Metric – Grow Up and Blow Away

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  General Comment:So what's the story behind the kid at the beginning? Who is he?

  Flag MartyHon June 15, 2013   Link

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  Song Meaning:If you focus on the name of the song the meaning becomes more clear: Grow Up and Blow Away. It's about growing up, your childhood dreams of what being an adult will be like (blue) and how they actually turn out (grey). The reality of adulthood is disappointing (from the womb to the holiday, there is no holiday). The rest of the lyrics are just an example of one couple. He wants a family but has turned to drugs & drinking. She's a writer who pours her soul into her work (writing in blood) and has no time to help him or cheer him up. Their life sometimes doesn't seem worth living (why does it feel so good to die today). Their early dreams have just blown away.

  Flag Torqueon April 08, 2013   Link

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  General Comment:In my view, as with many Metric songs, this one is also about musicians, originality, fame, writing, and trying to get an act together. I don't think there's a pregnancy involved here at all. They were born to play with each other (two by two, from the womb). "To the holiday there is no holiday" - they lead a life of party and entertainment. I don't think it's "from the womb to the holiday" as that means nothing.
  
  There was fame ("life") but like many musicians, as they age, they "blow away" as they get consumed by drugs, alcohol, and depression, they feel like dying. She's diving in bars and both are trying to write and feel inspired. She's writing "in blood" due to her depression, drinking, he's deep in "mud" and he is thinking starting a family might stabilize his life. She doesn't think family is an answer, she wants to keep writing. They should be helping each other out. She needs drugs for depression ("his drugs"), he needs help getting out of typical rockstar controversy (a shovel for the mud). Ultimately, the song leaves these musicians in this state, they were "blue" but are now "grey." They have lost their luster.

  Flag elsonidoon March 08, 2011   Link

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  Song Meaning:I think it's about an unwanted pregnancy,
  they don't know what to do with their lives now.
  he wants to have the baby, but she doesn't.
  
  "nobody knows which street to take
  he took the easy way
  what was the easy way"
  they want to go the easy way, but don't know what the easiest decision is: raising the child, giving him for adoption or aborting
  
  "if this is the life
  why does it feel
  so good to die today"
  they know that the real life is about having a baby, making decisions and such. but it is so much that they feel like they want to die
  
  "blue to grey,
  grow up and blow away"
  about how their happy lives have turned to grey and suddenly they have to grow up and start a family

  Flag colormylife22on January 23, 2011   Link

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  My Interpretation:I really love this song, even though its years old it has this.. thing to it. Quite an emotional piece, lots of mixed feelings in it.
  
  I think it's about a young couple, maybe just married or living together.
  The first stanza shows this through "Floating the rent two by two". Their first rent, and they're working hard to keep it floating (Healthy).
  Then you have the lines "From the womb to the holiday" - this could be a metaphor of their life, Quickly passing by. They were born, and all of a sudden they're all grown up, ready for a holiday.
  However ironically the next line states "There is no holiday". This can be linked back to the title "Grow up and blow away." They grew up from little kids to adults, expecting a good life as they mature and start a family but to their realisation, "there is no holiday"
  
  "first double-cross her heart" could mean that although they just got together he has already asked her something big. The placement of first is like.. an exaggeration for her. Like omg that's the first thing he does. You know ? LOL
  
  He wants to start a family. "HE". This is most likely her POV now. Obviously by the way the persona refers to him, that girl doesnt want to start a family. His sole reason for introducing the idea of a family is "Needing something to go on." This could be a sign that the relationship is going nowhere, and to him, starting a family is like a desperate measure to keep the relationship alive "Something to go on."
  
  The next stanza reinforces the previous ideas. We are faced with characterisation as the two people in the relationship are built up through their issues. "If she weren't writing in blood" - She's got her own issues, rather drastic issues through the use of blood. Is she suffering from depression ? is it because of him ?
  Then we see whats wrong with him " If he were not knee deep in mud" - could mean that he is in a money issue. Maybe they can't pay their rent after all. "He'd bring her his drugs" we are hinted that it could be because he is an alcoholic or drug addict, where the money is going. "He'd get her a typewriter" - "She'd bring him her jokes". It seems that the girl could have an interest in writing, jokes, possibly a comedian or comic author. They are both dwelling in their own problems, unable to take part in each other like a proper relationship should be. Their situations are further linked figuratively by the rhyming in that stanza.
  
  "If this is the life, why does it feel so good to die today."
  The first motif (Idea) to be repeated over and over. Their relationship is in turmoil. They are both suffering and trying (if at all) to fix their problems to no avail. The song then becomes very depressing at this point onwards, after we hear the words "Die today.."
  Blue to gray, they were born into a happy blue world, and as they grow older, everything becomes gray and boring. No more happiness, no holiday. More responsibilities = more dullness, less bright colour.
  
  Next stanza
  "Nobody knows which street to take, he took the easy way"
  Him ? This could be going on about the choices he had to make to get to this situation. He didnt know which street/path to take, unfortunately he took the easy way cos it was easy.
  "What was the easy way ?"
  Rhetorical question puts emphasis on the situation he has gotten himself into. like.. see what he's done ? he was lazy and chose the easy path into this relationship and what has it gotten him into ? what was the easy way ?.. sorta like that. ;D
  Again the idea of starting a family is raised, she finally tells him that "She always though she would not." Possibly because she doesn't want to be burdened down by children too soon into the relationship. She isn't ready. He's rushing into things emotionally. Which isn't good.
  
  If we keep going all the way down the next few blocks, we find the line "Her body is the baby".
  That line is very subtle, hidden amongst the chorus. It could be like an exaggeration made under her breath, or the persona. Her body is the baby. It hits you. Thats what she thinks of starting a family. It is like.. a dread. The image of her body being the baby.. the idea ?
  This could go as far as to show that he might have insulted her by raising the idea of starting a family.
  
  Anyways in conclusion, i think this song is about a young couple, entering the world of adults as they start their own relationship and ponder on the ideas of starting a family. They went into the world expecting a holiday, something blue like in their childhood, but life is hard, and they are faced with gray decisions as they experience their own issues inside and outside the relationship.
  
  The song is awesome, really nicely done with her voice and the instruments and song structure... Emily haines voice is just, amazing. Idk who wrote this song, but its.. really moving. Somewhat depressing yet, it just reveals so much through one couples short struggle.
  
  My favourite lines :
  "Blue to gray, grow up and blow away" and "Nobody knows which street to take, he took the easy way what was the easy way."
  
  The above was MY interpretation. Not necessarily what the song actually means.
  
  ;D
  
  

  Flag roloS2on October 11, 2010   Link

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  My Interpretation:Well here's what I get from the song. Its a couple who got together early in their life (high school, college). They had great dreams for what they wanted in life but they wanted to be together so it held them back from everything else they had in mind. He said he wanted a family probably just for the sake of "leaving behind" something made by him on earth. While she had never really thought about it, but she agrees because she loves him. Everything else they wanted is gone.
  
  Then they get older and depressed and develop ways to cope with their lost dreams. Random guess would be shes self mutilating ("writing in blood") and hes into drugs alcohol whatever ("new liver" for him). They both still love each other and want to help the other out of the hole dug for themselves (she wants to give him a new liver he wants to give her a typewriter) but they're so drowned out in their sorrows, so far gone they can't even help themselves (the whole "if she weren't" "if he weren't" part is what makes me think that).
  
  A couple of random things I felt from this song because I've developed a really clear vision of the story for myself is she must have wanted to be a writer (the typewriter is where I got that from) and since there's no mention of a kid and they seem pretty downhill I'm gonna guess they couldn't even have a kid. Nothing in their life worked out the way they wanted even their huge compromise to be with each other.
  
  And lastly.... I love this song!

  Flag slammed234on May 07, 2010   Link

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  General Comment:I think that this song is about a girl who has had a boyfriend that has been involved in drugs and issues of that sort. Why else would it say something about bring him jokes and a new liver? Jokes symbolising their happy relationship and how he thought she had a good sense of humor and brought him happiness, but now, he is "knee deep in mud" and having some down trouble that he is stuck in and she needs to "bring him a shovel for the mud". then it continues to say that he would bring her his drugs. he wouldn't be able to bring her his drus if he is being treated for drug abuse. he wouldn't heve any.
  
  Then it goes on to say something about he wans to start a family needing something to go on. that would be his excuses when getting out of treatment of what ever to get back with her. heJIm knowning that she wants a family and him commiting to it. Her being in this cylce of wanting the american dream is ruinned by this man who wants nothing more than what she wants;a happy home and family. But she fears what he has put her through and what his drug history and his intentions might be and ricking the whole idea of her world in her idea to him. "if this is the life", reffering to the life of being with this man that she loves and would give a liver to, and having babies and a happy family with. "why does it feel so good to die today", reffering to the fear of future and history and uncertainty of this man that has gotten her into so much trouble before. "Blue to grey", reffering to bipolar disorder, if you have ever read the book impulse, when she is extremly depressed, she "swims in blue" then when she is dully drfting from day to day on meications, she is dwelling in grey. Which could also refer to drugs earlier mentioned in the song being mind numbing meds.
  
  And that is what is it is about, withholding some redundent information of the other obvious points of the song.

  Flag idontdoidotson May 12, 2009   Link

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  General Comment:i think it is talking about an unhappy marriage, the husband wants a family, because thats the only thing that will make him be happy, or live
  but she is in the way, her body is the baby,
  and he isnt getting what he wants
  and its just saying how suicide is better than living and not getting what u really wanted in life?
  
  haha thatsd so wrong

  Flag shadowpuppet7on April 08, 2009   Link

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  General Comment:If I'm not mistaken, the first part of the chorus DOES say jokes, while the second part says drugs. As in:
  
  
  if she weren't writing in blood
  she'd bring him her jokes
  a new liver
  and a shovel for the MUD
  if he were not knee deep in mud
  he'd bring her his DRUGS
  he'd get her a typewriter
  
  
  
  I felt the jokes were what she was writing in blood, and while the typewriter represented a less harmful way of expression, the drugs represented stopping the metaphoric bleeding, healing the wound. But of course he can't do that, because he's trapped in the 'mud'.
  
  Personally I always saw it as being about caving to societal pressures and expectations of what a successful couple should be. If you're married, healthy, and have money, you're somehow considered unwhole without children. People assume there must be some medical reason you don't have children yet. And if you CHOOSE not to have kids even though you're fully physically and financially capable of raising them? Then people just assume you're selfish, self-centered yuppies. So people have a family out of a sense of duty, because they feel they owe it, either to others or to themselves, though their heart isn't in it, and it destroys their chances of ever really being themselves.
  
  I think Seahighster's example of "The Awakening" is a perfect parallel. Wonderful explaination.

  Flag Donyanaon December 21, 2008   Link

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  General Comment:its drugs not jokes, and its FLOODING the room, not floating.

  Flag dementedcookon October 19, 2008   Link

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