No news that's good news,
Someone's gonna break.
See things change,
I've been changing everything.
It's peaceful,
The pitch black,
When the last light on goes out.

I'm stranded in my bed,
So I think about the bad luck,
The bad blood,
That may have come between two good souls.
That's one hell of an offering,

So take these gifts that have been given.
And ended up with an alphabet but some words are too wrong to define.
Now the whole world is waking up.
A ribbon cut for the opening.
We all do that day we're arrived.

Up all night,
All upset,
Outside's growing light.
No breakfast,

Just not much of an appetite.
So be cool and believe in the things you haven't learned
Because you lost and its gone but it will return.
Now it's all laid out in front of you and that's half murdered the mystery.
Are you still too shy to describe?

Now the whole world is waking up,
A ribbon cut for the opening.
Yes, finally the day has arrived.
So seek and rejoice,
Fill your hands with something tangible and fly your love like a flag.

It's joy,
The desire for that which is impossible,
And accept what you get with a smile.



Lyrics submitted by ruben

Track duration: 04:40

"Bad Blood" as written by Oberst/lavalle

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Bad Blood song meanings
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29 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:“No news that's good news,
    Someone's gonna break.
    See things change,
    I've been changing everything.
    It's peaceful,
    The pitch black,
    When the last light on goes out.”

    “I'm stranded in my bed,
    So I think about the bad luck,
    The bad blood,
    That may have come between two good souls.
    That's one hell of an offering”

    I think this is an answer to someone asking how you are, after a break up.

    “So take these gifts that have been given, yes
    And ended up with an alphabet
    But some words are too wrong to define
    Now the whole world is waking up
    A ribbon cut for the opening
    Yeah, we all knew that day would arrive”

    I think he is saying, take these gifts, including the “offering” described in the earlier stanzas, and you will have everything. Just as the alphabet is every word that exists, he had given his ex everything that he cared about. Then, I think he says that even though I gave you everything—sometimes giving everything isn’t enough. I think the lines about the world waking, and the ribbon cutting, are about being single again, maybe? And he says “we all knew this day would arrive”, which I took to mean that, whatever it was that made them break up, was noticed long before the breakup happened.

    “Up all night, all upset, outside's growing light
    No breakfast, just not much of an appetite
    So be cool and believe in the things you haven't learned
    'Cause you've lost and it's gone but it will return”

    Now, I think this may be the other side of the breakup, maybe? I think it sounds like the person is obviously upset with the breakup, but they seem more optimistic. “So be cool and believe in the things you haven't learned,”—it is my favorite btw. I think it’s related to a bad breakup because, when you just had a bad break up, you have to continually believe that things will get better, even though your logic at the time is trying to convince you that it won’t.


    Now it's all laid out in front of you
    And maps have murdered the mystery
    Are you still too shy to describe?
    Now the whole world is waking up
    A ribbon cut for the opening
    Yes, finally the day has arrived”

    This seems to me to just continue the optimistic view of the breakup. I think the first two lines are saying that now that the person is single they have all these options for happiness, and hopefully the maps they had made in earlier relationships will get rid of any uncertainty there may be when deciding which option to choose. Then, I think the third line re-introduces uncertainty.

    “So receive (the good news) and rejoice (yeah, let's sing)
    Fill your hands with something tangible
    And fly your love like a flag
    And destroy the desire for that which is impossible
    and accept what you get with a smile”

    This is the motto of the song I think.("Fill your hands with something tangible" is pretty cool. I think he means occupy yourself with someone you can love, instead of occupying yourself with things like desire or lust or something) The last bit is kinda like a, get back up on the horse, and be happy about it, because it’s the only option we have, type of thing.
    Flag random111on March 14, 2013   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:I think you guys are taking the meaning too far. I think that this song is about two people who are trying to be in a relationship, but something they can't control is in the way of it really working. These two people think they really love each other, and I think Conor uses "Bad Blood" as a way to say the situations bad. I think this is in one of the two people's point of view, and I think the person telling the story is tired of trying. They mention how they've been changing and how things have chnaged. I think this song is about anything that a person wants so much, but there is something in the way. Something is holding them back, and they are just tired of trying. "The whole world is waking up a ribbon cut for the opening, yeah we all knew this day would arrive."
    Flag BurningInYourHearton October 19, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This song is oh-so precious to me. The lyrics are wrong though:

    No news, that's good news, but some more's gonna break
    See, things change, yeah, I've been changing every day
    It's peaceful, the pitch black when the last light on goes out
    I'm stranded in my bed, so I think about the bad luck
    The bad blood that may have come between two good souls
    That's one hell of an offering
    So take these gifts that have been given, yes
    And ended up with an alphabet
    But some words are too wrong to define
    Now the whole world is waking up
    A ribbon cut for the opening
    Yeah, we all knew that day would arrive

    Up all night, all upset, outside's growing light
    No breakfast, just not much of an appetite
    So be cool and believe in the things you haven't learned
    'Cause you've lost and it's gone but it will return
    Now it's all laid out in front of you
    And maps have murdered the mystery
    Are you still too shy to describe?
    Now the whole world is waking up
    A ribbon cut for the opening
    Yes, finally the day has arrived
    So receive (the good news) and rejoice (yeah, let's sing)
    Fill your hands with something tangible
    And fly your love like a flag
    And destroy the desire for that which is impossible
    And accept what you get with a smile
    Flag justletgoandbeLIFTEDon July 17, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:"And destroy the desire for that which is impossible
    And accept what you get with a smile"

    that line just blows me away
    Flag jessikajuiceboxxxon March 03, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think it's probably about more than one thing, but the main concept its dealing with bad news and things you can't change. The HIV idea is a very good example.
    Flag hendrixroxon February 10, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:this song is about someone finding out that they are HIV positive.


    bad blood
    the world is waking up
    ribbons cut for charity
    no appetite, etc

    the end of the song is about trying to be happy with what you have left, even though whats lost cant be repaired
    Flag blackmajik2021on January 27, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:and language just happened it was never planned and its inadequete to describe where i am
    Flag welcometohellon May 18, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This song is talking about language. And how we cannot truely express our natural feeling because everyfeeling is tied to a word, which ultimatley degrades the true feeling.

    Hear me out.
    "Now the whole world, is waking up, a ribbon cut for the opening, yeah we all knew that day, would arrive"
    That's referring to us evolving and getting smarter as species, learning to speak.
    "So take these gifts that have been given, yes
    And ended up with an alphabet but some words are too wrong to define"
    First off I think "wrong", is the wrong word. It seems like it's long.
    The gifts are all the time and evolution that took place before us giving us language. However, that alphabet only goes so far, some feelings, words don't match, eventually it anchors us, giving us a limited swimming area.
    Also, these are what I think are correct lyrics.

    Now it's all laid out in front of you and maps have murdered the mystery
    Are you still too shy to describe?
    Now the whole world is waking up, a ribbon cut for the opening
    Yes, finally the day has arrived
    So receive, the good news, And rejoice, ????,
    Fill your hands with something tangible and fly your love like a flag
    And destroy, alphabet, the desire, appetite, for that which is impossible
    And accept what you get with a smile

    The map reference is on language. When something happens, we automatically linking that emotion to a word, destroying the mystery of some vague off-centered feeling words limit us from.

    Ok and here is where Conor just amazes me once again...
    "And destroy, alphabet, the desire, appetite, for that which is impossible
    And accept what you get with a smile"
    There is so much to this.
    He's saying destroy the language that limits our feeling. Alphabet is language.
    Then he says while still under the word destroy, appetite. By this he means our wanting to explain and match words to incoherent and undescribable feeling and emotions. Then he goes on to tell us to just accept it, naturally. Just let it hit you however it may.

    Fucking genius
    Flag bullet for bushon January 29, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Uh I love this song, but these lyrics are wrong. People, look in the Noise Floor booklet for the lyrics!
    Flag miriamleamanon January 04, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I do not think I am right but it feels like when i got drunk and made out with my best friend and i did not want my girlfriend to know and i couldent eat for three days and everythign seemed bad but the feeling seemed to lift and you get into a bit of dispare like saying to yourself in your head "your in a relationship you dont want to be in and you are passing up all tht you want"
    very good song, amazing in fact.
    bright eyes are one of the only good bands ATM
    everyone who hates bright eyes should be gathered up and destroyed
    Flag one-last-sunriseon January 03, 2008   Link

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