Lyrics for The Youth as interpreted by seldomburn

The Youth Lyrics
This is a call to arms
to live and love and sleep
together

We could flood the streets
with love or light or heat
whatever

Lock the parents out
cut a rug
twist and shout wave your hands
make it rain the stars will rise again

The youth is starting to change,
are you starting to change?
are you
together?

In a couple of years, tides have turned from
boos to cheers and in spite of
the weather, we can learn to make it
together

The youth is starting to change,
are you starting to change?
are you
together?

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  • 47 Comments
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weekendwarriorrr
02-07-2008

Rated +5 
i can't believe no one has commented on this song yet--it's one of my favorites off oracular spectacular. it's like a slow dance for jaded collegiate indie kids. i love it.

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1 Reply
elodie
02-17-2008

Rated 0 
oh my god. this song is a DREAM. mgmt is a dream. i seriously need more of them in my life. i wonder what they are like live?

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iyrn
04-22-2008

Rated -3 
obama should be using this song for his campaign. xD
i think the way they change keys or pitch or something in the chorus makes this song. it so eerie and tasty

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mandio
05-15-2008

Rated 0 
this song live, like the rest of the set, was wild. Comeplete perfection, honestly. As far as the meanings I think just being young, sleeping around, being carefree, and most importantly changing.

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mandio
05-15-2008

Rated 0 
Mgmt was also boo'd alot when they first started playing, back in 2002. They were trying to mix really obnoxious sounds and no one really "got it" This song could be a reflection on how far they've come as well as music. How our musical palette is expanding and now these guys are huge just a few years after they were boo'd at. I think we can all agree that this is "New Age" and we are all changing together through music.

"In a couple of years, tides have turned from
boos to cheers"

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emily_14
06-02-2008

Rated -2 
IDIOTS
the real lyrics are
"In a couple of years, tides have turned from
booze to tears"

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2 Replies
tashaa11
06-02-2008

Rated 0 
nope, its boos to cheers. you can hear the 'cheers' really clearly.

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emily_14
06-05-2008

Rated -2 
no its not
its booze to tears
fucking look it up before you comment

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1 Reply
hiitsme
06-08-2008

Rated 0 
hi, emily 14 or whatever.
you're wrong.
i own the CD, and the lyrics that come with it say "boos to cheers"....
so...fucking own the CD before you comment?
Mmk? Thanks.

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emily_14
06-15-2008

Rated -1 
umm ok then how come every single friggen lyrics website says booze to tears and songmeanings is the ONLY one that has boos to cheers and on songmeanings the lyrics can be changed by whoever

and tides if u didnt know are waves .. waves = liquid booze = liquid.. tears=liquid

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2 Replies
shakermaker23
06-16-2008

Rated +1 
How come? because lyrics sites must obviously get their lyrics from nitwits like you, thats why. It's boo's to cheers. Quit over analyzing, tides turning just represents a change in the 'climate' per se. In other words how they're now accepted more widely, unlike before.

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hiitsme
06-19-2008

Rated +1 
thank you shakermaker, for not being stupid, and being right.

on the other hand, emily 14...just quit it, alright.
I already told you I have the CD, WITH the lyrics in there, and it says that...so, just leave it alone, You're wrong, get over it.
And stop trying to sound smart with your little analysis, you already failed with your first comment.

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zepmaster
06-25-2008

Rated 0 
emily_14........ owned.

this song is amaaazing
i think its gotta be my fave by them. this is the shit i'm talking about man we need more bands like this on the go these days
awesome stuff

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howzitgoing2end
07-03-2008

Rated 0 
"the youth is starting to change" -obvious meaning.
"are you starting to change" -our generation is changing, does that mean that you are changing?
"are you together" -i can't decide if it is questioning someones relationship i.e. "are you guys even together now that you've changed?" OR if it is asking "are you together with the rest of the youth, changing..." OR if it is implying a question like "are you keeping yourself together?".

sorry if that was worded strangely and is difficult to understand.
not many posts have been made about the chorus. can i get some input? -like others, this is my favorite song on the album.

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2 Replies
imxnoxsaint
07-29-2008

Rated 0 
they are amazing live :]

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hippieeit
08-01-2008

Rated +6 
This song proves Andrew Vanwyngarden and Ben Goldwasser are true modern-day hippies. This song is talking about the dramatic change in culture that is happening today with the youth. Since the war on peace in the 60's and 70's, kids and teens all over America are becoming more and more nonconforming to societies standards and are learning to make their own opinions and beliefs instead of following the traditional ways of life that have been occuring for hundreds of years. They are learning to keep an open mind about everything and are less trusting of the people who make the decisions for our country. Andrew and Ben take sides with today's youth and just want peace on earth. I think this song is just saying "The youth is smarter than you think, they are no longer brainwashed by what you have hoped for them to believe about right and wrong. The rebellion is coming quick, so will you join it? Todays youth will be filling the shoes of all the leaders and this country will soon see a huge change in culture."

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5 Replies
rockndrollmaster
08-07-2008

Rated 0 
I completely aggree hippieeit.

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matchbox1251
08-08-2008

Rated 0 
i agreee also.
they definitely have the hippie-vibe in their music
this song is amazing,
i love their music
:]

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t-rexus
08-09-2008

Rated 0 
I think I agree with 'mandio'
when she talked about how people didn't really
get their music
well 'the youth is starting to change'
so get with it? you know? 'are you starting to change'
music changes over time, the new youth always
seems to understand the new music,

'the stars will rise again' they will come back,
people will understand 'lock the parents out'
self explanitory really.

"in spite of
the weather, we can learn to make it
together"
throughout all the boo's they stuck together and now
are a great success for all the world, including me,
to enjoy and love. :)

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laurrrriiiee
09-04-2008

Rated 0 
i agree with various comments here. but i have to say that apart from the song being brilliantly written, i believe it has to do a lot with the 70's revolution and how that effects their music making experiences. i think that they had a similar response with their music to the response that 1970's hippies had. they weren't immediately accepted, and often considered outrageous or rebellious.
the first three verses are seemingly like the protests, love making and rebellions against the conformist and conservative elder generation that occurred in the 60's to 70's.
the chorus also reminds me of that famous American war campaign "are YOU willing to serve your country" which is perfectly fitting to the 1970's hippie vibe which was opposing to the efforts of the Vietnam war.

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2 Replies
jackmac
09-09-2008

Rated 0 
Not to pict on emily14 anymore, but wow, what an angry person...

The real reason that I wanted to post was to say how much I like the "are you together?" line. Someone above posted that they thought this might be about relationships...could be, but I doubt it.

I think it's more likely about composure? As in, "keep it together." It kind of sucks to grow up now--how could you not be disaffected. It just seems futile to try to change the world sometimes.

Very thought provoking.

(In emily14's defense, booze, waves, and tears are liquids, generally speaking. So, clearly, is her brain.)

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applez88
09-11-2008

Rated 0 
On the explicit version it IS booze to tears. On the clean version it is boos to cheers. You should never judge.. theres always 2 sides to a story.

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juraffer
09-14-2008

Rated 0 
Dudes I think almost for certain this song is about climate change and a greener world and all that. And at the same time, of course, just the ideals of the 60s and that carefree lifestyle. (Twist and Shout, the Beatles) and then the first two stanzas as well.

In terms of climate change, "make it rain", and the whole chorus, because the young people are actually starting to get their act together about this, so... are you? And the most obvious part, in my opinion, "in spite of the weather"

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depimp
09-19-2008

Rated 0 
Yeah, juraffer, that's the first thing I thought about.

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iluvaon
10-06-2008

Rated 0 
great song! the band have sharp brains about song writing. calling we young people to change our world yeah! but i have to admit i hear he sings booze to tears. whatever, if i meet them face to face, i will ask them. i want to know.

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