Good Old War – Coney Island

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  General Comment:I'm pretty sure it's "I'm going to Coney Island TO have myself a dog". He says to more like "ta" and it's pretty fast but it sounds like that to me...he's obviously talking about Nathan's Famous hot dogs which Coney Island is known for

  Flag maladroitmortalon November 22, 2010   Link

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  General Comment:I love this song because to me it is speaking about living in a small town and feeling trapped. But once you get out in the world you miss it. It hits close to home for alot of people. It brings up alot of thoughts about where you want to go in life but still remembering where you came from. All of their songs have really powerful lyrics and this song is no exception.

  Flag SinkingShip08on August 06, 2010   Link

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  General Comment:I think that the song expresses the idea of being able to dislike a place so much but still miss/love the familiarity of it.
  "I'm going to Coney Island have myself a dog
  And reminisce why I still hate it here"
  here he is conveying that he misses certain aspects of this place.
  
  "It's all these people with their cotton candy eyes
  It's so sweet, now put the train in gear."
  and here is conveying how everyone in coney island is the same. they're sweet but their personalities soon melt. (like cotton candy in your mouth? eh? maybe.)
  
  the "diamond ring" symbolizes the fact that he will always come back, if only for a moment. the ring binds him to the city that he loves underneath it's sweet, melting exterior.
  
  "The ground is swallowing my options full release
  And if it rains they might just disappear"
  and although he knows staying in this town might stiffle any sort of potential growth, he is willing to come back again and again. when he gives the answer, "I counted 27 birds up there today
  I'm thinking that's why I still love it here" you get the idea that he's looking for an excuse to love the city, when he already loves it. also, note the "melting" symbolism here. it connects back to the "cotton candy eyes"

  Flag stephhtonon November 03, 2009   Link

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  General Comment:I like the idea of a record company..
  
  I found a letter in the mailbox today
  And I said, "thank you for your thoughts, but I'm done."
  I said that I would never build this up right here
  And he said, "that's why I can't work with you son."----The letter in his mailbox could be the company's opinion/controlling influence, and he is rejecting it."Thank you for your thoughts but i am done"
  
  But I can't let this go I'm on my way
  You can only hold my diamond ring
  But I'll go crawling back to the city I love
  Cause it's already taken everything----The diamond ring symbolizes a promise, and a marriage of the band and the record label. and he's saying they can hold onto the money. and the first part seems to be saying that even though he's leaving the label he can't let go the dream of being a musician, and he is obviously well "on his way."
  
  I'm going to Coney Island have myself a dog
  And reminisce why I still hate it here
  It's all these people with their cotton candy eyes
  It's so sweet, now put the train in gear.----Coney Island was extremely commercialized, and he's expressing is dissatisfaction with executives and the like with their "cotton candy eyes", aka money hungry jews, just like in coney island... haha. Putting the train in gear shows again that he wants to move on.
  
  But I can't let this go I'm on my way
  You can only hold my diamond ring
  But I'll go crawling back to the city I love
  Cause it's already taken everything
  
  The ground is swallowing my options full release
  And if it rains they might just disappear
  I counted 27 birds up there today
  I'm thinking that's why I still love it here
  I'm thinking that's why I still love it here----All of this shit I'm saying is kind of a stretch, and to cap it off, I'm thinking maybe the 27 birds up there are fans that came to his show, and he realizes that's why he "can't let this go", because he loves making music people enjoy.
  
  
  This is out there, but it makes sense, and it's clever if that was what the fella intended. what's anyone else think?
  
  But I can't let this go I'm on my way
  You can only hold my diamond ring
  But I'll go crawling back to the city I love
  Cause it's already taken everything
  Cause it's already taken everything
  

  Flag waddumson May 25, 2009   Link

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  General Comment:I think it has something to do with the past band Days Away and what they went thru with the former label Fueled by Ramen

  Flag fighter1on May 09, 2009   Link

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  General Comment:This song seems to be about the contradiction between two places. The place where he is on his way to going, and the hometown that has his heart (the city that he knows so well and loves). But, it might not be the best place for him. Its always hard to let go of something that's familiar.
  
  He says "its already taken everything". It may not be the best place for him to be, but for some reason he loves it. Although, it seems hes on his way to bigger and better things somewhere else.
  
  I am also very attachment to my hometown and felt a connection the first time I heard this song. This is one of the few songs I liked the FIRST time I heard it. Beautiful!

  Flag AmonaLisaon April 06, 2009   Link

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  General Comment:i think he's also saying that he needs to go. he knows that it will always be his home , "it has already taken everything", his heart , his soul, but he needs to get out. no one can physically stop him "you can only hold my diamond ring" and he knows he'll come crawling shamefully back soon enough but for the time being he needs to escape. oppressive / stiffling countryside life

  Flag :>alixxon February 10, 2009   Link

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  General Comment:I heard this song for the first time today and immediately felt an emotional attachment to it. I can agree with miracle sun7 and BLAHness90, but I also think that this highlights everything our hometown is to us... Where we grow up, often times, seems like the shittiest place on the earth, and no one ever seems to leave, but if you do you're considered a lucky one. We think of all the reasons why we hate the town, but in the same respect it always feels right, if just for a moment, to be back on Main Street, or for my purposes Oak Street. There might have been a possible break-up, thus the diamond ring lines, and maybe a quarrel between his father or a boss due to a complete different outlook on something. Over all I think this is an excellent and captivating song.

  Flag chaesopon October 01, 2008   Link

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  General Comment:I agree with miracle sun7....
  
  And when I heard the lyrics I immediately went back to my love-hate relationship with my hometown. Especially the whole vibe to the song - the peaceful melody. It really brings me back...

  Flag BLAHness90on September 26, 2008   Link

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  General Comment:I think this is Keith's version of seven years by Anthony Green/Saosin. It is confirmed that seven years is a letter Anthony wrote to his dad. Keith and Tony are really good friends too.

  Flag ikemxon September 05, 2008   Link

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