i love this song! Tears for Fears could be the best thing to have ever happened.

hey we all have our problums, where we are just head over heels to fix it, well thats what the song is talking about!!!

i love this song. i first heard it in donnie darko, what a great movie.

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On Donnie Darko Soundtrack!

donnie darko is a great great movie and the sequence that this song is used for is possibly my favorite of any movie. this song fits perfect with the method the director used. it's a fun song too. haha.

hells yeah!
Donnie Darko is one of my favorite movies and the soundtrack is amazing :)

I LOVE DONNIE DARKO AND JAKE GYLLENHAAL

jesus christ whatever happened to talking about the actual song?

I still have no idea what this song means... all I can think of is that this person falls for another person when it's too late or realizes that the relationship isn't going anywhere.

these lyrics are wrong: correction:

you keeps your distance with a system of touch

not much, but i just noticed it. thank you

No, I'm pretty sure it is VIA system of touch. Well, who knows. I love this song! Its awsome and I recomend Donnie Darko to everyone who exists.
I like the bass in the song and the piano fits the mood of the song. Great song. It makes me think that I need to listen to more Teaar For Fears.

donnie darko = best movie ever

Yes

Donnie Darko was brilliant. All the songs were awesome. I cant remember a movie better put together. Also a cover version of Mad World was also great. I remember first hearing this song when I was 15 (1989) and thinking that it was my life. Especially " and dreaming im a doctor bit".

i absolutely love this song and was quite excited when it started playing during donnie darko...the best movie seen in a very long time

-.- yes we get it, i too loved that movie. but this isnt talkaboutagreatmoviethatthissongwasin.net now is it?

the song is about the illusion of love that comes from someone that one ABSOLUTLY FALLS for.

"you keep your distance via the system of touch"
shes a physical kinda girl, but that leave much to be desired on the emotional level.

This song is amazing. The part where it is played in "Donnie Darko" is one of the best film sequences I have ever seen. "Donnie Darko" is definately an example of cinematic excellence. Too bad it's only just getting the recognition it deserves.

it was in donnie darko, enough said

You know, this song did exist before Donnie Darko. It's a great song; tears for fears were ages ahead of their time. I also recomend mad world and woman in chains.

I LOVE THIS SONG BECAUSE IT REMINDS ME OF THE BEST MOVIE AND ACTOR EVER!!!!! DONNIE DARKO/ JAKE GYLLENHAAL :-* :-* :-*

I'm sick of seeing posts about Donnie Darko. Yeah sure, it was a great movie, now shut up and talk about the song.

I think this song is about how little we know about ourselves, he is confused about why he even falls for the person, I'm sure we've all had those confused feelings for someone at some point. He doesn't say why he becomes head over heels, because it just happens, it's intuitive. I can't really account for the 2nd verse talking about "gun in your hand", but whenever I hear it, I keep thinking he says "knot in your heart", which also makes more sense considering he's talking about being head over heels in love. It would make more sense because there is confusion as to why he likes the girl in the first place, for she has "no ambition".

It's murky, he doesn't understand why he likes her so much, yet he wants to see where it will lead, and it seems as though she's just going to throw it away because she’s not interested, or doesn't care etc. It's about the whole "guy likes girl" but "girl doesn’t like guy" dilemma (or vice-versa). The “four-leaf clover” is him putting it all down to luck, just hoping that it works out, even though they are so different.

That's my say

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donnie darko was crap, the best bit in that entire film is at the bus stop where he says 'GO BACK TO CHINA', pissed myself at that.

why is the ending never on the lyrics for this song

'and in my minds eye, one little boy one little man, funny how time flies.'

the song seems to be about unrequited love, but then something happens and im head over heels, could be like, and then the love isnt so unrequited afterall, and they get together and have lots of babies, one little boy one little man funny how time flies, in the video at this roland is a old guy with the librarian from the rest of the video as his maid.

I thank Schr4 & Jack for actually commenting on this song... i just wanted to point out that all love songs are along the genre of *i like you, why don't you like me/why won't this work out* ...its the very nature of love songs....someone gets to you, your infatuation is so deep that it moves you, even to the point of being flipped right-side down (as suggested by the title). I really don't know what to think about this song, all i can say is whenever i hear the beginning played, it hits me very well.

wow praise, i feel honoured. yeah the beginning gets me also, its on at work quite a lot, i just hear them piano notes and im singin away, regardless of customers hehe.

I love this song, it's one of my favorite 80's songs. I think tears for fears is very underrated. Anyway on to the meaning of the song.

I can relate to this song a lot. I think we all can. We have all found ourselves in relationship where we think what are we doing and find ourselves over our heads. I believe the song is also about growing up when you are not quite ready to do so.

My interpretation of the song is that they are both immature, hence they are getting these feelings and they dont' know how to interpret them. I think the girl in question has a hard time opening up, he is looking for something serious but even he is not sure about his feelings. To be a little more specific I'll break down each stanza.

"I wanted to be with you alone
And talk about the weather
But traditions I can trace against the child in your face Won't escape my attention " - The women in question has a hard time getting over her past something is holding her back, he sees something there, something that is blocking him from getting closer to her.

"You keep your distance via the system of touch
And gentle persuasion
I'm lost in admiration could I need you this much
Oh you're wasting my time
You're just wasting time" - He's confused because although they have a physical connection the fact that he can't get any closer to her leads him to believe he's possibly wasting his time and will only lead to him getting his feelings hurt. They basically have a physical relationship but an empty emotional one.

"Something happens and I'm head over heels
I never find out until I'm head over heels
Something happens and I'm head over heels
Ah don't take my heart
Don't break my heart
Don't throw it away. "- He doesn't know why he's getting feeligs, he can't explain it, he feels he shouldn't because it's only a common physical attraction with no emotional ties, he's scared to get his heart broken if he gets attached.

"I made a fire and watching it burn
Thought of your future
With one foot in the past now just how long will it last
No no no have you no ambition
My mother and my brothers used to breathing clean air
And dreaming I'm a doctor
It's hard to be man when there's a gun in your hand
Oh I feel so... "
-This is probably the most confusing section of the song. And probably the section that can be interpreted many ways. I think he is hinting that the girl in question has a hard time getting away from what her parents want her to be or maybe she has some past issues holding her back. In any case I think he is comparing her situation to his situation where his parents wanted him to be a doctor. He felt pressured to be what his parents wanted him to be but at some point he made a decision he was going to live his life his way. I think he is telling her to get over whatever past issues and just grow up and make some choices. At the same he admits that is hard to get past what your parents and family want you to be, and that it is hard to get over your past hence "its hard to be a man when there's a gun in your hand", I think in the line he is making a metaphor. At one time men use to pass down their guns to their sons. I think he is trying to say in this line that it's hard to get past the expectations of your parents or family when they put pressure on you. Just my interpretation.

"And it's my four leaf clover
I'm on the line, one open mind
This is my four leaf clover."

-He's saying I'm going to take the chance, whatever happens happens, I'm going to follow my heart and take the chance of gettin hurt.


There are also lines that can be heard in the back, something about hard to make choices when your acting young. This part never gets put in any of the lyric translations I have seen, anyway whoever figures that part out please post, I think it will reveal a lot about the meaning of the song.

Thank you! somebody actually talked about the SONgG and not Donnie Darko. Would you people shut up and remember what website you're at? Geez.