when it should learn to speak before it melts away
and thus express that each have words no one else will say

i have been floated to this thought this hour
on a series of events i cannot explain
gather your wit, your will, your luck, your power
that what it would effect that will not remain

a light shines through a little hole the hole's inside somewhere
the spiracle's obedience it is true, i swear

i have been floated to this thought this hour
on a series of events i cannot explain
gather your with, your will, your luck, your power
that what it would effect that will not remain

if one claims to know the way let fashion be his bride
and more akin to welcome in to being forced inside



Lyrics submitted by weezerific:cutlery

Track duration: 03:40


I Have Been Floated song meanings
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14 Comments

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  • +1
    General Comment:It's about causal determinism. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/…

    As others have referenced, the chorus is obviously a reference to an essay by Emerson, which says:

    "What am I? What has my will done to make me that I am? Nothing. I have been floated into this thought, this hour, this connection of events, by
    secret currents of might and mind, and my ingenuity and wilfulness
    have not thwarted, have not aided to an appreciable degree."

    Everyone's actions are just determined by their genes and environment. Everything that exists and happens today only does so because it was caused by something else, tracing all the way back to the beginning of the universe. We have all been "floated" to our current lives by a particular "series of events", free will is an illusion.
    Flag wnk1111on October 12, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:nice.
    Flag ayeyaitsmeon November 05, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This song now gives me goosebumps. It is written so beautifully and while I do not attempt to deny it, help from Emerson be damned!

    When put together in paragraph form, it really is amazing how much beauty it retains while taking on a wholly different thing altogether. Beautiful songwriting and beautiful writing are different things, I believe. This song is both.

    And it is true. I've been floated my whole life...
    Flag NotThereYeton February 02, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Good call alanana.
    If one wants to explore the essay for themselves, here's a link:
    emersoncentral.com/…
    Flag mrpiddleson December 30, 2008   Link
  • +2
    General Comment:There's a passage in Ralph Waldo Emerson's "Intellect" that I just came across that sounds like this song's chorus. The song is probably about/based on ideas in the essay because they seem a little too close to be coincidental.

    The passage goes "I have been floated into this thought, this hour, this connection of events, by secret currents of might and mind..."

    The quote relates to how Emerson believes that if people use their mind and examine what goes on around them, then what happens to them won't be surprising. If one doesn't use their intellect they won't understand why things unfold the way they do and thus they "will have been floated" into their situation.
    Flag alananaon October 31, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:mangum shows up at xactly 1:28 and thats when i fell in love with the song
    Flag clashcityrocker9on June 30, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This and Love Athena are my favorite Olivia Tremor Control.
    Its brilliant and just that Jeff Mangum is in it made it 10 times better for me.
    Flag LuckIsAMetaphoron June 12, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:uh.... its about acid. everybody knows thaat.


    (and a good hint for your future otc experiences; theyre all about lsd, generally speaking)
    Flag choke_saveon May 15, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:i thought that sounded like jeff! this song is awsome.
    Flag Lucanioon May 14, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Superb song. I'm guessing it's about dreams, or something along those lines (given the general theme of Black Foliege).
    Flag Snapmanon December 21, 2005   Link

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