You wanted to know us
If it was for the pain that its caused us
For the lies, such a white lie
Don't know what it was to deserve this

As simple as I can
I'll tell you the difference
Between a pencil and a pen
And where it will leave us
Now as your body lets you die
And I sit here still alive

In my memory I wrote you down in ink
I never wanted to erase your story
Even with the tragedy it brings

The fluid in your lungs
That tells you you're losing
Stop breathing
the medicine that comes
Will fix you, will help you
But takes you from conscious to sleep
Place my hands to face and weep

In my memory I wrote you down in ink
I never wanted to erase your story
even with the tragedy it brings

Smiling, beautiful
Something torn from my hands

I'm not ready for you to die
(Can't tell what josh is screaming)

This day will end
With the lies complete
My closest friend
Here in front of me
(Can't tell what josh is screaming)

You wanted to know us
If it was for the pain that its caused us
For the lies, such a poor thing
Don't know what it was to deserve this



Lyrics submitted by ic3box

Track duration: 03:05


Returning The Smile You Have Had From The Start song meanings
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32 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:This song actually hits home for me. It really says exactly how I felt when my best friend died. I'll break down the lyrics.

    "You wanted to know if
    If it was worth the pain that it has caused us.
    Both our lives - subtract one life
    To know why it was you deserved this"

    Basically, this sets the whole theme. Someone is dying, and a lot of people are being hurt because of it.

    "As simple as I can
    I'll tell you the difference
    Between a pencil and a pen
    And where it will leave us now
    As your body lets you die,
    And I sit here still alive"

    This person is feeling sorrow due to the fact his friend is dying and he's not.

    "In my memory I wrote you down in ink
    I never wanted to erase your story
    Even with the tragedy it brings"

    Pretty self-explainitory. He memorializes his friend so others can remember.

    "The fluid in your lungs
    That tells you you're losing, stop breathing
    The medicine that comes will fix you
    Will help you but takes you from conscious to sleep
    Place my hands to face and weep"

    This line hits personally with me. Actually, this whole song does. It reminds me of my best friend who had Cystic Fibrosis, which is a deadly lung disease. The mucus filled his lungs, he was losing, the medicine they gave him was supposed to help, but he went into a coma as I sat there and cried watching him die.

    "Something beautiful
    Something torn from my hands"

    The friend has just passed.

    "I'm not ready for you to die"

    Speaks for itself.

    "(I can't leave here like this, get away from her)
    This day will end with a life complete
    (that is not all that she was. I don't want to say goodbye yet)
    This day will end with a life complete"

    Begging the disease to go away, why her, why her? The disease wasn't all she was, and they don't want to say goodbye.

    "My closest friend here in front of me"

    The friend is dead now in front of the living friend, full of regret and sorrow.
    Flag ShinobiZakuroon May 05, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment: "In my memory I wrote you down in ink
    I never wanted to erase your story
    Even with the tragedy it brings"

    I love this line because all it really says is that, "Yes, people that you love are in some way going bring more pain than if you would choose to isolate your self and never meet anybody. But it is worth it." This is so far the best song of theirs I've heared.
    Flag basketcase182on May 27, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:piano89 is right. I read an interview with them and thats what they said.
    Flag TheGreatRigsbyon December 11, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:big thx to coolestguyever...

    As everyone said, "the difference Between a pencil and a pen" ... "In my memory I wrote you down in ink". Great, great lines.

    For the song, it honestly sounds like death by cancer. Lungs fill up with fluid. Pain medicine is necessary but makes you loopy. Eventually, they induce a coma and that's the end. It happens too soon for all involved.
    Flag MrNateon May 29, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Actually, the song was written about a dream that Devin had of his wife dying.
    Flag piano89on May 22, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:(I can't leave here like this, get away from her)
    This day will end with a life complete
    (that is not all that she was. I don't want to say goodbye yet)
    This day will end with a life complete
    My closest friend here in front of me
    Flag WJon May 09, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:those lyrics at the top are WRONG.


    coolestguyever puyt that WRITE ones down.
    :D
    Flag nicky_GREENon January 17, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:its a tragedy not a diesease "The fluid in your lungs
    That tells you you're losing, stop breathing" i think the person was drowning and the narrator didnt get the chance to save them
    Flag donnied_doanon June 23, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Ok the more I listen to this song, the more it becomes apparent to me that this song is about his closest friend or significant other is passing away from a disease such as alzheimers. He is in the hospital room by her side trying to remind her of who he is and what he means to hear. She is on her deathbed and he knows she won't make it through the day. At first I thought it was about a breakup, but alot of the lines in the song do not really go along with that.

    I think the verse:

    "As simple as I can
    I'll tell you the difference
    Between a pencil and a pen
    And where it will leave us now
    As your body lets you die,
    And I sit here still alive

    In my memory I wrote you down in ink
    I never wanted to erase your story
    Even with the tragedy it brings"

    totally gives the alzheimers thing away. He is trying to explain to her how his memory has a permanent ink written account of his life with her and she has a pencil memory that erases their memories every day, whether she wants it to or not. And it is a tragedy that two people are in love are torn apart by a disease that neither of them have no control over. That to me is what the song is about.
    Flag z_smitty2205on June 19, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Aight, here's what I get from this . . . I don't think it's about breakin up but it makes some sense so w/e, it works. I think it's about his like gf, wife, mom, someone important that's a female that is dying.

    "You wanted to know if
    If it was worth the pain that it has caused us.
    Both our lives - subtract one life
    To know why it was you deserved this"

    K well having someone dying is an insane pain for both people, and someone dies of course, and they are wondering why they deserved this or what they did.

    "As simple as I can
    I'll tell you the difference
    Between a pencil and a pen
    And where it will leave us now
    As your body lets you die,
    And I sit here still alive"

    This is why I don't think it's about breaking up; it's saying that pencils are erasable but pens aren't and the girl he's singing about is the pencil, he's the pen. She's dying (being erased) while he sits there still alive.

    "In my memory I wrote you down in ink
    I never wanted to erase your story
    Even with the tragedy it brings"

    I will never forget you, no matter how much pain and suffering thinking about you brings.

    "The fluid in your lungs
    That tells you you're losing, stop breathing
    The medicine that comes will fix you
    Will help you but takes you from conscious to sleep
    Place my hands to face and weep"

    There's probably some disease that I don't know about that has to do with having liquids in your lungs that she's dying of. The medicine to cure her will make her unconcious (or however you spell it) and she may die from that. That makes him sad because he like can't do anything to help her.

    "Something beautiful
    Something torn from my hands"

    She is beautiful, but being taken away.

    "I'm not ready for you to die"

    Speaks for itself.

    "(I can't leave here like this, get away from her)
    This day will end with a life complete
    (that is not all that she was. I don't want to say goodbye yet)
    This day will end with a life complete"

    I can't say goodbye, it's too much, she's amazing, etc.

    "My closest friend here in front of me"

    She was his closest friend.


    Once again, that whole breaking up thing can work I guess, but this does too. I don't really know the true meanings but I guess no one but Emery does. Amazing song. K bye.
    Flag oldmanbootzzon May 19, 2007   Link

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