Lying in the park on a beautiful day
Sunshine in the grass and the children play
Sirens pass in fire engine red
Someone's house is burning down on a day like this

The evening comes and we're hanging out
On the front step and a car goes by with the windows rolled down
And that War song is playing
"Why can't we be friends?"
Someone is screaming and crying in the apartment upstairs

Funny the way it is
If you think about it
Somebody's going hungry and someone else is eating out
Funny the way it is
Not right or wrong
Somebody's heart is broken and it becomes your favorite song

The way your mouth feels in your lover's kiss
Like a pretty bird on the breeze or water to a fish
A bomb blast brings the building crashing to the floor
Hear the laughter while the children play war

Funny the way it is
If you think about it
One kid walks ten miles to school, another's dropping out
Funny the way it is
Not right or wrong
On a soldier's last breath, his baby's being born

Standing on a bridge
Watch the water passing underneath
It must have been much harder when there was no bridge, just water
Now the world is small
Remember how it used to be
With mountains and oceans and winters and rivers and stars?

Watch the sky, a jet plane so far out of my reach
Is there someone up there looking down on me?
A boy sees a bird, so close but every time
He'll never catch her but he can't stop trying

Funny the way it is
If you think about it
One kid walks ten miles to school, another's dropping out
Funny the way it is
Not right or wrong
On a soldier's last breath, his baby's being born

Funny the way it is
Not right or wrong
Somebody's broken heart becomes your favorite song
Funny the way it is
If you think about it
One kid walks ten miles to school, another's dropping out

Standing on a bridge
Watch the water passing underneath
It must have been much harder when there was no bridge, just water
Now the world is small
Remember how it used to be
With mountains and oceans and winters and rivers and stars?



Lyrics submitted by cristinaish, edited by Mellow_Harsher

Track duration: 04:27


Funny the Way It Is song meanings
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34 Comments

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  • 0
    Song Meaning:"Standing on a bridge
    Watch the water passing underneath
    It must have been much harder when there was no bridge, just water" implying -- it gets easier to kill oneself jumping off the bridge.
    Flagged mullerankalaon November 13, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:As "nosilas" said earlier, the lyrics are very ironic.
    Then i thought for my self, for a second, the song it self, the melody it self is very ironic.
    For instance, every time I listen to this song and all of my friends that are not the biggest fans, we all seem to get excited in a happy way, but there is nothing to be all to happy about.
    So even the melody is just as ironic as every line in this song.
    It makes me feel good/happy but at the same time it is sad, sad as hell.

    Lets just hope that Dave will never stop singing/playing for us.



    Flag vagrantinoon March 07, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:The way I see it, the song is about irony, and the bittersweetness of things. At one moment, your life could be amazing, but someone else is being crushed. When he says not wrong or right, it just means that's the way it is. it's just how life works.
    Flag musicalpolkadotson November 14, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think it's basically about irony.

    Lying in the park on a beautiful day
    Sunshine in the grass and the children play
    Sirens pass in fire engine red
    "Someone's house is burning down on a day like this"


    Basically it's saying how it could be a "beautiful day" for some people, but somewhere in the world, something terrible, like their house burning down, is occurring.
    Flag Ganonx321on March 07, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think its a matter or perspective in the world and a reference to maybe not dwell on all the depressing facts/situations but also not to forget about them as well. These people are still important and are in a situation have bad luck etc.
    I kinda am confused about the reference to suicide in here.
    ie Standing on a bridge
    Watch the water passing underneath
    It must have been much harder when there was no bridge, just water
    although very emotional and moving it doesn't necessarily connect to the other lyrics so well imo. Like to know others thoughts.
    Flag kavanagson March 02, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Great song, and it really must be because I dont like most of DM's stuff, but I love this one. I also think it beats the hell out of that song "ironic" song Alanis put out in the 90s. Poor Alanis--Dave really put her to shame with this one.
    Flag hangwire13on January 15, 2010   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:For me it reminds me how stange life is and how at that moment you could be relaxing, having fun, or having the best day ever, yet somewhere else there are tragedies, broken hearts, and suffering, and someone is having the worst day of their life. It makes you thankful of the happier times and makes you problems seem small.

    I also like when they say "A boy sees a bird, so close but every time
    He'll never catch her but he can't stop trying..." I don't know why.
    Flag GingerTheGingeron January 04, 2010   Link
  • +2
    My Interpretation:First off, I love this song - both for its ability to provide musical pleasure and its amazing lyrics.
    The words to the song delivers a message that we all know already - the world is ironic: good things and bad things happen simultaneously; yet we are helpless when it comes to preventing all the bad things from happening. As he points out, it's not right or wrong - it just happens. And no matter how disastrous the situation may be, we keep moving forward in our lives.

    Amazing song.
    Flag mmmaytheon November 23, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:this song is AMAZING!!!
    as can be expected from dave matthews band.
    they rock the world.
    Flag PrEsLeYsBiGsIsTaon September 04, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Oh my gosh I love this song. I thought it was a very happy song until last night when I turned it up way loud and listened carefully to the lyrics... then I started crying. It's not like he's criticizing the way the world works, it's more like he's telling us, "This is how it is, it doesn't sound good but that's what happens." It also shows you how much we take certain things for granted... I love the line, "Somebody's heart is broken and it becomes your favorite song" because that's so true. We never fully appreciate how much songwriters put into what they create and sometimes we really should stop and look for the hidden meanings.
    Also I like then line about "mountains and oceans and winters and rivers and stars..." It's just so beautiful and says a lot about the world
    Flag nosilason August 16, 2009   Link

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