Jimmy Eat World – 23

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  General Comment:I'm sure this song means many different things to many different people. That's the beauty of music. Eff the grammys. Anyway, this is what this song means to me.
  
  I feel like this is a song about a person who has to choose between chasing the love of his life or chasing his dream career. Perhaps not even the love of his life, but he is clearly sacrificing something now (friends, comfortable life, certainty) for something better although this something better is not guaranteed.
  
  I felt for sure last night
  At once we said goodbye
  No one else will know these lonely dreams
  No one else will know that part of me
  
  ^^^Who do you tell your biggest dreams to? Somebody very important. In my experience, the road to great achievement and success is usually a lonely one, hence lonely dreams. For whatever reason, the love of his life just can't go on that same journey and he has to leave her behind. Clearly, he's told her secrets he would never tell anyone else which emphasizes his love for her.
  
  I'm still driving away
  And I'm sorry every day
  
  ^^^He's made his choice. He's choosing to leave her behind and follow his dreams. This is a conscious decision which is why he is sorry.
  
  I won't always love these selfish things
  I won't always live
  Not stopping
  
  ^^^He won't always be selfish as in, someday he'll choose the girl over the career. "I wont always live not stopping". This means he will one day take his foot off the gas. Smell the roses, take it easy. But for now, he's focused on his career and nothing will stop him.
  
  It was my turn to decide
  I knew this was our time
  No one else will have me like you do
  No one else will have me, only you
  
  ^^^Again, he knows the decision he made. He knows this is the one shot he will get with her and that's it. He knows she will be the love he left behind.
  
  You'll sit alone forever
  If you wait for the right time
  What are you hoping for?
  
  ^^^This is JEW's message. You can't have your cake and eat it too. You can only choose one. Either your career or the girl. Basically, you can't wait to do things when they become convenient for you. For example, you can't decide to pursue your career and then fall in love at age 26. Because maybe you meet the love of your life at 22. Or maybe other circumstances prevent you from that. Either way, you just can't plan everything to happen when you want it to because that's not how life works.
  
  I'm here and now I'm ready
  Holding on tight
  Don't give away the end
  The one thing that stays mine
  
  ^^^Regardless of how his life turns out, the outcome was based on the choices he made and no one can't take that away. He's essentially accepted his fate on how his life will turn out. "Im here and now I'm ready holding on tight" means he's bracing himself for this journey. It obviously won't be easy.
  
  Amazing still it seems
  Ill be 23
  
  I won't always love what Ill never have
  
  ^^^He won't always be swayed by materialistic/artificial things that come with the potential success of his career.
  
  I won't always live in my regrets
  
  ^^^Someday he'll be able to let go of the fact that he gave up on the girl.
  
  You'll sit alone forever
  If you wait for the right time
  What are you hoping for?
  I'm here and now I'm ready
  Holding on tight
  Don't give away the end
  The one thing that stays mine
  
  You'll sit alone forever
  If you wait for the right time
  What are you hoping for?
  I'm here and now I'm ready
  Holding on tight
  Don't give away the end
  The one thing that stays mine.
  
  Like I said earlier, to me, the message in this song is simple, you have to make sacrifices in life. You can't plan life according to how you want things to happen. In this case, you have to choose between your lover or your career/passion. He's choosing the latter and he's ready to live with the consequences.

  Flag thedudebroon March 17, 2013   Link

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  General Comment:Honestly, there is no definite way to interpret the meaning of this song other than the fact that it's a love story of some sort, but dear God, best rock ballad EVER! "No one else will have me like you do/No one else will have me, only you...." :'( Also, after listening to this song, "12.23.95," and "Christmas Card," 23's kind of become my favorite number, especially since 1998 was the year Jim turned 23 and that was the year I was born. :)

  Flag mapleoak23on October 05, 2012   Link

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  My Interpretation:Everything before the first chorus is directed to the love of the protagonist's life whom he just broke up with. The chorus is best written like this:
  
  They say, "you'll sit alone forever if you wait for the right time, what are you hoping for?"
  I'm here, I'm now, I'm ready, holding on tight.
  Don't give away the end... the one thing that stays mine.
  
  This indicates the protagonist had to split this relationship because he was seeking true happiness that she could never give. He has a hard time explaining this to her. He then reflects...
  
  Amazing, still, it seems... I'll be 23
  I won't always love what I'll never have
  I won't always live in my regrets
  
  He knows it's probably a bad idea. This phase will end.

  Flag Pepsi90919on August 02, 2012   Link

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  General Comment:honestly, this song could have so many meanings. if you wanted, you could even make this about drugs....but like, i don't know how you could.

  Flag willowhazelon July 19, 2012   Link

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  General Comment:I think this song is about best friends. A guy and a girl. At one point, it sounds like they've talked about having a relationship, but didn't go through with it. And it sounds like the girl is leaving to live somewhere else, and he regrets not actually having a relationship with her. He's obviously very upset about it, and may have even said some things the he regrets saying. And then when he sings the parts "You'll sit alone forever, if you wait for the right time...", I think thats him telling himself to man up and tell her that he really loves her, and basically to sweep her off her feet. Thats my 2 cents on the song..

  Flag bhking321on May 10, 2012   Link

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  Song Meaning:It's pretty simple, really. It's occultic numerology. The number 24 indicates rebirth, and that's what he's talking about.

  Flag jmorris724on February 27, 2012   Link

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  General Comment:I typed in the whole reason about why this song meant so much to me.
  It's not worth the length.
  This song is too amazing for words.

  Flag fadedmemories14on December 28, 2011   Link

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  Song Meaning:This is clearly a love ballad from Sam Winchester to his older brother, Dean.

  Flag melpalaon November 02, 2011   Link

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  General Comment:This is the best Jimmy Eat World album ever in my opinion & one of the best songs on this album!
  
  I feel like blaictsomh had a great breakdown of this songs meaning although I myself could also interpret it as being about an affair.... here is my breakdown:
  
  I wont always love these selfish things I wont always live not stopping (meaning sex & he let it go to far with someone else)
  It was my turn to decide (meaning he chose to let things go to far)
  No one else will have me only you (meaning he will only love her and that he gave a part of himself to her that he will never have to give to anyone else & that what he did was meaningless and just superficial attraction)
  You'll sit alone forever, if you wait for the right time, what are you hoping for? (he is saying he wants to come back and make things right but doesn't know what she is needing him to do in order for her to forgive him)
  I'm here and now I'm ready holding on tight don't give away the end the one thing that stays mine (he is telling her that he is committed & is begging her to forgive him before she gives away her love and future to someone else.
  
  I also feel like this song could simply be about him choosing another path over being with her and this song is about his regret. ie. choosing a career, school, travel, or something he wanted in a selfish way over her and as he matures he realizes that not putting her first will be his regret.
  
  This song has so many different ways to interpret it...that's what makes it so great!
  

  Flag agingerfableon October 18, 2011   Link

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  General Comment:I couldn't read everyone's comments, but I agree with a lot of the 2004 stuff except maybe a stanza or two.
  The main discrepancy is with the second stanza. I feel that this is more directed towards himself. To not be caught up with someone. "It was my turn to decide/ I knew it was our time." Think about holding on to a relationship. First one person breaks it off, but the other still isn't over it yet. It is now THEIR turn to get over it. It's accepting the fact that she is gone. I feel this changes a lot of the significance of the other parts.
  He's still "driving away" from her during the song. The "selfish things" become her despite her desire to get away. "Not stopping" is directed towards his past life, the one with her, and how he keeps trying to go down that road. I believe "love what I'll never have" and "in my regrets" is kind of clear at this point, both referring to the girl. The "you" in the song is now completely self directed, telling himself to get up and over this hurdle. He tells himself to not give away the end to the girl. He is trying to hold on to it and not let it go with the girl. He still has a life after this, afterall he is only 23.

  Flag killingzeroon August 10, 2011   Link

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