Bloc Party – Waiting for the 7:18

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Waiting for the seven eighteen
January is endless
Weary-eyed and forlorn
The Northern Line is the loudest

Sitting in silence in bars after work
I've got nothing to add or contest
Can still kick a ball a hundred yards
We cling to bottles and memories of the past

(Give me moments)
Just give me moments (give me moments)
Not hours or days (give me moments)
Just give me moments (give me moments)

Grinding your teeth in the middle of the night
With the sadness of those molars
Spend all your spare time trying to escape

With crosswords and sudoku

If I could do it again
I'd make more mistakes
I'd not be so scared of falling

If I could do it again,
I'd climb more trees
I'd pick and I'd eat more wild
Blackberries

(Give me moments)

Just give me moments (give me moments)
Not hours or days (give me moments)
Just give me moments (give me moments)

[Repeat: x8]
Let's drive to Brighton on the weekend

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Lyrics submitted by mswer

"Waiting for the 7:18" as written by Kele/lissack Okereke

Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Waiting for the 7:18 song meanings
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45 Comments

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  • +2
    General Comment:This song is referencing a famous poem by Nadine Stair:

    devpsy.org/nonscience/…

    Note the 'If I could do it again' part, and 'just give me moments' - clear references.

    This is a beautiful song that artfully recalls a beautiful poem, and adds the very moving and powerful images of the deafening London Underground (The Northern Line being one part of the London subway system) filled with unhappy commmuters, and the 'endless' feeling of January - the month that is known to be, statistically, the highest for suicides.

    A wonderful piece of music, especially to somebody who takes the Northern Line every day (and as the time of writing this comment it is mid-January).
    Flag funkadelic101on January 17, 2012   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:this song to me seems like he had a loss of love and regrets letting it go so easily because its all he wants to live for, he also he mentions blackberrys maybe its some form of link to the lyric in 'biko'
    "I left you blueberries in the fridge
    The little thing that I can do"
    maybe there about the same person they have similar meanings in biko it seems as if he wants more effort in holding things together

    just a guess,

    Flag harleyDGelliotton October 03, 2009   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:I'm wondering about the significance of Brighton, in the line "let's drive to Brighton on the weekend". Brighton is known as the gay capital of Britain, and we know that Kele is homosexual or bisexual. What if the song is about growing up, and admitting what you are and not having regrets? Maybe he thinks we would express our owm personalities, and not hide them away. Just a thought.
    Flag tomwillshawon July 25, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:kele wrote the lyrics for this song after watching his post-college friends lose more and more of their lives to work.

    gordy said:

    "waiting for the 7:18' was originally a ballad. when we revisted it we just whacked it on top of a frenetic drum & bass beat and it went nuts"
    Flag supasyd23on February 18, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:i think it's about how usual day to day stuff
    of people with normal carrers and such mess like that,
    and now he's reminsing on old memeories
    and how he wishes he had more moments instead of hours...
    am i right?
    Flag supasyd23on December 03, 2008   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:Some of these lines are wrong. It should be "Can I still kick a ball a hundred yards?" and also "Wear the sadness off those molars". Yeah.
    Flag MS21on November 10, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:in a nutshell, its about looking back and thinking that you didn't live life to the full
    Flag tobarrron October 06, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:i'm with the people that say it's looking back and regretting.
    Flag musiciskindacoolon September 19, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think hes talking about how much he made mistakes and played it way too safe.
    like you have to take some risks in life.
    and it could be involved with relationships.

    i like the xylophone in this song
    it makes it so much sweeter.
    then with the upbeat drums.
    and then when he says.
    LETS GO TO brighton.
    hes saying okay. LETS TRY AGain.
    you fall off the horse YOU get back on the horse.

    though i have a question..
    when do you listen to songs like this?
    when your feeling like the artist??
    Flag girly577on June 04, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I always thought that at the end he was saying "Lets try to brighten on the weekends". I thought so because it went well with the song. Especially how he hates his job, his life, and the weekends is the only time he can relax and try to make his life actually joyful. Maybe I'm wrong. Either way, great meaningful song.
    Flag TAMJAM13on April 11, 2008   Link

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