Lyrics for Read My Mind as interpreted by foldsbaldwin

Read My Mind Lyrics
on the corner of main street
just tryin' to keep it in line
you say you wanna move on and
you say I'm falling behind

can you read my mind?
can you read my mind?

I never really gave up on
breakin' out of this two-star town
I got the green light
I got a little fight
I'm gonna turn this thing around

can you read my mind?
can you read my mind?

The good old days
the honest man
the restless heart
the promised land
a subtle kiss
that no one sees
a broken wrist
and a big trapeze

Oh well I don't mind
if you don't mind
coz I don't shine
if you don't shine
before you go

can you read my mind?

it's funny how you just break down
waitin' on some sign
I pull up to the front of your driveway
with magic soakin' my spine

can you read my mind?
can you read my mind?

The teenage queen
the loaded gun
the drop dead dream
the chosen one
a southern drawl
a world unseen
a city wall
and a trampoline

Oh well I don't mind
if you don't mind
coz I don't shine
if you don't shine
before you jump
tell me what you find
when you read my mind

Slippin in my faith
until I fall
He never returned that call
woman, open the door
don't let it sting
I wanna breathe that fire again

She said
I don't mind
if you don't mind
coz I don't shine
if you don't shine
put your back on me
put your back on me
put your back on me

(ooooooo)

The stars are blazing
like rebel diamonds
cut out of the sun
can you read my mind?

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ShotgunXXWedding
09-11-2006

Rated 0 
I really don't have much of an idea as to what this song means, but might I say it is beautiful! It's incredibly catchy and has brought me to a few tears.

From the first two verses or so I get that the narrator's significant other wants to move on, and see other people. He doesn't want to move on and he doesn't want to say anything, hence 'can you read my mind?'

He's determined to fix the relationship and get the girl back. (I got the green light/I got a little fight/I'm gonna turn this thing around)

Lyndz

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bloc_party15
09-18-2006

Rated -1 
this is my favourite from what I have heard of the new stuff

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rbf737
09-21-2006

Rated 0 
Yes this is probably my favorite off the new album, as well. It's fantastic and it's cool to hear a song like this from the Killers. But yes it sounds like the significant other is trying to end things and he's trying to keep it together and fix everything and a lot of the lyrics make it seem like he thinks in terms of the ideal or some fantasy land that he wants to live in where the honest man saves the day and wins the girl even in terms of all the spectacle images he thinks about as well and he wants her to be able to see these things in his mind to know the truth.

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forever23
09-30-2006

Rated 0 
I think the lyrics are actually

on the corner of main street
just tryin' to keep it in line
you say you wanna move on and
you say I'm falling behind

can you read my mind?
can you read my mind?

I never really gave up on
breakin' out of this two-star town
I got the green light
I got a little fight
I'm gonna turn this thing around

can you read my mind?
can you read my mind?

The good old days
the honest man
the restless heart
the promised land
a subtle kiss
that no one sees
a broken wrist
and a picture piece (?)

oh well I don't mind
if you don't mind
coz I don't shine
if you don't shine
before you go

can you read my mind?

Its funny how you just break down
waitin' on some sign
I pull up to the front of your driveway
with magic soakin' my spine

can you read my mind?
can you read my mind?

The teenage queen
the loaded gun
the drop dead dream
the chosen one
a southern drawl (?)
a world unseen
a city wall
and a trampoline

Well I don't mind
if you don't mind
coz I don't shine
if you don't shine
before you go
tell me what you find
when you read my mind

Slippin in my faith
until I fall
he never returned that call
woman, open the door
don't let it sting
I wanna breathe that fire again

She said
I don't mind
if you don't mind
coz I don't shine
if you don't shine
put your back on me (?)
put your back on me
put your back on me

(ooooooo)

The stars are blazing
like rebel diamonds
cut out of the sun
when you read my mind

I think those are sligthly more accurate, but onto the song. I agree with what others have said and have got to say this is definatley my favourite song off the album, its amzing!

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AndreaFlowers
10-07-2006

Rated 0 
lol funny that those are the lyrics I typed out on TKC and the spelling error was left in there! Seriously amused (not pissed though, I knew my lyrics would be reposted if I posted them)
I misspelled "trapeze" (it's not trapeize)

I actually wrote about this relating it to the story Paul's Case for English but found out I couldn't use the paragraph in my assignment, so I'll post my meaning/interpretation here. (remember it's not for people who know a lot about the Killers and I really played it up, etc.)

The song "Read My Mind" by The Killers relates to Paul's desire for escape. The songwriter, Brandon Flowers, wrote this song as a semi-autobiography. In real life, Flowers moved to Utah when he was young from Las Vegas, but always wanted to return to his birthplace. In the song he sings, "I never really gave up on breakin' outta this two-star town, I got the green light, I got a little fight, I'm gonna turn this thing around" which is clearly saying that he's got the ability (the green light) and he's got the drive (a little fight) to escape from his small town. Flowers mentions "A broken wrist and a big trapeze" which shows that taking a risk can possibly be dangerous. No matter what kind of changes we go through, even if they're for the better, can have negative effects. The trapeze is an allusion back to Las Vegas and also an exaggeration of the risk he had to take to get out of his old life. When Flowers gets to Vegas, he sees that there's something unexpected, "a city wall and a trampoline". The city wall symbolizes a barrier, most likely the one he faced from living most of his life in a small town and the shock of moving back to a big city. The trampoline is not only an allusion to Las Vegas but also as a way to help him over the wall.


Hahha. Yeah. I dunno. Just a partial analysis/random bullshit since I was stuck on what to write.

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AmoebaCheeba
10-09-2006

Rated -1 
definitely. im feeling this song.

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weezer10
10-09-2006

Rated 0 
Easily my favorite song on the new CD. I agree with the previous posts as to what this song means.
The Killers really outdid themselves with Sam's Town. I can't believe people are saying this doesn't live up to Hot Fuss...

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davidprevails
10-11-2006

Rated -1 
great song.

Not sure what it means, but amazing.

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SallyBowles
10-11-2006

Rated +3 
The short random lines

The good old days
the honest man
the restless heart
the promised land
a subtle kiss
that no one sees
a broken wrist
and a picture piece

and "the teenage queen..." remind me of a sort of word association test. It's sort of like he's giving you (or whoever...) the image fragments and can you put them together to make a story or at least make sense of them. "Can you read my mind?"

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zedzedBadnusty
10-13-2006

Rated +2 
i think you hit the nail on the head there sally, the whole song is about the sorta stuff you might see if you were looking into brandons mind; The good old days
the honest man
the restless heart
the promised land
a subtle kiss
that no one sees
a broken wrist
and a picture piece
now most of this stuff might seem like mumbo jumbo to you and not have any significant value but to brandon each is a memory of a moment suspended in time within his mind, well thats my take on it, great song.

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flic_137
10-13-2006

Rated 0 
I think it's "you never returned my call" instead of "he never returned my call". It makes more sense, because otherwise, who's the 'he'?

But this is definately the best song off of sams town

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cmckinley
10-14-2006

Rated 0 
A stunner. And Sam's Town is a remarkable album. The more you listen to it the more you realize it tops Hot Fuss, just takes a few listens. The Killers are an emotional, ambitious band that writes uplifting music and there's not a thing wrong with that

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Bernadetteblu
10-21-2006

Rated 0 
I think it is about a relationship.
"on the corner of main street
just tryin' to keep it in line"
he just left her house

"you say you wanna move on and
you say I'm falling behind"
she just broke up with him, saying she wants to move on.
"I got the green light
I got a little fight
I'm gonna turn this thing around"
he wants to go back to her, and he is going to turn the relationship around, (and the car).

"The good old days,the honest man, the restless heart, the promised land
a subtle kiss, that no one sees"

he is thinking about the beginning of the relationship.
"before you go
can you read my mind"
he doesnt want it to end, and he wonders if she knew that.

"it's funny how you just break down
waitin' on some sign
I pull up to the front of your driveway
with magic soakin' my spine"
he was waiting for a sign before he went back to her place, as he pulls up he feels the urge inside him to go to her.

"Slippin in my faith until I fall
you never returned that call
woman, open the door
don't let it sting I wanna breathe that fire again"
he has faith in thier relationship but he contiues to make mistakes (slippin).
he comes to the door and doesn't want to feel the pain of being away from each other and he wants to 'breathe that fire again'-which can mean several things.
"She said I don't mind
if you don't mind cuz I don't shine
if you don't shine "
she takes him back, because she isn't happy if he isn't and they are not happy without one another.

but all that other stuff, i dont know...it is brandon flowers, his lyrics are open for interpretation. But this was my idea....

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matchbox_20
10-23-2006

Rated 0 
I heard this a few days ago. I liked it.

"rebel diamonds cut out of the sun"

=

best line.

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cornylovesong
10-24-2006

Rated 0 
I love this. Just AMAZING! I think the Killers are greate. However, I don't think Brandon has much emotion in his voice in some songs. Email me on what you think. simplyshar@look.com

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mrs-mojo-risin
10-26-2006

Rated 0 
easily the best song off the new album
one of their best songs in general

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dandan1331
12-04-2006

Rated 0 
Well I am pretty sure it is about him living in utah after moving from Las Vegas. His home town is called Nephi and it is just about 45 min. from where i live so i have been there often. It is very small and in the middle of utah and i can understand why he wants to get out. The town is also about 1:30-2 hours away from Salt Lake City. "Breaking out of this 2 start town"...that is the line that i makes me think that he is talking about nephi. This town is mostly Mormon (the religion that utah is famous for) and he grew up as a mormon and the line "slipping in my faith until i fall" makes me think also how badly he wants to get out because everyone thinks the same in towns like this that share the same religioin. I love this song to death! I play it whenever i pass the town Nephi on the freeway cuz it just seems right to do so.

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sonofagun
12-11-2006

Rated 0 
this song has the greatest synth

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created727
12-16-2006

Rated 0 
I thought it was kind of amazing- that brandon has such a
great recollection of memories of the past good or bad, that hes has brought forth to the world with this song.
I think, Honestly, this is music

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.powersuitinsnow.
12-18-2006

Rated 0 
i'm seeing a bunch of references to Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Thunder Road’. Anyone else? Someone told me that some magazine said that brandon flowers references springsteen in 'when you were young', so i don't think this is too far out there:

'I never really gave up on breakin' out of this two-star town
I got the green light, I got a little fight
I'm gonna turn this thing around'
'Thunder Road': 'It's a town full of losers and we're pulling out of here to win.'

'The good old days
the honest man'
'the honest man' = Springsteen?

'the restless heart
the promised land'
‘Thunder Road’: 'Come take my hand
we're riding out tonight to case the promised land'

'it's funny how you just break down
waitin' on some sign'
‘Thunder Road’: 'You can hide 'neath your covers and study your pain
Make crosses from your lovers, throw roses in the rain
Waste your summer praying in vain for a savior to rise from these streets'

'I pull up to the front of your driveway'
‘Thunder Road’: 'Screen door slams, Mary's dress waves
Like a vision she dances across the porch as the radio plays...
Hey what else can we do now except roll down the window and let the wind blow back your hair?
Well the night's busting open, these two lanes'll take us anywhere...'

'with magic soakin' my spine'
‘Thunder Road’: 'Well show a little faith, there's magic in the night'

'The teenage queen
the loaded gun
the drop dead dream
the chosen one
a southern drawl
a world unseen'
‘Thunder Road’: 'There were ghosts in the eyes of all the boys you sent away
They haunt this dusty beach road
In the skeleton frames of burned out Chevrolets
They scream your name at night in the street
Your graduation gown lies in rags at their feet
And in the lonely cool before dawn you hear their engines roaring on
But when you get to the porch they're gone
On the wind'

'Slippin in my faith
until I fall'
‘Thunder Road’: 'Well show a little faith, there's magic in the night'

'woman, open the door'
‘Thunder Road’: 'Climb in back, heaven's waiting on down the tracks'

'The stars are blazing like rebel diamonds cut out of the sun'
‘Thunder Road’: 'It's lying out there like a killer in the sun'

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1 Reply
.powersuitinsnow.
12-18-2006

Rated 0 
i'm seeing a bunch of references to Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Thunder Road’. Anyone else? Someone told me that some magazine said that brandon flowers references springsteen in 'when you were young', so i don't think this is too far out there:

'I never really gave up on breakin' out of this two-star town
I got the green light, I got a little fight
I'm gonna turn this thing around'
'Thunder Road': 'It's a town full of losers and we're pulling out of here to win.'

'The good old days
the honest man'
'the honest man' = Springsteen?

'the restless heart
the promised land'
‘Thunder Road’: 'Come take my hand
we're riding out tonight to case the promised land'

'it's funny how you just break down
waitin' on some sign'
‘Thunder Road’: 'You can hide 'neath your covers and study your pain
Make crosses from your lovers, throw roses in the rain
Waste your summer praying in vain for a savior to rise from these streets'

'I pull up to the front of your driveway'
‘Thunder Road’: 'Screen door slams, Mary's dress waves
Like a vision she dances across the porch as the radio plays...
Hey what else can we do now except roll down the window and let the wind blow back your hair?
Well the night's busting open, these two lanes'll take us anywhere...'

'with magic soakin' my spine'
‘Thunder Road’: 'Well show a little faith, there's magic in the night'

'The teenage queen
the loaded gun
the drop dead dream
the chosen one
a southern drawl
a world unseen'
‘Thunder Road’: 'There were ghosts in the eyes of all the boys you sent away
They haunt this dusty beach road
In the skeleton frames of burned out Chevrolets
They scream your name at night in the street
Your graduation gown lies in rags at their feet
And in the lonely cool before dawn you hear their engines roaring on
But when you get to the porch they're gone
On the wind'

'Slippin in my faith
until I fall'
‘Thunder Road’: 'Well show a little faith, there's magic in the night'

'woman, open the door'
‘Thunder Road’: 'Climb in back, heaven's waiting on down the tracks'

'The stars are blazing like rebel diamonds cut out of the sun'
‘Thunder Road’: 'It's lying out there like a killer in the sun'

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remedy
12-29-2006

Rated 0 
the beginning is wrong
it starts with
I'm on the corner of main street

not just on

anywhos....
love it!
its me and muh bff's song


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No_One_Really
01-12-2007

Rated 0 
OOh I love this song and it is magically spine tinglinglinglinglingly enchanting, I was some what obsessed with the song and listened to it every waking moment, as well as Glamorous Indie Rock 'n' Roll. x

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poorlilrockstar
01-15-2007

Rated +1 
The way I imagine the song is that the narrator (whether it's autobiographical about Flowers or not) is singing to a girl he used to dream with. That is, they probably grew up in a small, unpromising town, and would dream together about the places they'd go and the things they'd do, and then life was too distracting and here they are as adults and it seems the narrator had given up on his dreams. He's convincing the girl that he "never really gave up on breaking out of this two-star town," and he has "a green light" (his opportunity to finally get out).

The lines "it's funny how you just break down/waitin' on some sign" seem to reflect how he'd waited his whole life up until that point waiting for a sign as to what he should do. It seems he always wanted to get out, but imagined life would just change for him, not so much that he had to make his own changes. It's a common tale for many Americans from small towns. Been there done that myself!

At any rate, this is easily my favorite track off Sam's Town. I love the ambition in it, musically and lyrically. Considering Brandon had grown up in a small town himself, it sounds like he poured a lot of his soul into this one, and it really shows. Kudos to them, can't wait to see the video!

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jolovesthekillers
01-21-2007

Rated 0 
mayb its about cosing the town u live in or the woman u love

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