Know something about this song or lyrics?
Add it to our wiki.
Leave the bright blue door on the whitewashed wall.
Leave the death ledger under City Hall.
Leave the joyful air in that rubber ball today.
Leave the lilac print on the linen sheet.
Leave the birds you killed at your father's feet.
Let the sideways rain and the crooked street remain.
Leave the whimpering dog in his cold kennel.
Leave the dead star lit on her pedestal.
Leave the acid kids in their green fishbowls today.
Just leave the sad guitar in its hard-shelled case.
Leave the worried look on your lover's face.
Let the orange embers in the fireplace remain.
Cause everything - it must belong somewhere.
A train off in the distance; bicycle chained to the stairs.
Everything - it must belong somewhere.
I know that now - that's why I'm staying here.
Leave the ocean's roar in the turquoise shell.
Leave the widower in his private hell.
Leave the liberty in that broken bell today.
Leave the epic poem on its yellow page.
Leave the gray macaw in his covered cage.
Let the traveling band on the interstate remain.
Cause everything - it must belong somewhere.
Soundstage in California; televisions in Times Square.
Everything - it must belong somewhere.
I know that now - that's why I'm staying here.
Leave the secret talks on the trundle bed.
Leave the garden tools in the rusted shed.
Leave those bad ideas in your troubled head today.
Leave the restless ghost in his old hotel.
Leave the homeless man in his cardboard cell.
Let the painted horse on the carousel remain.
Cause everything - it must belong somewhere.
Just like the gold around her finger or the silver in his hair.
Everything - it must belong somewhere.
I know that now - that's why I'm staying here.
In truth, the forest hears each sound - each blade of grass as it lies down.
The world requires no audience - no witnesses...no witnesses.
Leave the old town drunk on his wooden stool.
Leave the autumn leaves in the swimming pool.
Leave the poor black child in his crumbling school today.
Leave the novelist in his daydream tune.
Leave the scientist in his Rubik's Cube.
Let the true genius in the padded room remain.
Leave the horse's hair on the slanted bow.
Leave the slot machines on the river boat.
Leave the cauliflower in the casserole today.
Leave the hot, bright trash in the shopping malls.
Leave the hawks of war in their capitol.
Let the organ's moan in the cathedral remain.
Cause everything - it must belong somewhere.
They locked the devil in the basement; threw God up into the air.
Everything - it must belong somewhere.
And you know it's true - I wish you'd leave me here.
You know it's true - why don't you leave me here?
Leave the death ledger under City Hall.
Leave the joyful air in that rubber ball today.
Leave the lilac print on the linen sheet.
Leave the birds you killed at your father's feet.
Let the sideways rain and the crooked street remain.
Leave the whimpering dog in his cold kennel.
Leave the dead star lit on her pedestal.
Leave the acid kids in their green fishbowls today.
Just leave the sad guitar in its hard-shelled case.
Leave the worried look on your lover's face.
Let the orange embers in the fireplace remain.
Cause everything - it must belong somewhere.
A train off in the distance; bicycle chained to the stairs.
Everything - it must belong somewhere.
I know that now - that's why I'm staying here.
Leave the ocean's roar in the turquoise shell.
Leave the widower in his private hell.
Leave the liberty in that broken bell today.
Leave the epic poem on its yellow page.
Leave the gray macaw in his covered cage.
Let the traveling band on the interstate remain.
Cause everything - it must belong somewhere.
Soundstage in California; televisions in Times Square.
Everything - it must belong somewhere.
I know that now - that's why I'm staying here.
Leave the secret talks on the trundle bed.
Leave the garden tools in the rusted shed.
Leave those bad ideas in your troubled head today.
Leave the restless ghost in his old hotel.
Leave the homeless man in his cardboard cell.
Let the painted horse on the carousel remain.
Cause everything - it must belong somewhere.
Just like the gold around her finger or the silver in his hair.
Everything - it must belong somewhere.
I know that now - that's why I'm staying here.
In truth, the forest hears each sound - each blade of grass as it lies down.
The world requires no audience - no witnesses...no witnesses.
Leave the old town drunk on his wooden stool.
Leave the autumn leaves in the swimming pool.
Leave the poor black child in his crumbling school today.
Leave the novelist in his daydream tune.
Leave the scientist in his Rubik's Cube.
Let the true genius in the padded room remain.
Leave the horse's hair on the slanted bow.
Leave the slot machines on the river boat.
Leave the cauliflower in the casserole today.
Leave the hot, bright trash in the shopping malls.
Leave the hawks of war in their capitol.
Let the organ's moan in the cathedral remain.
Cause everything - it must belong somewhere.
They locked the devil in the basement; threw God up into the air.
Everything - it must belong somewhere.
And you know it's true - I wish you'd leave me here.
You know it's true - why don't you leave me here?
Lyrics submitted by apocalypse84
Track duration: 06:19
"I Must Belong Somewhere" as written by Conor Oberst
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
Also, I love the "genius" line.
just fyi it's leave the scientist in HER rubik's cube
i dont know who made it but its really effective
no matter how good or bad that seems for you.
Things just belong where they are.
stop trying to change or run
this is it
this is life
so breath it in
at the end i hear; life won't let us just be for some reason
we can't just stop. why?
obviously that's the pshat/simple meaning of the song
The notion of "right" and "wrong" is something that we as humans place on the world. It's a point of view more than anything.
The thing that puzzled me most was was the line about "That's why I'm staying here". I couldn't help but this this was justification for .. not doing anything about anything. However, I now think its more metaphoric than that. If it is your place to be to "doing something" then that's where you belong. Conner seems to be saying that he's understanding his place and is accepting it.
It reminds me of an old Chinese proverb.
"The Sage falls asleep not
because he ought to
Nor even because he wants to
But because he is sleepy"
These actions are not forced or fake, but natural.
I think the song is just pointing out a slew of examples of things good, bad, satirical, metaphoric, controversial, etc simply to say... it's ok... the world requires no audience... no witnesses. These aren't worldly examples he gives they are man-made problems or issues or just things. This becomes really clear to me during the bridge. The world doesn't ask the question about if a tree makes a sound if no one is around. We as people ask that question and it doesn't matter. The tree will do what it does no matter what.
Ok.. I'm done. I'm glad I found this site because I've thought a lot about this song and had no one to talk too!!
The only thing in this world that we can ever have 100% control over is ourselves... worrying about things that we cant change creates a great deal of suffering... i mean, its not that we cant help to make things better but we should worry about ourselves because if we suffer then we will be no good to anyone in the end....
i dont think conor is having a massive dig at america with the black child line, or that the child belongs there. i think conors just saying for today, lets not worry about the child and worry about ones self...
the line about acid kids in a green fish bowl is a drug reference yes. i know from a friend of mine lol ;) being on acid and witnessing the world and people around you can kinda feel like you are in a fish bowl looking out at the goings on of the world...
i too would like to know what the death ledger is... im not american and i dont know if he is referring to one of your documents of constitution or liberty thingys...
and the lines
"In truth, the forest hears each sound
Each blade of grass as it lies down
The world requires no audience
No witnesses, no witnesses"
i believe to be about the "if a tree falls in the forrest...." thingy... and conor is saying that the world goes on no matter what humans are doing... if a tree falls in the forrest of course it makes a sound... to even consider that it might not is arrogant and suggesting that the only reason anything makes a sound or even exists is for human consumption !!!
and lastly, i dont think conor is saying that he dont like cauliflower.. it just goes well in a casserole
thanks <3
I plan on playing it for a music assessment in three days.
I'm gonna have to put it on repeat for awhile.
I see the song as a painting of the world.
From something as saddening as world poverty, to something as small as cauliflower, everything belongs somewhere.
It's like he's asking God whether he's happy with the world in it's present state yet thanking him for all the beautiful truths in the world.
A 17 stanza paradox.
Beautiful.
"To me, I want to be a song writer & musician. I want to write my songs and make my records and play for people and I'm happy to give my opinion. I'm certainly happy to write any song I write ,I'll sing it wherever, but I don't want to be an activist full-time or anything. I'm a musician, first & foremost. It's a hard-learned lesson to be content in your own skin, for me anyway to not always just runaway to the next place or the next person or the next experience, but to just actually enjoy the moment your in and be where you are. it's a hard lesson to learn but one worth attempting."
I think he's trying to say more it's nice to sometimes just forget the problems of the world, & just be content where you are.