We'd hit the bottom
I thought it was my fault
And in a way I guess it was
I'm just now finding out what it was all about

We'd moved to the west coast
Away from everyone
She never told me that you called
Back when I was still, I was still in love

'Till I opened my eyes and walked out the door
And the clouds came tumbling down
And it's bye-bye, goodbye, I tried

And I twisted it wrong just to make it right
Had to leave myself behind
And I've been flying high all night
So come pick me up, I've landed

The daily dramas
She made from nothing
So nothing ever made it right

She liked to push me
And talk me back down
'Til I believed I was the crazy one
And in a way I guess I was

While I opened my eyes and walked out the door
And the clouds came tumbling down
And it's bye-bye, goodbye, I tried

Dragging the sea of a trouble mind
Had to leave myself behind
Singing bye bye, goodbye, I tried

If you wrote me off, I'd understand it
'Cause I've been on some other planet
So come pick me up
I've landed

And you will be so
Happy to know
I've come alone
It's over

While I opened my eyes and walked out the door
And the clouds came tumbling down
And it's bye-bye, goodbye, I tried

Down comes the reign of the telephone czar
It's okay to call
And I will answer for myself
Come pick me up

Come pick me up
I've landed



Lyrics submitted by goodreverend

Track duration: 04:04

"Landed [String Version] [Version]" as written by Benjamin Scott Folds

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.

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Landed song meanings
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45 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:I adore the line "Down comes the reign of the telephone czar/ It's okay to call/I will answer for myself."

    This song is incredible.

    I'm fairly young, and I don't really have experiences that can truly relate to what this song is actually about. But it moves me nonetheless.

    Flag plank37tonon January 16, 2011   Link
  • +1
    My Opinion:this song is clearly about smoking weed.
    Flagged fieldsoffebruaryon September 30, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I see it as it being about man who was really oblivious in his relationship with girl #1. It just ended, and he doesn't really seem to have regrets about it at first. He was willing to move all the way to the west coast, going around with girl #2 who he believes he loves. His new girlfriend is controlling, and sounds really nasty from the lyrics:
    "She liked to push me
    And talk me back down
    Til I believed I was the crazy one"
    She was maybe verbally abusive. She won't tell him when his former girlfriend calls, even if it's just to check up on him and his new life on the West Coast. He realizes that he's been somewhere else:
    "If you wrote me off
    I'd understand it
    Cause I've been on
    Some other planet"
    He's worried that girl #1 has already moved on. The line about the telephone czar certainly means that he has ended his relationship with the girl #2, and he'll pick the phone up next time himself.
    that's just my take.

    Flag Humanlypersonon August 12, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Wow, when I really listened to this song it took me aback. It really reminds me of a relationship I was in a few years ago. He wasn't a bad person, but we just didn't work out as a couple- he was too controlling and insecure to be with me. The part about daily dramas out of nothing... and feeling crazy from it all... Ben Folds really captures that kind of experience so well. There aren't words for how well he observes and describes so many human experiences.
    Flag whateverlolawantson February 15, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I just want to say thanks to Ben Folds for writing this song. It helped me through my divorce under a controlling husband. After the divorce I felt like I had landed in a strange place and had to look around and ask for help back to my old life and self.

    Wow, Ben Folds captured those sentiments so well!
    Flag glasslander63on September 25, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:My friend suggested this song after an awful breakup (divorce). I more "crashed" than "landed," but I was on the ground nonetheless. This song sums it up perfectly. I love the note about the telephone czar. He is in a controlling relationship and it's his fault for being there in the first place. She didnt make him crazy, he made himself crazy trying to make her happy, but all she wanted was control.

    I'm just now finding out What it was all about--he is talking about control. And I twisted it wrong just to make it right Had to leave myself behind--he is talking about letting her take control...doing things to make her happy, but losing himself in the process, basically doing things that were wrong for him to make it right for her. In the end, he is lost and she is still unhappy. At that point he realizes that she is crazy, and now so is he.

    His coming back east, is metaphorically coming back to himself, reality and sanity. The person picking him up could be an ex, a friend or even a parent or sibling. Essentially, it's anyone or everyone from which he was isolated by this relationship.

    This song is the experience of anyone who has a serious relationship with a controlling, manipulative person with serious abandonment issues. However, it's also about a person (the singer) who will allow himself to be part of such a toxic relationship.

    Bravo! Great song...horrible experience.
    Flag rookieb93on July 21, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think a person called him from a previous relationship called him while he was still married and his wife answered
    and she didn't tell him that anyone had called: "Down comes the reign of the telephone czar, it's okay to call, and
    I will answer for myself."
    Flag ethanhammockon April 19, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:this is my favorite song
    Flag ethanhammockon April 18, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:dang....sorry that was so long!
    Flag Pineanaon February 13, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:My dad always sings this song when I pick him up from the airport so I had to listen to it.

    After a few weeks of listening to it, it finally clicked with me today what he is saying (or what I think he is saying.

    I had a boyfriend that was basically not a good person and I thought maybe it was me so I just kept trying harder, therefore making changes that made me a worse person. While we both had our faults, he was controlling and was great at always making me think it was only MY problem and that I was the crazy one. But when I finally got him out of my life I look back incredulously that I ever acted the ways I acted. So in that long winded explanation, that set the context for this song.

    He's basically saying (again, my opinion) What the hell have I been doing in this relationship? This woman has problems and she's twisting it to make me the crazy one. And of course he believes it because he "loves" her and is trying to make it work. And all the while deep inside he knows it's wrong so when he finally breaks free from her, shocked that he was under such a pitiful spell. Almost like not being able to see the forest for the trees. Everything becomes clear to him at that moment, hence the song.

    And to Kiimi2889, it is a joyous song in this context because he realizes he can be with the one he truly loves and is supposed to be with. Then again your boyfriend may not see it this way and may just like the tune or something. And as long as you aren't a crazy controlling girlfriend (which btw, men really dislike) you are probably reading to much into it. He has great taste in music, a keeper in my book!

    p.s. As hard as it is to not feel that way as women are very much prone to, try not to worry about him breaking up with you as that often does lead to a breakup due to insecurities and clinginess and such. Just be your great confident self that he fell for.

    p.s.s. I am also some random person on the internet, so feel free to ignore the advice, but that is what I have garnered in my 26 years of miniscule wisdom.
    Flag Pineanaon February 13, 2009   Link

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