Lyrics for Bang the Doldrums as interpreted by rust3dxh3art

Bang the Doldrums Lyrics
I wrote a goodbye note in lipstick on your arm when you passed out,
I couldn’t bring myself to call, except to call it quits,

Best friends, ex-friends to the end,
Better of as lovers and not the other way around,
Racing through the city, windows down,
In the back of yellow-checkered cars.

You're all wrong,
Are we all wrong?
You're all wrong,
Are we all wrong?

This city says;
Come Hell or high water, when I’m feeling hot and wet,
I can’t commit to a thing, be it heart or hospital,

Best friends, ex-friends to the end,
Better of as lovers and not the other way around,
Racing through the city, windows down,
In the back of yellow-checkered cars.

You're all wrong,
Are we all wrong?
You're all wrong,
Are we all wrong?

The tombstones are waiting,
They were half engraved,
They knew it was over,
Just didn’t know the date.

And I cast a spell over the West to make you think of me,
The same way I think of you,
This is a love song in my own way,
Happily ever after, below the waist.

Best friends, ex-friends to the end,
Better of as lovers,
Racing through the city, windows down,
In the back of yellow-checkered cars.

You're all wrong,
Are we all wrong?
You're all wrong,
Are we all wrong?

Best friends, ex-friends to the end,
Better of as lovers and not the other way around,
Ex-friends to the end, and better off as,
You're all wrong.

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softlyforsalvation
01-23-2007

Rated 0 
well i suppose this is kind of self explanitory song
what the hell is the yellow ticket?

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BulletproofScales
01-23-2007

Rated 0 
actually, i think its "In the back of yellow-checkered cars" (which would be a taxi)

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suchaxsucker
01-24-2007

Rated 0 
Obviously about Jeanae and their on-again off-again relationship.

"I couldn't bring myself to call, except to call it quits."
I don't think he ever felt good enough for her. He was always posting journals about wanting to call back home (probably her) but it being too late at night and people (she) might be asleep. So the only time he could ever "call" her is metaphorical, since they called it quits.

"The tombstones were waiting, they were half engraved."
This reflects the starting point of their relationship (probably the most recent).
"They knew it was over, just didn't know the date."
The relationship was over before the two decided to call it quits.

"I cast a spell over the West to make you think of me the same way I think of you."
That's pretty easy to understand. He finally made her feel the same way he felt about her, one way or another.

"Best friends, ex-friends to the end. Better off as lovers, not the other way around."
Those two are best friends, and they went through rough times, probably points where they were 'ex-friends'. He finds they're better off as lovers, or best friends, not as ex-friends (to the end).

Well that was analyzed a lot. Haha. That's just what I got out of it. (:

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ringinmyears
01-24-2007

Rated 0 
Amazing.

I pretty much agree with suchaxsucker on everything.
The part where Pete talks/screams is amazing. and if the Yo-ho-HO, whoa-oh-oh-oh part reminded you of pirates, it was supposed to. The Doldrums are a wind system and a sailor-ish term... but like, bang the drums, yeah. Kind of one of those jokes where people don't laugh, they just go "aaaauuugggh." but i felt pretty smart for figuring it out.

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shrodes
01-24-2007

Rated 0 
Haha I wrote a review on the album yesterday (it sucked), but I said this song reminded me of pirates. That's so cool.

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softlyforsalvation
01-25-2007

Rated 0 
pirates rule
wow ringinmyears thats pretty smart :)
yeah the taxi cab thing fits better then a yellow ticket

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melinasaurus
01-25-2007

Rated 0 
I'd say this is my favorite song I've heard from IOH so far. =] its spectacular, especially the intro!

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melinasaurus
01-25-2007

Rated 0 
Oh yeah,
and this song was originally called Yellow Checkered Cars, so it makes sense that thats the proper line; not yellow ticket.

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Seewa
01-26-2007

Rated 0 
One of my favourites from IOH, easily. Too catchy. suchaxsucker is pretty much spot on with the meaning. Is it weird that instead of "Yellow checkered cars" I thought I was hearing "The yellow chicken calls"? xD

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softlyforsalvation
01-26-2007

Rated 0 
i think that the bit about the tomestones means that the relationship was doomed from the start. like they were already half engraved when the relationship started, just waiting for it to be finished so they could put the date on it

The tombstones are waiting,
They were half engraved,
They knew it was over,
Just didn’t know the date.

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Liiva
02-01-2007

Rated 0 
Love this song

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brashnhopefulx3
02-02-2007

Rated 0 
this reminds me of greenday.... atleast the intro

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brashnhopefulx3
02-02-2007

Rated 0 
but the words are like pirates

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F.o.B.truxoluv
02-02-2007

Rated 0 
this song is about a relationship that seems so great, til you break up. then it feels like it was a mistake from the beginning. so the person abandons the other. and becomes miserable. reminds me of me, and i have no idea what the pirate references are all about...

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sarraicy
02-03-2007

Rated 0 
this song sounds pretty broadway to me.
at least the tune at times does. hahas.
great song!

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AubergineDrea7s
02-03-2007

Rated 0 
this song is pretty good. not the best, but definitely not the worst.. and when he says the yo-ho-ho. what is the "are we" in parenthesis ???

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Insane_Li
02-04-2007

Rated 0 
Bang the Doldrums is a pun in my opinion.

I have to comment, though, that when Pete is singing, "Just didn't know the date" and Patrick comes in, it is in perfect harmony. It's light and dark. It's very beautiful, kind of like a more developed TTTYG thing (where Patrick sung while Pete screamed).

Easily one of the best songs on the album, even if it isn't riddled with a bunch of hidden meaning.

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FOB_tara
02-05-2007

Rated 0 
OK this is a great song but I'm sorry I just have to say this the yo-ho-ho bit reminds me so much of a pirate song. Haha!

I agree about the bROADWAY THING.

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IsingTheBluesLaLaLa
02-05-2007

Rated 0 
Ahhhhhh I totally love this song!! Yo Ho hO!! It's pretty obvious what it means! Love and all that jazz!!
It's bout a guy who's with a girl and he wants to end it but he's finding it hard: "I couldn't bring myself to call, except to call it quits"

The doldrums are normally a reference to like a period of inactivity or boredom, (when the sailors in the olden days had like no wind for their ship or whatever) so maybe it's about a guy who feels bored and tired with his relationship!
And it's an excuse for Fall Out Boy to get all piratey!!

The tombstone bit is pretty self explainatory!! The thing that they had was pretty much over but they just hadn't called it quits yet!

The line "I cast a spell over the West to make you think of me, the same way i think of you" would lead me to believe that he was more in love with her than she was with him! Perhaps they were just getting drunk and sleeping together, hence the her passing out! (in the first verse!) And then he did something to make her feel the way he did (possibly broke up with her! Or maybe even cheated on her because that could have been what she was doing to him.)

"This is a love song, in my own way. Happily ever after, and gone to waste." Welll hmmm I think this is him saying it ended happily because she finally realised she loved him too, but it was all a waste because he was over her by then! Etc etc!

The "best friends, ex friends" bit is just about their time together i reckon!!!

Et voila thats what i think of their song!!! Lalala!

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X Queenie X
02-05-2007

Rated 0 
"This is a love song in my own way,
Happily ever after, and gone to waste."

Having listened to this a couple times, is it possible its actually "Happily ever after, below the waist" ?

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rust3dxh3art
02-05-2007

Rated 0 
^ I just listened to it again, and I think you're right! Thanks for that! Would've never deciphered it!

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Kina020492
02-06-2007

Rated 0 
at the part where your lyrics say

"Yo-ho ho. Woah-oh-oh.
(Are we)
Yo-ho ho. Woah-oh-oh.
Yo-ho ho. Woah-oh-oh.
(Are we)
Yo-ho ho. Woah-oh-oh"

I think it's more along the lines of

"You're wrong
Are we all wrong,"

repeated a few times.

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rust3dxh3art
02-06-2007

Rated 0 
Hmm, it doesn't totally sound like that to me, but a few places have written it as such, so I'll change it. It does make more sense, anyway- thanks :)

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imsoooadragon
02-07-2007

Rated 0 
aw man, i really liked thinking it was "yo ho ho". :/

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Kina020492
02-07-2007

Rated 0 
Yeah, sometimes more than others it sounds like 'You're wrong," etc. But I thought it made more sense, and if you sing it along with the song it sounds like it goes correctly. =]

Anyways.. The song is really catchy, and the lyrics are great too.

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