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”
Born to be down
I've learned all my lessons before now
Born to be down
I think you'll get used to it
And you just don't get it
You keep it copacetic
And you learn to accept it
You know it's so pathetic
Born to be down
I think that I've said this before now
Born to be down
What good is confidence?
And you just don't get it
You keep it copacetic
And you learn to accept it
You know it's so pathetic
And you don't
I've learned all my lessons before now
Born to be down
I think you'll get used to it
And you just don't get it
You keep it copacetic
And you learn to accept it
You know it's so pathetic
Born to be down
I think that I've said this before now
Born to be down
What good is confidence?
And you just don't get it
You keep it copacetic
And you learn to accept it
You know it's so pathetic
And you don't
Lyrics submitted by ShiverForMe, edited by somewhatodd
Bound for the Floor Lyrics as written by Joseph Daniles David Scott Lucas
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sentric Music
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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.
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.
I guess it's that when you're stuck in a rut you can convince yourself that it's not just a temporary thing, but that it means more. That it's not just now but it will always be like that; you're "born to be down" and don't have much to look forward to because you're not bound for greater things but (as the title puts it) you're "Bound For The Floor". Why aren't other people like you? Are they too stupid, or are they just in denial? When you're down, it's easy to be bitter and call other people pathetic for being better off than you.
This song is about how society and the bureaucracy keep every average person bound for the floor (they're "born to be down.") The normal person has to work their ass off at a shit job for nothing more than a little house they're always paying off and a tv to watch. However, these modern peasents are used to it, and don't do anything about it. The bureacracy has trained them to be happy with this tedious life they are living, and thus they keep it copacetic (completely satisfactory - the dictionary definition) and don't do anything to better their situation.
Right on.
fucking right man, you hit the nail on the head.
theres no point we all learned this lesson b4 now. its so pathetic but shit thats human tragedy you learn to accept it
@MrMojoRisin5552 This is the best interpretation here IMO. It fits every aspect of the song's lyrics and its official video.
@MrMojoRisin5552 True facts.
It seems to me that the singer is talking either to himself or to another person, referred to Persona A from this point on. Persona A says that no matter how much he/she tries, nothing ever changes. The stars will never change, nothing great will ever happen, and that he/she is permanently stuck in his/her life situation. Confidence and hope for a better tomorrow is pointless so he/she becomes "grateful for what I have". Persona A gives up and accepts his/her crappy situation even though deep at heart, Persona A really regrets not having/being something more.
This is the part the singer comes in, referred to Persona B from now on. It is the voice of reason. It is the voice of fight, stubbornness, standing up for your rights, change, hope, and desire. Persona B is telling Persona A, "You gotta be kidding me? You keep going through your menial life and, even though you told me that at one point you used to dream for more, you have been beaten down so many times that you have decided that this is the best you'll ever get? You have decided that you are going to be alright with this crap? You're going to put yourself in denial that you aren't truly happy at heart and pretend that everything is alright? That's so...pathetic." In a way, Persona B is trying to rile up the tiny flicker barely alive in Persona A's soul and ignite it into the flame it once was by constructive criticism.
@missrayne This is true also.
The whole thing WOULD be nice.
Born to be down I've learned all my lessons before now Born to be down I think you'll get used to it
And you just don't get it, you keep it copacetic And you learn to accept it, you know it's so pathetic And you just don't get it, you keep it copacetic And you learn to accept it, you know it's so pathetic
And you don't And you don't And you don't And you don't
Born to be down I think that I've said this before now Born to be down What good is confidence?
And you just don't get it, you keep it copacetic And you learn to accept it, you know it's so pathetic And you just don't get it, you keep it copacetic And you learn to accept it, you know it's so pathetic
And you don't And you don't And you don't And you don't
And you just don't get it, you keep it copacetic And you learn to accept it, you know it's so pathetic And you just don't get it, you keep it copacetic And you learn to accept it, you know it's so pathetic
And you just don't get it, you keep it copacetic And you learn to accept it, you know it's so pathetic And you just don't get it, you keep it copacetic And you learn to accept it, you know it's so pathetic
And you don't And you don't And you don't And you don't
And you don't And you just don't get it, you keep it copacetic And you don't And you learn to accept it, you know it's pathetic And you don't And you just don't get it, you keep it copacetic And you don't And you learn to accept it, you know it's so pathetic
And you just don't get it, you keep it copacetic And you learn to accept it, you know it's so pathetic And you just don't get it, you keep it copacetic And you learn to accept it, you know it's so pathetic
And you just don't get it, you keep it copacetic And you learn to accept it, you know it's so pathetic And you just don't get it, you keep it copacetic And you learn to accept it, you know it's so pathetic
And you don't
@PickSlide Why do you need so much repetition though? Don't be a silly goose.
I think this song is about suffering from depression, as the chorus goes "you just don't get it, you keep it copacetic, and you learn to accept it, you know it's so pathetic" meaning that you don't understand why you feel down, theres no reason behind it but you still feel this way but you keep it all together on the outside (copacetic) and then eventually you accept it for what it is but you feel pathetic for feeling the way you do even though there's nothing you can do to prevent it.
@itzdalbix This is also true.
Basically it's saying what's the point? No matter what you do you're going to fail. You're going to fall short of your goal you're bound for the floor. and everytime you get back up you seem that much more pathetic. so why try? stay on the floor, keep it copasetic. if you dont stand back up then you cant fall back down.
And you just don't get it, [You push the thought into denial] you keep it copacetic [You act like your fine with it] And you learn to accept it, [You try to deal with it the best you can] you know it's so pathetic [You know the truth that you try to hide from yourself]
And you don't [You continue to push it into denial despite the repetitiousness of it and knowing of the pattern for fear and lack of hope] And you don't [You continue to push it into denial despite the repetitiousness of it and knowing of the pattern for fear and lack of hope] And you don't [You continue to push it into denial despite the repetitiousness of it and knowing of the pattern for fear and lack of hope] And you don't [You continue to push it into denial despite the repetitiousness of it and knowing of the pattern for fear and lack of hope]
And you don't [You given up trying to change it, starting to get use to the fate of it]
Born to be down<br /> [Came from a place of little hope and opportunity for your situation]<br /> I've learned all my lessons before now<br /> [Life been hard and you have beard through it in the best way could with faith of hope]<br /> Born to be down<br /> [Came from a place of little hope and opportunity for your situation]<br /> I think you'll get used to it<br /> [You still dream of brighter situations for yourself]<br /> <br /> Born to be down<br /> [Came from a place of little hope and opportunity for your situation]<br /> I think that I've said this before now<br /> [Your tired of feeling sorry for yourself and don't want sympathy from others]<br /> Born to be down<br /> [Came from a place of little hope and opportunity for your situation]<br /> What good is confidence?<br /> [You had the will to do anything it fix it but opportunity to employ it ]<br />
I think this song shows the dual frustrations in growing up with depression in our society today...
You just always feel down and you can't understand why but you just accept it and act like you're okay (perspective of yelling at yourself)...
When you look at all the happy people, they've given in to all the societal norms and are brain-washed by the media and government, they don't notice all the problems with society and that culminates into you being even more depressed (perspective of yelling at society)...
Using the music video as further reasoning for my thinking...
The kids start out in a school playground, even at a young age you just have bad days and feel like shit with depression... And school is the beginning when teachers and parents tell young minds the way things are supposed to be and how you're supposed to act...
They move to the bar, when you grow up you use alcohol to cope so you can feel happy and try to be social... And everyone else cares so much about being popular and trying to fit in, notice how everyone gets the same drink...
At the end the music gets heavier, the kids go to the concert and rock out... Headbanging to a song or dancing like crazy at a concert is a good way to blow off steam and forget about your troubles... We might all be bound for the floor, but the band gets you and gives you an outlet to relieve some stress...
HELP ME!!! WHAT DOES IT MEAN?!?!
The song is so monotonous and tedious, yet addicting & catchy. It reaks of tangieness and is dripping wet with spiteful... pained lyrics... i do think the song is about a dying relationship.. not necessarily a romance, or dating problems. While that is very possible... i believe the problem is faced with an association, or group. Maby just a single person. Does anybody know much about this?
In this song I believe he is talking to himself. The verses are the side of him saying he doesn't deserve better and is 'born to be down.' The chorus is the other side of him saying he deserves better, but he keeps it (life, relationship, etc) copacetic (satisfactory). He has accepted the situation and feels pathetic because he isn't doing anything about it. The 'born to be down' side of him 'just doesn't get it.'