In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
Say you, say me
Say it for always
That's the way it should be
Say you, say me
Say it together, naturally
I had a dream, I had an awesome dream
People in the park playing games in the dark
And what they played was a masquerade
And from behind the walls of doubt
A voice was crying out
Say you, say me
Say it for always
That's the way it should be
Say you, say me
Say it together, naturally
As we go down life's lonesome highway
Seems the hardest thing to do is to find a friend or two
That helping hand
Someone who understands
That when you feel you've lost your way
You've got someone there to say, "I'll show you"
Say you, say me
Say it for always (oh)
That's the way it should be
Say you, say me
Say it together, naturally
So you think you know the answers? Oh no
Well the whole world's got you dancing
That's right, I'm telling you
Time to start believing, oh yes
Believe in who you are
You are a shining star
Say you, say me
Say it for always
Oh, that's the way it should be
Say you, say me
Say it together, naturally
Say it together, naturally
Say it for always
That's the way it should be
Say you, say me
Say it together, naturally
I had a dream, I had an awesome dream
People in the park playing games in the dark
And what they played was a masquerade
And from behind the walls of doubt
A voice was crying out
Say you, say me
Say it for always
That's the way it should be
Say you, say me
Say it together, naturally
As we go down life's lonesome highway
Seems the hardest thing to do is to find a friend or two
That helping hand
Someone who understands
That when you feel you've lost your way
You've got someone there to say, "I'll show you"
Say you, say me
Say it for always (oh)
That's the way it should be
Say you, say me
Say it together, naturally
So you think you know the answers? Oh no
Well the whole world's got you dancing
That's right, I'm telling you
Time to start believing, oh yes
Believe in who you are
You are a shining star
Say you, say me
Say it for always
Oh, that's the way it should be
Say you, say me
Say it together, naturally
Say it together, naturally
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!
More Featured Meanings
Standing On The Edge Of Summer
Thursday
Thursday
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
It's not a love song per say, but more of a friendship song. It basically tells about the friendships of the 2 main characters (Mikhail Baryshnikov and Gregory Hines) who are two really good dancers - trapped in Russia during the Communist era (in the 80's). Say you, say me - basically telling that they can believe and help each other. Say you believe, I say I believe, together we believe - that's the way it should be. I'll help you, you help me, we'll help each other - naturally. It is written like as most song are as a poem with a lot of metaphors. Look at the lyrics how it relates to their characters in the movie. It is one of my top favorite movies of all time.
White Knights
Oops! I mean - White Nights
LOL...a syndrome where you pick the youngest, most gullible virgin (or close to it) and have sex with her before she learns who she's with.... Cute. Really classy.
Glad you know her. Let's hope she lasts a few months. And let's hope she doesn't really know you.
Lyrically, this song doesn’t have any kind of logically cohesive meaning. It reads like something a 13-year-old who speaks English as a second language would’ve written. Each verse has very little to do with the other verses in the song. It does not tell a story or even offer any kind of coherent progression of thought in terms of expressing a romantic idea or philosophical observation or musing on some kind of overarching theme. It just jumps from one random thought to another, put to music and broken up with the nonsensical chorus “say you, say me, say it together naturally” which makes no grammatical sense. If it wasn’t for Lionel Richie‘s memorable vocal stylings, a hummable melody and that catchy bridge that beaks into a brief rock groove, and the fact it was used a the featured song in a hit movie, I wonder if anyone would’ve ever cared about this song. But there are plenty of examples of great hit songs that don’t really have any discernible meaning in the lyrics. Plenty of songs have charted based solely on the artist’s performance and a catchy hook.
I'm pretty sure this is a love song- (as many songs are) The words "I love you" however is never mentioned in the song. but if you fill it in after each "say you..." "say me..." then the song suddenly makes sense. The rest of the lyrics allude to love of a deep friendship sort not the carnal lust type.
Say you "i Love you" Say me "I Love you (too)" Say it together, naturally "I Love You"
I like to hear this as a love song (romantic love) but of course its original use in film (1985's WHITE NIGHTS) is intended to describe the platonic love between two close friends I think that this song is about:
The POWER OF LOVE (whether it be romantic or platonic), that can be so STRONG.
LIGHT OVER DARK What i love is that light over dark theme that recurs: the power of love is the light that ALWAYS overcomes the dark of doubt, the uncertainty caused by those who lie or masquerade and even the shadow of loneliness
As for the Chorus, i agree with Tambre 2: I think it is about ADVOCATING to the power of love, we need to actually each and one of us, SAY WE LOVE in order to change things, to clear away all the darkness and replace it with LOVE.
I remember watching this movie in awe, at a time when the Cold War still defined who we were as a world, divided into camps, afraid to let go of old fears, old hatreds, old ways of thinking there could only be one way to go. The Olympics in Sochi Russia have ended, with reminder that in 1980, winter games were not attended by Western athletes, for political reasons that no longer apply. Wars still are fought, people still die, but East and West, North and South are struggling to come together, with hope for better futures for us all. The promise of White Knights to love naturally is coming to be.
This song sounds really dated (it's one of those songs that just screams '80s), but it's a beautiful song.
That it does and you are correct!
I like the song, but I don't really understand the meaning.. What exactly does "Say you, say me" means? And why is that "Say it for always" and "Say it together, naturally"? And how can a masquerade be played? Maybe it has different meaning in the 80s?
Ah,I'm too stupid to figure it out.Hope someone can answer me.
My favorite lines in the song: " As we go down life's lonesome highway, Seems the hardest thing to do Is to find a friend or two That helping hand, Someone who understands "
The "masquerade" refers to the mask (figuratively) they wear. The first stanza tells about that all they can do (Barrishnikove and Hines) is try not think about how bad it is for them in Russia and forced to dance (since they are great dancers). That long to escape (out of USSR). Watch the movie, and it will help understand the lyrics. Without the movie, it's just a cryptic song.
wow i agree with Tambre2, makes sense. love this song
The cleverest bit about this catchy song is the “Say you, say me” refrain. It sounds like Tarzan trying to speak English. In fact its sheer vagueness forces us to imagine what the singer is trying to say.
“Say you…” love me? - you are my friend - you trust me - you believe in me etc. “Say me” - means I’ll same the same thing to you.
It can’t be anything nasty because the music and the voice quality fills in the gaps for us — very daring song writing!