunter Dan Deacon
Those are the closest you can get, of course they don't bear the same effect upon listening that Feels or Merriweather Post Pavillion do, but they are all wonderful artists.
switch "anything more really hurts your mind" with "everything else you can leave behind" and it looks really good to me, thanks!
Right, I think Panda Bear had posted them in the wrong order.
I like how the mood is really like 60s good time pool party but the subject matter is so honest and uncommon. I could never go on antidepressants, and things DO get better with time. if you try.
Everything written by Panda Bear is simply amazing. I love this song, especially the second half:
take one day at a time everything else you can leave behind only one thing at a time anything more really hurts your mind i don't want for us to take pills anymore not that it's bad i don't want for us to take pills because we're stronger and we don't need them
But fuck, wow, amazing. Are there any other bands out there with a similar sound to Panda Bear?
Animal Collective on Feels sometimes sound like a slightly more palatable or poppy or more listenable early Mercury Rev. Yerself Is Steam and Boces, both equally brilliant albums, just as weird, but occasionally a little too much ear-shredding white noise in places which detract from what could have been pretty good tunes. Nevertheless there's definitely a link between these and Feels.<br /> <br />