You, you try, You try to get by.
"You're never going to pull it off",
"You shouldn't even try",
"You're a wet cigarette",
"You're always second best",
But they're never going to give a shit
about anybody but theirselves.
You fight for them to realize;
There's more to life,
There's more to you,
There's more than meets the eye.
And when you're done,
The battle's been won.
You sit back, you smile
and this is what you hum, you hum:

Woah oh oh oh oh oh
1234 1234

You, you try, You try to get by.
"You're never going to pull it off",
"You shouldn't even try",
"You're a wet cigarette",
"You're always second best",
But they're never going to give a shit
about anybody but themselves.
You fight for them to realize;
There's more to life,
There's more to you,
There's more than meets the eye.
And when you're done,
The battle's been won.
You sit back, you smile
and this is what you hum, you hum:

Woah oh oh oh oh oh
1234 1234

The years go by,
The time it does fly.
Every single second is a moment in time
That passes oh, so quick
And it seems like nothing,
But when you're looking back,
Well, it amounts to everything.
I've got myself. I've got my friends.
I've got my little family, but that's not where it ends.
This one goes out to you, it goes out to everyone.
It's in the name of honesty because life has just begun.

Woah oh oh oh oh oh
1234 1234

Look around little brother, can you tell me what you see?
You're a big boy now, so take responsibility.
You never had it hard, but now it's getting tough,
So you whine, whine, whine and you say you've had enough.
You say i'm full of shit, That i'm a hypocrite
I shouldn't talk, when i can't take the advice that i give?
Well maybe you're right, but open your eyes:
the main difference here is that i try, try,

Woah oh oh oh oh oh
1234 1234



Lyrics submitted by KeasbyKnights

Track duration: 07:11


1234 1234 song meanings
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18 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:i think the they call it 1234, 1234 because of the things people are saying to kid like "your a wet cigarette" or "you're always second best" u can see there are four things the people say to him
    Flag Tubaboyon March 16, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:i love streetlights rim shot on the drums, if i dont realize its them, they play the rim shot,and i know.
    Flag MihoNinjaon February 02, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:has anyone figured out the numbers 1234
    Flag lordlemmingon November 09, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:i feel that this song is a sort of "fuck you" to the music industry ("you're never gonna pull it off you shouldnt even try") and to the current catch 22 lineup ("You say i'm full of shit, That i'm a hypocrite
    I shouldn't talk, when i can't take the advice that i give?
    Well maybe you're right, but open your eyes:
    the main difference here is that i try, try,") i dont know. thats just my interpretation.
    Flag sammirkinon October 30, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:People will get you down.
    You can't let them.
    Life is short.
    Flag affy_tappleon August 11, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:what bad fish4444 said is perfect
    Flag vegasguyon February 27, 2007   Link
  • +3
    General Comment:So as to the meaning of the song itself...

    This one's pretty straightforward. A kid, down on his luck, everyone kinda shitting on him, and he's trying to prove to these people that he's someone of some worth to them.

    Basically this song is a reality check that life is short and you've gotta make every moment count, because when you look back and see you spent your life trying to prove something to someone, you're gonna regret it.
    Flag bad_fish4444on January 19, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I had to listen to the album about 10 times before it hit me that you really shouldn't compare the two. They're by two almost completely different bands and thus carry almost two completely different meanings. I think the SM sound makes the album a lot more about introspection and reflection than the C22 version, which is about raw emotion and feeling. It's kind of like writing about a traumatic event the next day, and then 10 years later. They're really two seperate albums, both equally great, and I personally would create a hybrid of both to make the perfect-sounding album, as there are maybe 3 tracks on the original I think sound better, this being one of them.
    Flag MattieCampon November 29, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I have mixed feelings, cause my older sister got this album when it came out. At the time, I was 8. So I essentially grew up with Catch 22's version of Keasbey Nights. I just bought this album today and listened to it, and wasn't sure what to think. I knew that it would be all the same songs, but I knew that it would have a different feel to it cause it's SM and not C22. I have to admit, a couple of songs didn't make the changeover very well. I didn't like how On & On & On sounded. Yet, 1234, 1234 and 9mm and a Three Piece Suit sounded amazing. I don't know. Just not used to it yet I guess.
    Flag CFaz23on July 18, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:SM's version of Keasabey is so amazing i have been listening to it non-stop since i got it a few weeks ago, even though esentially it is a 10 year old album. it isnt just a remastered version they sped it up and rewrote horn sections. i simply cant get enough of what SM is doing not only for Ska but Music in general.

    As for what the interview at the end, i think when he is talking about the rerelease is quite apparent that he doesn't want "Catch 22" re-releasing nights, since after all that is the best c22 album simply because it was wrote by Tom. I love everything that they are doing and where their mindset is. their only concern is making quality music, if there were more bands like them this world would be a better place indeed

    And the drums are insane
    Flag captainsanoon June 03, 2006   Link

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