There are twenty years to go
and twenty ways to know
who will wear
who will wear the hat

There are twenty years to go
the best of all i hope
enjoy the ride
the medicine show

And thems the breaks
for we designer fakes
we need to concentrate on more than meets the eye

There are twenty years to go
the faithful and the low
the best of starts
the broken heart,the stone

There are twenty years to go
the punch drunk and the blow
the worst of starts
the mercy part,the phone

And thems the breaks
for we designer fakes
we need to concentrate on more than meets the eye

Thems the breaks
for we designer fakes
but it's you i take it's you´re the truth,not i

There are twenty years to go
a golden age i know
but all will pass
will end too fast,you know

There are twenty years to go
and many friends i hope
though some may hold the rose
some hold the rope

and that´s the end and that´s the start of it
that´s the whole and that´s the part of it
that´s the high and that´s the heart of it
that´s the long and that´s the short of it
that´s the best and that´s the test in it
that´s the doubt,the doubt,the trust in it
that´s the sight and that´s the sound of it
that´s the gift and that´s the trick in it

you´re the truth,not i
you´re the truth,not i
you´re the truth,not i



Lyrics submitted by cobiatic

Track duration: 03:22

"Twenty Years" as written by Brian Molko, Stefan Olsdal, Steven Hewitt, Paul Campion

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

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Twenty Years song meanings
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  • +1
    General Comment:"There are twenty years to go,
    And twenty ways to know,
    Who will wear,
    Who will wear the hat."

    This comes across as who will wear down or break down each year within the twenty years. "Who will wear the hat" means who will still be around each year within the twenty years. This lyrical segment is restated with "Though some may hold the rose, some hold the rope.".


    "You're the truth not I"

    In my opinion, that line means the truth is the by-product of the twenty years, which is the future self. Metaphorically, the twenty years have been condensed down. All the interactions, friendships, experiences, etc. you've accumulated in those short twenty years has made you into the individual you are, the truth...


    "That’s the end and that’s the start of it,
    That’s the whole and that the part of it,
    That’s the high and that’s the heart of it,
    That’s the long and that’s the short of it,
    That’s the best and that’s the test of it,
    That’s the doubt; doubt the trust in it,
    That’s the sight and that’s the sound of it,
    That’s the gift, that’s the trick in it."

    This elaborates on "You're the truth not I". How? Eight descriptive lines are followed by eight repeats of "You're the truth not I", which they make sense when applied in conjunction.



    I relate to this song in the sense that I've plotted out the next twenty years of my life with a high degree of malleability, though the end goal is still the same. Sometimes, I think about all the joys, pains, laughs, sorrows, friends, random strangers, new perspectives, etc. I will experience and encounter. I know in twenty years I will be a different person, I will be a by-product of the twenty years. My future self is the truth of the twenty years. My future self is the truth not I.



    Just my perspective, which I sometimes feel like I'm in a cocoon...
    Flag scottlfinleyon February 20, 2011   Link
  • +1
    Song Meaning:There are twenty years to go,
    And many friends I’d hope,
    Though some may hold the rose, some hold the rope.

    I hope in the next twenty years there will be many friends surrounding me,
    although some of them will die (hold the rose (you now like laying in a coffin)) and some of them succeed in holding te rope (hang on to life, live long, survive)

    What about that?
    Flag Iriskeon September 07, 2010   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:I agree with some people but others i think you are "looking for the fifth foot of the cat". Some are just simple and great.

    I think the meaning of some lines (whole song is too long) is this:

    "We need to concentrate on more than meets the eye."-->Ovbious. Find the real meaning and importance of life. Haven't you read "The Little Prince"? What is essential is invisible to the eye.

    "The faithful and the low,
    The best of starts; the broken heart; the stone."--> Just illustrates a type of love or couple, one is faithful the other is low. First stage of relation ship is the best of start, then one gets his heart broken, and then the stone: NOTHING.

    "The punch-drunk and the blow,
    The worst of starts; the mercy part; the phone."--> Again a type of love or couple, 2 crazy people, that start their passionate love in crazyness, mercy part is a big fight , then a conversation on the phone of reconciliation.

    "And many friends I’d hope,
    Though some may hold the rose, some hold the rope."-->Some friends have good luck and hold the rose in life, but other are fucked up and would just suicide. They are holding the rope.

    The last part is a optimist message of life, "That's the gift and that's the trick in it"--> This is your life and you have to figure out how to be happy with it, resumes all the lines that say that's the xxxx and that's the xxx of it.

    Finally, "You're the truth not I", like a lot have said, just be yourself, dont let the rest influence who you really want to be.
    Flag ButterflyInHurricaneon June 08, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:i think the song is about the people who support you-"those that hold the rope", so that the other partner can perform-"designer fake". whoever the band is referencing, is speaking about the "rock" in their lives.
    consentrating on more than meets the eye is the job of a performer-they are artists. those that are practical, help to keep their heads on straight.
    he closes the song with the final verses to remind people that successful dyads have different strengths, and it's really that simple.
    Flag bellyflooron March 24, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:For me it's like being in your late teens or early 20s, when your life starts and you have like twenty years of youth "a golden age", to explore life and find the true meaning of things, until you'll turn 40. And you'll gonna see bad things and good things, meet mean people and screwed-up people and faithful people and just good people... And some of your friends will disappoint you and others will stay by your side 'till the end. And you'll find the truth, but you have to look beyond the surface of things, to "concentrate on more than meets the eye". Most of all, you have to understand that sometimes you'll win and sometimes you'll lose, 'cause that's just how life is. The best you can do is just "enjoy the ride".
    Flag Hobgoblinon November 27, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:To anyone had ocurre that this song had something to do whit Christianity????? When Abraham and the people
    wandered in the desert for 20 years, thats just what I think it is... But it looks like that brian try to aplied in contemporary... Well, at least seem to make sense in lines like "twenty years to go" "who will wear that hat" who will be the leader in the journey and in the line that says "you are the truth not I" make a refer to god... I could be Wrong... But is just a thought...
    Flagged Trent2von October 17, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment: I think that "the hat" is a Symbol for achievement and authority or to indicate a person's particular position such as sheriff or bishop or pilot
    Flag Elham0pon October 09, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:(Though some may hold the rose, some hold the rope.)
    i think its some of your friends will be loved, and recive a rose(a symbol of love) and there will be friends, who will be unhappy, unloved, and will hold the rope.. (suicide)
    Flag AshtrayGirl9on October 04, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:i think the title resumes it all, this song is about what can happen in 20 years and it can be applied in almost every person or situation, (only that makes this song intense)

    There are twenty years to go,
    And twenty ways to know,
    Who will wear,
    Who will wear the hat.

    you'll probably don't know who is or who will be controling your life even if you have the facts and the present in your hand, even if in fact you can know
    But then, in 20 years you should know who is controling or who will be controling your life.

    and i thin its exactly that he is saying: you have 20 ways to know who will wear the hat.. i like to think of it as being an actual possibility that you can know, that you can even take control.

    (there's also the possibility of not being about each life but abot a situation or event, the same interpretation applies but i prefer to see it as my life, it gives me a deeper meaning)


    There are twenty years to go,
    The best of all I’d hope,
    Enjoy the ride, the medicine show

    i think it's self explanatory, there's hope, the 20 years can be good (medicine helps)


    Them’s the breaks,
    For we designer fakes,
    We need to concentrate on more than meets the eye.

    if you're thinking 20 years, you shouldn't fake yourself, you should concentrate on more than meets the eye (the words "for we designer fakes" make me chill)

    about them's the breaks i think is the difficulties for the designer fakes (how you stop every time and end up not living)


    There are twenty years to go,
    The faithful and the low,
    The best of starts; the broken heart; the stone.

    There are twenty years to go,
    The punch-drunk and the blow,
    The worst of starts; the mercy part; the phone.

    he tells us what can happen or what happened before maybe to those who are designers fakes


    now with the "you're the truth, not I"...

    i don't realy know =X
    maybe he found someone who meets these expectations


    There are twenty years to go,
    A golden age, I know,
    But all will pass will end to fast, you know

    There are twenty years to go,
    And many friends I’d hope,
    Though some may hold the rose, some hold the rope.

    now he becomes more positive i guess.. there's the possibility of a golden age, but as everything the 20 years will end faster then you'd want. along that time you will find people, friends, some will give beauty to your life some won't.


    That’s the end and that’s the start of it,
    That’s the whole and that the part of it,
    That’s the high and that’s the heart of it,
    That’s the long and that’s the short of it,
    That’s the best and that’s the test of it,
    That’s the doubt; doubt the trust in it,
    That’s the sight and that’s the sound of it,
    That’s the gift, that’s the trick in it.

    than he gives us some opposites that will take place, or that you will feel during that period of time
    you'll have good and bad things


    and there comes "you're the truth not i" =P


    i think this song talks about the future, the possibility of something more good than bad.
    Flag MinervaNXon August 17, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:this song to me was basically my willingness to sacrifice myself for my friends. me being 20 it had a little more meaning, and i could explain it more, but it kind of makes sense. just all of your accomplishments in life shouldn't be in vein. you should be doing it more for yourself. life will eventually end. and when it does, don't be scared, have your life accomplished before you even get near death.
    Flag agentzeroorangeon April 11, 2009   Link

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