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At the movies
Eyes iced over
Walking sideways
Through them gutters
And you realize that the floor
Sticks to your feet like history
Well don't you look at me
Like life don't hold you anymore mystery
Bag of splinters
Boiling over
On your back
Expose your belly
Optimism doesn't change the facts
Just what you're gonna to see
Like it was stated that we're walking
Salt and coal
Plants solidify sunshine
How'd they start
I don't know
Cars and feet and then tire change
Shoe stores
The sun's diary pulled up from deep canary holes
And when we read it our skin it becomes warm
3, 4
At the movies
Eyes iced over
Walking sideways
Through the gutter
And you realize life sticks to your feet
You're history
I'm gonna slap that look off your face
Like life don't hold no mystery
All those red marks
On our shoulders
Self back patting
Homemade trophies
Well the path only exists
As tiny bricks
We burn to release all it's memory
I've had enough with rolling boulders
I want more moss on me
Clocks move splinters
The time goes forward
When them trees are leaves
Your feet collect their memories
I guess all is safe
And I guess that a deer can't scheme
I heard you mention that we're walking
Salt and coal
Plants solidify sunshine
How'd it start
I don't know
Cars and feet and then tire change
Shoe stores
The sun's diary pulled up
From deep canary holes
And when we read it
Our skin it becomes quite warm
At the movies
Eyes iced over
Walking sideways
Through the gutters
And you realize that the floor sticks to your feet
You're history
I'm gonna knock that look off your face
Like life don't hold you no more mystery
Eyes iced over
Walking sideways
Through them gutters
And you realize that the floor
Sticks to your feet like history
Well don't you look at me
Like life don't hold you anymore mystery
Bag of splinters
Boiling over
On your back
Expose your belly
Optimism doesn't change the facts
Just what you're gonna to see
Like it was stated that we're walking
Salt and coal
Plants solidify sunshine
How'd they start
I don't know
Cars and feet and then tire change
Shoe stores
The sun's diary pulled up from deep canary holes
And when we read it our skin it becomes warm
3, 4
At the movies
Eyes iced over
Walking sideways
Through the gutter
And you realize life sticks to your feet
You're history
I'm gonna slap that look off your face
Like life don't hold no mystery
All those red marks
On our shoulders
Self back patting
Homemade trophies
Well the path only exists
As tiny bricks
We burn to release all it's memory
I've had enough with rolling boulders
I want more moss on me
Clocks move splinters
The time goes forward
When them trees are leaves
Your feet collect their memories
I guess all is safe
And I guess that a deer can't scheme
I heard you mention that we're walking
Salt and coal
Plants solidify sunshine
How'd it start
I don't know
Cars and feet and then tire change
Shoe stores
The sun's diary pulled up
From deep canary holes
And when we read it
Our skin it becomes quite warm
At the movies
Eyes iced over
Walking sideways
Through the gutters
And you realize that the floor sticks to your feet
You're history
I'm gonna knock that look off your face
Like life don't hold you no more mystery
Lyrics submitted by smileforthecamera
Track duration: 03:55
"History Sticks to Your Feet" as written by Johnny Marr Isaac Brock
Lyrics © CHRYSALIS MUSIC GROUP
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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History is a cycle that the speaker is a part of, if not stuck in. The repeated stanza suggests this most clearly. This stanza sounds to me like the speaker is literally walking "sideways" through the aisle ("gutter") of a movie theatre, his feet literally sticking to the floor. This reminds him of history, I suppose, because it suggests all the people who were there before him, who spilt soda, popcorn, candy, etc on the floor, making it sticky. It also suggests an undeniable connection to those people who came before him and those people who will come after him, supposing he adds to the mess. What it ultimately signifies is his place in the cycle of history.
The song is obviously about history, but the story of history is the story of change, and change is the ultimate theme of the song.
But Brock, or the speaker, is ambivalent to the thought of change. He is in awe of it, and the mysteries of life, specifically how we got here, and how things develop. At the same time, he feels trapped in this cycle of change, and regrets the fact that he too is an organic, transforming, thing. Although he is in awe of exterior changes, he is terrified by interior changes, and regrets that he is also changing. He alludes to the old adage "a rolling stone gathers no moss," but flips it, because for him, he'd rather be a moss-gathering stone if it means it would break him out of this cycle of change.
The snake is the central metaphor of the whole song. The image of the snake eating its own tail is called the ouroboros, and is an ancient symbol of cyclicality, self-recreation, and eternal return. But instead of being a symbol of tranquility, it is a symbol of anxiety for the speaker, because change ultimately means death, and death (not change in its own right) is what the speaker fears most; he fears being "history."
"Like it was stated that we're walking
Salt and coal"
Salt = sodium chloride, which plays a major role in our central nervous system.
Coal is formed by organic matter being compressed over millions of years. We're all walking organic matter made of carbon (see: Parting of the Sensory), and may one day end up as coal.
"Plants solidify sunshine"
Plants use the energy of sunlight to photosynthesize and manufacture organic molecules, which go on to be incorporated into all other life.
"How this start, I don't know"
I.e. life itself.
"The sun's diary pulled up from deep canary holes
And when we read it our skin it becomes warm"
It used to be common practice to take canaries into mining tunnels as a safeguard against gas leaks (the canaries would pass out if oxygen began running low, before humans could detect it).
The "sun's diary" is likely the organic matter generated by plants, which eventually becomes coal. Reading the diary = burning the coal to warm ourselves.
"Well, the past only exist as tiny bricks we burn to release all it's memory"
This seems to tie in with the theme of burning coal to release the trapped energy of sunlight and generate heat. We burn memories to relive the experiences and the life contained therein. Life and memories and history are all tied together in this song.
The theme is carried on with the imagery of feet sticking to the floor and becoming part of history, and leaves transferring their memories through our feet. Animals eat leaves (see: Never ending maths equation) and we eat the animals, thus gaining the leaves' energy from the sun, and the life and history/memories that comes with it.
Just what you're gonna see
So fucking true Isaac.
I think this is talking about good times in the present, while someone is stuck in the past, and about some adventure to find the mystery in life now, not in the past.
"At the movies, eyes iced over
Walking sideways through them gutters
And you realize that the floor sticks to your feet like history
Well, don't you look at me like life don't hold you anymore mystery"
I think this is talking about how life gets difficult at times, and just hiding thinking of how things used to be doesn't change anything. Being optimistic doesn't change your troubles, just weather or not they really are troubles.
"Bag of splinters boiling over
On your back, expose your belly
Optimism doesn't change the facts
Just what you're gonna see"
Goes back to the present, walking, not even knowing where they are.
The adventure they go on in the present.
"Like it was stated that we're walking
Salt and coal
Plants solidify sunshine
How this start, I don't know
Cars and feet and then tire change, shoe stores
The sun's diary pulled up from deep canary holes
And when we read it our skin it becomes warm"
Repeat
Maybe talking about how the past was fun, all the time's where great, but he is ready for more.
"All those red marks on our shoulders
Self back-patting, homemade trophies
Well, the past only exist as tiny bricks we burn to release all it's memory
I've had enough with rolling boulders, I want more moss on me"
Saying shit happens to everyone but life goes on, just take what you can from the past and let it rest. Not sure about the snakes?
"Clocks to splinters, but time goes forward
And when them trees drop leaves your feet collect their memories
I guess all us snakes find our tail pretty damn tasty"
Repeated to end.
Love this album, great shit.
"And you realize that the floor sticks to your feet like history"
The dirt in your boot contains the history of everything. Isaac always revisits the theme that everything is a cycle and it's connected to everything else. (See Parting of the Sensory)
"Like it was stated that we're walking
Salt and coal"
Energy cannot be destroyed - it just takes on new forms. So our bodies were once other elements/plants/animals. e.g. Salt, coal
"Plants solidify sunshine
How this start, I don't know"
Plants are able to photosynthesize (using sunshine) and grow.
"Cars and feet and then tire change, shoe stores"
Hmm.. not sure. Perhaps rubber can be used for tires and shoes?
"The sun's diary pulled up from deep canary holes
And when we read it our skin it becomes warm"
Sun's diary = history of what it has been able to create
Maybe he's speaking of resources such as coal.
We burn it for it's energy, to keep us warm.
I see this as a more upbeat Parting of the Sensory
And when them trees are leaves your feet collect their memories
I guess all our ... find our deathbed ..."
Is actually...
"Clocks to splinters, but time goes forward
And when them trees drop leaves your feet collect their memories
I guess all us snakes find our tail pretty damn tasty"
Great song.