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While we're on the subject
Could we change the subject now?
I was knocking on your ear's door, but you were always out
Looking towards the future
We were begging for the past
Well, we knew we had the good things
But those never seemed to last
Oh, please just last
Everyone's unhappy
Everyone's ashamed
Well, we all just got caught looking
At somebody else's page
Well, nothing ever went
Quite exactly as we planned
Our ideas held no water
But we used them like a damn
Oh, and we carried it all so well
As if we got a new position
Oh, and I laugh all the way to hell
Saying, 'yes, this is a fine promotion.'
Oh, and I laugh all the way to hell
Of course everyone goes crazy
Over such and such and such
We made ourselves a pillar
We just used it as a crutch
We were certainly uncertain
At least, I'm pretty sure I am
Well, we didn't need the water
But we just built that, go God damn
Oh, and I know this of myself
I assume as much for other people
Oh, and I know this of myself
We've listened more to life's end-gong
Than the sound of life's sweet bells
Was it ever worth it?
Was there all that much to gain?
Well, we knew we missed the boat
And we'd already missed the plane
We didn't read the invite
We just dance at our wake
All our favorites were playing
So we could shake, shake, shake, shake, shake
Tiny curtain's open, and we heard the tiny clap of little hands
A tiny man would tell a little joke, and get a tiny laugh from all the folks
Sitting, drifting around in bubbles, and thinking it was us that carried them
When we finally got it figured out, that we had truly missed the boat
Oh, and we carried it all so well
As if we got a new position
Oh, and we owned all the tools ourselves
But not the skills to make a shelf with
Oh, what useless tools ourselves
Could we change the subject now?
I was knocking on your ear's door, but you were always out
Looking towards the future
We were begging for the past
Well, we knew we had the good things
But those never seemed to last
Oh, please just last
Everyone's unhappy
Everyone's ashamed
Well, we all just got caught looking
At somebody else's page
Well, nothing ever went
Quite exactly as we planned
Our ideas held no water
But we used them like a damn
Oh, and we carried it all so well
As if we got a new position
Oh, and I laugh all the way to hell
Saying, 'yes, this is a fine promotion.'
Oh, and I laugh all the way to hell
Of course everyone goes crazy
Over such and such and such
We made ourselves a pillar
We just used it as a crutch
We were certainly uncertain
At least, I'm pretty sure I am
Well, we didn't need the water
But we just built that, go God damn
Oh, and I know this of myself
I assume as much for other people
Oh, and I know this of myself
We've listened more to life's end-gong
Than the sound of life's sweet bells
Was it ever worth it?
Was there all that much to gain?
Well, we knew we missed the boat
And we'd already missed the plane
We didn't read the invite
We just dance at our wake
All our favorites were playing
So we could shake, shake, shake, shake, shake
Tiny curtain's open, and we heard the tiny clap of little hands
A tiny man would tell a little joke, and get a tiny laugh from all the folks
Sitting, drifting around in bubbles, and thinking it was us that carried them
When we finally got it figured out, that we had truly missed the boat
Oh, and we carried it all so well
As if we got a new position
Oh, and we owned all the tools ourselves
But not the skills to make a shelf with
Oh, what useless tools ourselves
Lyrics submitted by ripelivejam, edited by asjniem, sheionizes, passionatesleepyhead, RocketFall
Track duration: 04:25
"Missed the Boat" as written by Isaac Brock, Eric Judy, Tom Peloso, Jeremiah Green, Johnny Marr, Joe Plummer
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, CHRYSALIS MUSIC GROUP
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Could we change the subject now?
I was knocking on your ear's door, but you were always out
Looking towards the future
We were begging for the past
Well, we knew we had the good things
But those never seemed to last
Oh, please just last
I think this has to do with the fact that we always look forward for things to change, but when they do we wish things were like they used to, and we want the good things in our lives to last forever.
Everyone's unhappy
Everyone's ashamed
Well, we all just got caught looking
At somebody else's page
Sort of a "grass is greener on the other side" statement, everyone is unhappy and ashamed of themselves, and we often wish we had someone else's life.
Well, nothing ever went
Quite exactly as we planned
Our ideas held no water
But we used them like a dam
Sometimes our plans go awry, and they often do. But even so, we stick to what we think is right, and use that as a defense against the world, thinking they are indestructible, despite the fact that our beliefs are wholly fallible.
Oh, and we carried it all so well
As if we got a new position
Oh, and I laugh all the way to hell
Saying, 'yes, this is a fine promotion.'
Oh, and I laugh all the way to hell
Hard to say what this means, but I think it has to do with "carrying on", so to speak, even when things go completely wrong. Even when things go to shit, we laugh it off and pretend everything is fine.
Of course everyone goes crazy
Over such and such and such
We made ourselves a pillar
We just used it as a crutch
We build up what we believe to be right, and lean on it like it can help us through everything, but in the end those beliefs can crumble and you're left with nothing.
We were certainly uncertain
At least, I'm pretty sure I am
Well, we didn't need the water
But we just built that, go God dam
Something of an affirmation that, no matter what we believe, there can be no certainty, but we stick to them to the point of absurdity when faced with adversity, even when we know we're standing on flawed ground.
Oh, and I know this of myself
I assume as much for other people
Oh, and I know this of myself
We've listened more to life's end-gong
Than the sound of life's sweet bells
I believe this is saying that when you know your beliefs and morality can be flawed, you would expect others to realize the same about their own beliefs and morality, and when you obsess over being "right" you end up missing out on life.
Was it ever worth it?
Was there all that much to gain?
Well, we knew we missed the boat
And we'd already missed the plane
Here is the metaphorical "missing the boat". When our beliefs and personality are given the chance to change for the better, but you end up sticking to your old beliefs, it's like missing the boat. You're late to the evolution of your own self, and you don't know if the chance to change will ever come back.
We didn't read the invite
We just dance at our wake
All our favorites were playing
So we could shake, shake, shake, shake, shake
I seriously don't know what this one means, something about dying while people remember you in a meaningless and sort of superficial way, like your life didn't mean much, and you're just celebrating at your own funeral.
Tiny curtain's open, and we heard the tiny clap of little hands
A tiny man would tell a little joke, and get a tiny laugh from all the folks
Sitting, drifting around in bubbles, and thinking it was us that carried them
When we finally got it figured out, that we had truly missed the boat
Sometimes we preach to the choir, we have our own beliefs and we talk about them with others, and they clap for you just because they are somewhat like minded on a subject. This sort of connection can be rather meaningless, and is a weak basis for friendship. You can end up thinking that you're the greatest thing ever, like a prodigy to others, and you can end up estranging your actual friends over something so minor. When you figure out this behavior is self destructive, and you only matter to someone else because you have just one common belief, you may have already missed the chance to get back to what really matters.
Oh, and we carried it all so well
As if we got a new position
Oh, and we owned all the tools ourselves
But not the skills to make a shelf with
Oh, what useless tools ourselves
We often have everything we need to make things better, but we are often feel incapable of doing so, and that alone is enough to make us be useless because we don't take the initiative to learn and deal with the changes in life.
I believe this song is about humankind itself, something very unique and something we often take for granted. If you take a look, you will notice the prevalence of communal words such as "we" and "everyone". "Missing the boat" to me is something human beings have been very good at for the past 6000 years or so, beginning with the idea that we are rulers over nature. This idea changed human nature and created the world we live in now. One where we live each day working endlessly for money, in hopes that it will provide happiness. One where we deplete natural resources, such as fossil fuels, not thinking about the implications we are having on all other life and the future. We develop all these seemingly great ideas and act on them impulsively, as if we have no conscience. This is the reality of human nature. It has been deeply ingrained into each generation, making it normal. However, these consequences are beginning to catch up with us. People are finding out each day that we are being lied to. Life is looking less and less like the blissful dream we were told about. Perhaps "the way to hell" is a fine promotion from humanity. Whatever is going on, one thing is clear. Human beings have certainly "missed the boat". We are drowning in this thing we have created, and we will continue to do so until we make a 90 degree turn and change our basic fundamental beliefs.
The whole "tiny man tells a little joke" part... basically the anti-climactic end to life. There is no big eternal reward (or better said, there is no way to be sure, hence the "I'm certainly uncertain" part). You get a wake, people tell some jokes and stories about you, and then they go on with their lives.
Could we change the subject now?
I was knocking on your ears
Don't worry, you were always out
Looking towards the future
We were begging for the past
Well, we know we had the good things
But those never seemed to last
Oh, please just last
I think it is your own conscious trying to tell you over and over to start living as you want to but just ignoring it hoping things would get better while you stay the same...fear of change. Then while you are happy you think you have it figured out but always in the back of your mind you have that voice telling you it is all going to go away because what you have on earth is temporary.
Everyone's unhappy
Everyone's ashamed
Well we all just got caught looking
At somebody else's page
Well, nothing ever went
Quite exactly as we planned
Our ideas held no water
But we used them like a dam
Everyone is unhappy/ashamed/depressed/confused etc...and we try to look at others and copy them to see if we can gain the "happiness" and "success" they have but the problem is we are all looking to each other (using each other and comparing ourselves to them (though they are no better off than we are) and if we fit in then that will be what holds us together aka a dam) and making the same mistakes over and over when really we have what we are looking for inside of us...which also comes into play in the last verse of the song.
Oh, and we carried it all so well
As if we got a new position
Oh, and I laugh all the way to hell
Saying, "Yes, this is a fine promotion"
Oh, and I laugh all the way to hell
Of course everyone goes crazy
Over such and such and such
We made ourselves a pillar
But we just used it as a crutch
We were certainly uncertain
At least I'm pretty sure I am
Well, we didn't need the water
But we just built that good goddamn
I think the pillar here is God...everyone is going all crazy trying to figure out the "meaning of life" so they created some higher being to give themselves a nice fluffy answer...using God as the crutch to make them feel like they have a purpose. There wasn't an actual reason or need to create a higher being but once you hear it or think about it you start to believe it but you always have that doubt inside you.
Oh, and I know this of myself
I'd assume as much for other people
Oh, and I know this of myself
We've listened more to life's end gong
Than the sound of life's sweet bells
Everyone goes around worrying about the future, wondering what happens when you die, where you go, what your purpose was instead of living in the present and enjoying what you have and this entire experience.
Was it ever worth it?
Was there all that much to gain?
Well, we knew we'd missed the boat
And we'd already missed the plane
We didn't read the invite
We just danced at our own wake
All our favorites were playing
So we could shake, shake, shake, shake, shake
I think he is speaking from someone who has just passed away's perspective in this verse... was all the stuff I did in my life all the suffering and pretending I put myself through worth the effort? I'm dead and it doesn't even matter now. I didn't read the invite (didn't listen to your conscious telling you to live life for you and how you want) but now that you have passed on into the next life you realize that either way it doesn't matter because after this life your atoms/molecules/matter/consciousness transcend and you see how meaningless all your worry and effort was, so it is his spirit dancing at the wake out of happiness and new found enlightenment.
Tiny curtains open and we heard the tiny clap of little hands
A tiny man would tell a little joke and get a tiny laugh from all the folks
Sitting, drifting around in bubbles and thinking it was us that carried them
When we finally got it figured out that we had truly missed the boat
I think this is again talking about how we have to put up this personality to everyone and be "normal" and amusing...or respected in some cases...and even fooling yourself...but you catch yourself daydreaming about how this isn't really you but feeling it is too late to change.
Oh, and we carried it all so well
As if we got a new position
Oh, and we owned all the tools ourselves
But not the skills to make a shelf with
Oh, what useless tools ourselves
here he is saying we have every capability (tool) to achieve happiness and enlightenment within ourselves but we have no idea how to do it making our powers useless if you don't ever learn or utilize them. (quantum physics really)
that's all i got hehe....I highly doubt this is at all what he had in mind but that is what it means for me.
Think of the album title, "We were dead before the ship even sank". Now think of it as "Our lives were over before we were even dead". Now listen to the song again. See what you think.
To me they are trying to convey that they are partying up on earth and just having a good time.
"We didn't read the invite
We just danced at our own wake
All our favorites were playing
So we could shake, shake, shake, shake, shake"
And not really "getting on the boat" or "getting on the plane" to the heavenly afterlife?
Also he says
"Oh, and we carried it all so well
As if we got a new position
Oh, and I laugh all the way to hell
Saying, "Yes, this is a fine promotion"
Oh, and I laugh all the way to hell"
Its kind of like he telling himself he doesn't buy the whole religion thing...and if it is true he must be going to hell.
we live our life caught up in our love and lust, then before we know it we are straight on our way to hell because we missed our boat.
we dont wanna listen to other people, hence the not reading the invite, we just do as we feel, and we miss impartant general ideas, seeing how we are caught up in the details.