Jimmy Eat World – Sweetness

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  General Comment:man, he sings about drugs a lot. is he a drug addict? i wonder how he had such easy access. :)

  Flag willowhazelon July 19, 2012   Link

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  General Comment:It's about a girl playing sweet for attention and stringing him along and fucking with his head.

  Flag etherizedon March 20, 2012   Link

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  My Interpretation:To me this song could mean lots of things but i like to think of it as someone falling in love.
  
  "If you're listening/ sing it back, woah" He's getting ready to tell his story and he knows someone out there will listen and understand.
  
  "String from your tether unwinds" This could refer to a lot of people's tether to reality or, in this case more likely, his dependency (tether) on drugs to escape his harsh reality.
  
  "Up and outward to bind" Means he found something else to ease him. Something else to bind to. I imagine someone lifting their arm and reaching out to wrap it around someone's shoulder.
  
  "I was spinning free, woah" He was feeling freed of his dependency or reality, sort of spinning out of control, a feeling he hadn't felt in a while. (also note he says "was", hinting and foreshadowing that something went wrong and he is no longer "spinning free")
  
  "With a little sweet and simple numbing me" He knows his reality is still there but no matter what happens, this girl makes it all okay, "numbing" him. Admittedly sweeter and simpler than drugs.
  
  "Are you listening?/ sing it back, woah" He's making sure he still has your attention because this is where the story changes.
  
  "Tell me what do I need" He feels something is missing or he feels inadequate. "When words lose their meaning" maybe they are fighting and one person isn't understanding the other. They are falling apart.
  
  "Stumble till you crawl" This could be metaphorical as in he is crawling back into his old addiction or he is falling back into reality and his understanding that the world is ultimately bitter.
  
  "Slipping into sweet uncertainty" He is going back to the uncertainty he used to know and is used to (drug high). Our if he is not on drugs, then he is unsure of what he is going to do with out her and is returning to the familiar uncertainty of reality.
  
  Then the bridge he repeats "are you listening" which kind of symbolizes time lapse. Then in the last verse he says "if you're listening sing it back." Basically just asking if you are listening.
  
  "I'm still running away" Even after every thing that happened he is still running from reality and his feelings. (notice now he is speaking present tense)
  
  "Won't play your hide and seek games" He is talking about life and how he would try to hide from reality and could never find happiness.
  
  He repeats the chorus, now "was" is completely past tense.
  
  "what a dizzy dance" he is reflecting on his story and ultimately find humor in it that's why he calls it a dance.
  
  "The sweetness will not be concerned with me." The sweetness is happiness. Happiness is not concerned with him.
  I understand this interpretation might be far-fetched and they probably didn't intend that much meaning behind the lyrics but this is the way I like to think of the song.

  Flag SquiggleMashon February 09, 2012   Link

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    I think you did an awesome job explaining it. Great song too. :)

    Flag bellababyon February 09, 2012  
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  General Comment:Its about drugs
  

  Flag tacoman15on December 20, 2011   Link

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  General Comment:I have to agree with purplethunder on this one. Totally about cupcakes. (mmmm... cupcakes)

  Flag gaijinon December 14, 2011   Link

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  My Opinion:This song is obviously about cupcakes.

  Flagged purplethunderon November 25, 2011   Link

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  General Comment:Seems to me that it is about being a child. I can see how people would think its about drugs "with a little sweet and simple numbing me" but I believe this refers to the sweet simplicity of childhood. "Tell me what do I need" could represent the childlike tendency to be lost and confused and desiring simplicity as one gets older. "I was spinning free" refers to the act of spinning in circles, something we have all done as children but I doubt have done as adults or even teenagers. Plus this has often been jokingly referred to as the first legal high someone can get so ya I see how it can be taken as drugs, especially as he says "stumble till you fall". The reason why I say childhood spinning also stems from the "won't play your hide and seek game" as the speaker won't partake in the other childlike game as he wishes to simply be free and alone. He finds it simple and does not wish to think and be concerned with others. Furthermore, child often lack a voice that is truly heard so the "are you listening" can be a reference to that, while the "sing it back woah oh oh oh oh oh" can refer back to the simplicity of childhood as they just want everyone to sing/get along, also as children shows have a lot of singing and dancing (which to many children is spinning in circles).

  Flag ANTHONYwasnthereon October 30, 2011   Link

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  My Interpretation:this song is so obviously about drugs i cant believe people are denying it.
  although, its not specifically about drugs, its just about going through personal issues and whatever and in the end turning to drugs or alcohol or whatever else to numb the pain of living, to escape from your personal problems.
  the last lines of the song sums it up perfectly.

  Flag l8rmimoon October 08, 2011   Link

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  General Comment:I think it's about the band dedicating their lives to music and they way it makes them feel. Dealing with all the uncertainty of whether or not they'll make it, all the hard work and, draining days that go into it just go away in that one moment when their performing a song and all of it comes together.

  Flag EamonJGodon September 24, 2011   Link

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• +1
  My Interpretation:
  To me, this song sounds alot like a guy who is in love with a girl who doesn't love him back, but he trying to get her to.
  In the opening lines:
  "If you're listening, whoa.
  Sing it back, whoa."
  It sounds like he is trying to get her to hear hime out and give him a chance. All he wants is for her to say it back.
  
  "String from your tether unwinds (string from your tether unwinds), whoa, whoa,
  Up and outward to bind (up and outward to bind), whoa, whoa."
  Here, it's almost as if, what he is seeing, or even thinking in his own mind, is that, her life is going fall apart or shes going to get hurt by someone and he wants to save her and protect her.
  
  
  "I was spinning free, whoa,
  With a little sweet and simple numbing me."
  But then he realizes that it's all in his head, he was so in love that he got crazy. He took a sweet simple girl and the love numbed his perception of reality.
  
  "So tell me what do I need (tell me what do I need), whoa, whoa.
  When words lose their meaning (when words lose their meaning), whoa, whoa."
  If she keeps rejecting him, he will give up, he just wants to know what he needs to do to prove himself worthy of her time.
  
  "Stumble till you crawl, whoa.
  Sinking into sweet uncertainty. (oooh)"
  Maybe he sees her (In his mind) at a party, drinking heavily and he's worried she'll end up sleeping with somone she'll regret.
  
  "I'm still running away, I'm still running away,
  I won't play your hide and seek games, your hide and seek games... whoa, whoa."
  Trying to run away from the thoughts (or her) and he's tired of being forced to hide his feelings for her.
  
  "What a dizzy dance, whoa.
  The sweetness will not be concerned with me.
  No, the sweetness will not be concerned with me.
  No, the sweetness will not be concerned with me."
  He sees that she'll never beable love him, or be as concerned for him as he is for her.
  
  These are just my thoughs... I know how this is. But it's a song, it's meant to have a different meaning to everyone.

  Flag Reaper139369on September 16, 2011   Link

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