Taking Back Sunday – Catholic Knees

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  My Interpretation:Just not being able to be Catholic and then realising it's ok. I don't think doctoring clean is supposed to be a good thing, I think it's supposed to be flippant or something how maybe he was punished by a religious person in charge or a family figure. It's against the catholic order, but not against God. He later gets back into his own religion when he felt like it was right for him, but Catholocism wasn't right, it just brought him told and told him no good would come out of life. Just 'good enough'. He's asking God instead of a religious figure for help.
  A conscious decision 'believin' in nothin'', leaving the faith before he found his own again elsewhere.

  Flag vxfstson March 12, 2012   Link

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  General Comment:since most of the songs on this album are about his ex-fiance and fred (ex guitarist/vocalist) i would guess this one is about his ex-fiance seeing how alot of these songs reference christianity im guessing adam was raised a catholic, but didnt really care much and then chauntelle his ex, must of gotten him kinda into it again seeing how they were engaged. noone would know for sure unless they talk to adam themselves but thats just my guess
  
  "Scraped them up good
  You doctored them clean"
  

  Flag JaggerIsCoolon June 25, 2010   Link

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  My Interpretation:i see this as a song about getting sober.
  from the beginning to the end:
  he grew up with a catholic upbringing (morals, values, etc.) and then "scraped it up" (drug use, sex, etc.) then he kind of lost this upbringing "everything was moving so fast..."
  
  AA/NA's whole thing is that you make a "conscious decision" to get clean. he uses the exact words conscious decision which you hear repeatedly in the program and then says "shake the skin i've been in" - from the drugs/alcohol... getting clean. when he says stretch my bones believe in nothing - i think this is a common thing. forgetting what you believe in or pushing it aside and now he's relizing that he does have faith in god or what not and now hes asking this 'higher power' to keep his feet on the ground.
  
  and then there's the part where he says: but that's where you came in (right after everything was moving so fast) and i think that from this whole album it is made clear that a girl was playing heavily in his addiction. and now hes struggling with this decision "is it us? or is it me" and of course it has to be for you if you want to get sober. and he once again asked to be grounded. its like everythings spinning out of control and hes looking back to his catholic roots and praying to be taken away from the insanity of addiction.
  
  just my views!!

  Flag dopemusicjunkieon June 17, 2010   Link

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  General Comment:Well, I think its' really awesome that this song has a pretty cool story concerning his struggle to find peace of mind. I mean, he apparently walked away from Catholicism because of how controlling and faithless it can be. I don't blame him. However, he doesn't stop there, and it seems he actually ends up believing in God again, and not because of religion, but because of who He is.
  
  All you need is Jesus to look after you,
  And then, eventually things start making sense.

  Flag JakeInTheMomenton March 27, 2010   Link

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  General Comment:I think that this song is about him. I think that hes saying that he was raised Catholic, but was never raised as one. He "scraped um up good" as in that he messed up his spotless soul with all the awful actions that hes done. Hes saying that it all was moving too fast, and that he couldn't stop it and it felt that he was in way too deep. Thats why hes saying "she" came in. this girl who arrived just in time to help him. TO help him "doctor" his wounds and bring him back to where he needs to be. That she got here just in time to help him. Shes making her better. Shes helping him to become a better person that what hes grown up to be and hes willing to change.

  Flag kmccaffrey1002on December 18, 2009   Link

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  My Opinion:I really feel dissapointed with the new lyrics of Adam they repeat a lot and theres no more of that 2 voices singing different lyrics and melodies at the same time :/

  Flag oscaraceron November 30, 2009   Link

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    I thought the New Again album repeated the least. It's my favourite. I'm not too keen on their first or new self-titled.

    Flag vxfstson March 12, 2012  
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  General Comment:this is the only one i'm not so sure on yet, i'll prolly end up loving it when it gets more familiar to me.

  Flag Kate[tcf]luv[tbs]on June 17, 2009   Link

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  General Comment:this is the only one i'm not so sure on yet, i'll prolly end up loving it when it gets more familiar to me.

  Flag Kate[tcf]luv[tbs]on June 17, 2009   Link

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  General Comment:sounds pretty close... here's what i hear though, a couple differences:
  
  Dusting off the old life from my Catholic knees
  I scraped them up good
  (Scraped them up good)
  I scraped them up good
  You doctored them clean
  
  Oh yes, we are patient, patient
  Salt-licked wounds merely bruised
  (But none of that'll matter)
  None of that'll matter soon
  On some ancient date, see how much you can take
  None of that'll matter
  None of that'll matter
  
  Everything was moving so fast
  (Everything was moving so fast)
  Everything was moving so fast
  (Everything was moving...)
  
  Before my hands had the chance to grow
  All I was told
  "Good enough's as good as it's gonna get"
  Yeah, good enough's as good as you'll ever get
  
  Said I, I made a conscious decision
  Shake the skin I've been stuck in
  Stretch my bones
  Believe in nothing
  I can't quite seem to catch my breath
  (But I can't forget)
  
  That none of that'll matter soon
  (None of that'll matter soon)
  None of that'll matter soon
  (None of that'll matter soon)
  Lord, please keep my feet flat on the ground
  
  Everything was moving so fast
  (Everything was moving so fast)
  Everything was moving so fast
  (Everything was moving...)
  
  But that's where you came in
  Yeah, here we are
  (Yeah, here I am)
  That's where you came in
  Now, here we are
  Lord, please keep my feet flat on the ground
  Lord, keep my feet flat on the ground
  
  Everything was moving so fast
  (Everything was moving so fast)
  Everything was moving so fast
  (Everything was moving...)

  Flag marko72on May 20, 2009   Link

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