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She held the world upon a string.
But she didn’t ever hold me.
She spun the stars on her fingernails.
But it never made her happy.
Because she couldn’t ever have me.
She said she’d won the world at a carnival.
But she couldn't ever win me.
Because she couldn’t ever catch me.
I…I know why.
Because when I look in her eyes, I just see the sky.
I don’t love you. I’m just passing the time.
You could love me.
If I knew how to lie?
But who could love me?
I am out of my mind.
Throwing a line out to sea.
To see if I can catch a dream.
The sun was always in her eyes.
She didn't even see me.
But that girl had so much love.
She’d want to kiss you all the time.
Yeah, she'd want to kiss you all the time.
She said she’d won the world at a carnival.
But I'm sure I didn’t ruin her, just made her more interesting.
I…I know why.
Because when I look in her eyes, I just see the sky.
I don’t love you. I’m just passing the time.
You could love me.
If I knew how to lie?
But who could love me?
I am out of my mind.
Throwing a line out to sea.
To see if I can catch a dream.
But she didn’t ever hold me.
She spun the stars on her fingernails.
But it never made her happy.
Because she couldn’t ever have me.
She said she’d won the world at a carnival.
But she couldn't ever win me.
Because she couldn’t ever catch me.
I…I know why.
Because when I look in her eyes, I just see the sky.
I don’t love you. I’m just passing the time.
You could love me.
If I knew how to lie?
But who could love me?
I am out of my mind.
Throwing a line out to sea.
To see if I can catch a dream.
The sun was always in her eyes.
She didn't even see me.
But that girl had so much love.
She’d want to kiss you all the time.
Yeah, she'd want to kiss you all the time.
She said she’d won the world at a carnival.
But I'm sure I didn’t ruin her, just made her more interesting.
I…I know why.
Because when I look in her eyes, I just see the sky.
I don’t love you. I’m just passing the time.
You could love me.
If I knew how to lie?
But who could love me?
I am out of my mind.
Throwing a line out to sea.
To see if I can catch a dream.
Lyrics submitted by JubeJube
Track duration: 03:47
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"She held the world upon a string
But she didn't ever hold me
Spun the stars on her fingernails
But it never made her happy
Cause she couldn't ever have me
She said she'd won the world at a carnival
But she could never win me
Cause she couldn't ever catch me"
The girl is happy that she loves him, but it never made her happy because she doesn't think he feels the same, but he actually does. She couldn't catch him because she doesn't realize how he feels and what he is trying to do.
"I, I know why
Because when I look in her eyes
I just see the sky
When I look in her eyes
Well I, just see the sky"
He tries to tell her, but she gets distracted and never listens to what he has to say about her.
"I don’t love you I'm just passing the time
You could love me if I knew how to lie
But who could love me?
I am out of my mind
Throwing a line out to sea
To see if I can catch a dream"
Denying her because he can't help that he can't say anything to her without being distracted. He thinks that's he's crazy and is surprised that a girl loves him so much.
"The sun was always in her eyes
She didn't even see me
But that girl had so much love
she'd wanna kiss you all the time
Yeah, she'd wanna kiss you all the time"
She loves him, but she still can't see what he has to say.
She said she won the world at a carnival
But I'm sure I didn’t ruin her
Just made her more interesting
I'm sure I didn’t ruin her
Just made her more interesting
Their crazy relationship is just confusing people around them, but he didn't break her heart, he made her more boy-crazed and in-love.
That's my opinion, not many people may agree with me though.
He, however, doesn't love her. Yet he goes along with it, maybe because they're friends and he doesn't want to ruin their friendship by rejecting her, maybe because he feels guilty about his inability to ever return such feelings, or perhaps because nobody else loves him ("but who could love me? I am out of my mind"). The lyric "I don't love you, I'm just passing the time" obviously points out that he was looking for something to do, similar to how she seemingly was just looking for something to love. I think Ryan's part of the song might be the boy explaining all of this to the girl, while the rest is apparently explaining the situation.
It's a great song, beautiful lyrics, amazing band. <3
*I assume the character is male because the song seems to be about either Brendon's or Ryan's experiences since they are singing the song, but I could be wrong.
She said she�d won the world at a carnival.
But I'm sure IT didn�t ruin her, just made her more interesting.
its it not I ruined her
i think its about a girl who is spoiled and gets watever she wants, but the boy.
And he doesnt lover her so but he does say,
"I could love you if I knew how to lie"
and when he gives the relationship a chance he says
"I dont love you I am just passing the time"
It's like, when you're a writer or someone who can really think deeply (P!ATD can is a petty deep band, and Ryan is a pretty deep lyricist), not everyone will GET you. They will appreciate you, have fun with you, whatever, but thy won't GET you right away. Ever had your moments with P!ATD where it took you a dozen repeats to get a GIST of their lyrics?
Anyway, I agree about the girl who had the whole world, but she's either not satisfied with it or she couldn't see that she was very blessed with the 'world' until she could get the guy she wants. I also don't think she's spoiled; just a bit naive. The song is written in one perspective (the guy's), and I think when Ryan starts singing we get a deeper look into the boy's mind; like the whole meaning is amplified in Ryan's part. I think the boy tried to like the girl once, and maybe he did, but he realized that the girl isn't all she is. I think the boy "doesn't love her/ he's just passing the time" because he likes her, but he didn't love her. But MORE IMPORTANTLY, I think he was frustrated that the girl will never understand him because he was either too weird or too deep, and she thinks that by loving him the way she knew how ("but that girl had so much love/ she wanna kiss you all the time") would make up for it. But it wouldn't, because the boy will never find what he's looking for in her ("when i look in her eyes, well I just see the sky"). I think that line could also be alluded to people who think differently and are very deep, but the person who loves them is shallow and can never understand the way these people think. And it frustrates them because when they look for something more in the person, they "just see the sky."
The girl could love the boy (love, not like) if "he knew how to lie" but he can't lie about how he thinks and who he is. "But who could love me/ I am out of my mind" makes sense because since not a lot of people will understand the boy's heart and mind, it'd be hard for him to find someone who would really love him, and not just like him. "Throwing a line out to sea/ to see if I can catch a dream" is like the boy is looking for that one person who will appreciate and understand him for who he is, and maybe he was looking for that in the girl, but he never found it because the girl never had it. And because he can't find it in the girl, he can't bring himself to love her, but he still likes her as a person ("I don't love you/ I'm just passing the time"). That line could also mean that because the girl likes him, he'll just got with the flow and pass time, but he knows he will never bring himself to love her truly.
I guess this is a more personal opinion because I can relate to the song in this way, because I am a pretty deep thinker and I sometimes find it sad that people can be so shallow that they can't understand the way I think. That's just me though. The song is pretty sad itself; the story of a girl and a guy who each had so much love, but none of them can give it to each other. It's like the wrong love at the right time. It seems like a good, romantic idea, but it just wasn't working. The girl is naive, the guy is too different. And they both have different perspectives on love.
Sorry for the long rant. The song is pretty personal. :)
And I might be totally off on this. I'm always a firm believer in own interpretations for songs. We all relate on different levels and in different ways to songs. We wouldn't like them if we couldn't take something from them that was a part of our lives. Some people on here said they dealt with something similar to this, and I find that amazing. To find a song you can truly understand on a deeper level is one of the most amazing feels.
But she didn't ever hold me."
Everything in her life was attainable and reachable, except getting the narrator to love her.
"She spun the stars on her fingernails.
But it never made her happy.
Because she couldn't ever have me."
She could have anything on Earth, but it wouldn't ever be enough because all she wanted was his love.
"She said she'd won the world at a carnival.
But she couldn't ever win me.
Because she couldn't ever catch me."
Perhaps the narrator is alluding to carnival games ("win me"), specifically the one where you fish for ducks ("catch me").
"I. I know why.
Because when I look in her eyes, I just see the sky."
He knows why she will never be happy, because he doesn't truly love her. Instead of gazing into her eyes romantically and seeing her soul, he just sees the reflection of the sky. This shows his indifference for her.
"I don't love you. I'm just passing the time.
You could love me.
If I knew how to lie?"
Now the girl is narrating. She states she doesn't love him as a coping mechanism. She states that she was lieing about loving him to make him lover her.
"But who could love me?
I am out of my mind.
Throwing a line out to sea.
To see if I can catch a dream."
She thinks she is crazy for loving him, that nobody could ever love her. She dreams for someone who will, and keeps looking, but knows it is pointless.
"The sun was always in her eyes.
She didn't even see me."
Back to the male narrator. He doesn't feel like it was him she actually loved. He feels that she was in love with, and blinded by, the fact that someone showed her attention.
But that girl had so much love.
She'd want to kiss you all the time.
Yeah, she'd want to kiss you all the time."
Even though it wasn't specifically him she loved, she definitely has a lot of love to give.
"She said she'd won the world at a carnival.
But I'm sure I didn't ruin her, just made her more interesting."
He knows that she is heartbroken over him, but that's okay because she will be better prepared for future relationships. He feels that she is a better catch now that she has experienced heartache.