All the right friends in all the right places
So yeah, we're going down
They got all the right moves and all the right faces
So yeah, we're going down

Let's paint the picture of the perfect place
They got it better than what anyone's told you
They'll be the king of hearts and you're the queen of spades
And we'll fight for you like we were your soldiers
I know we got it good, but they got it made
And the grass is getting greener each day
I know things are looking up, but soon they'll take us down
Before anybody's knowing our name

They got all the right friends in all the right places
So yeah, we're going down
They got all the right moves and all the right faces
So yeah, we're going down
Said everybody knows, everybody knows where we're going
Yeah, we're going down
Said everybody knows, everybody knows where we're going
Yeah, we're going down

Do you think I'm special, do you think I'm nice
Am I bright enough to shine in your spaces
Between the noise you hear and the sound you like
Are we just sinking in the ocean of faces
It can't be possible, the rain can fall
Only when it's over our heads
The sun is shining everyday but it's far away
Over the world they said, they got

They got all the right friends in all the right places
So yeah, we're going down
They got all the right moves and all the right faces
So yeah, we're going down
Said everybody knows, everybody knows where we're going
Yeah, we're going down
Said everybody knows, everybody knows where we're going
Yeah, we're going down

It don't matter what you see
I know I could never be
Someone that'll look like you
It don't matter what you say
I know I could never face
Someone that can sound like you

All the right friends in all the right places
So yeah, we're going down
They got all the right moves and all the right faces
So yeah, we're going down

All the right friends in all the right places
So yeah, we're going down
They got all the right moves and all the right faces
So yeah, we're going down
Said everybody knows, everybody knows where we're going
Yeah, we're going down
Said everybody knows, everybody knows where we're going
Yeah, we're going down

Yeah, we're going down
Yeah, we're going down
All the right moves, hey
Yeah, we're going down
Yeah, we're going down
Yeah, we're going down
Yeah, we're going down
Yeah, we're going down


Lyrics submitted by stevenisfading, edited by iyanarulz792

All The Right Moves Lyrics as written by Ryan Tedder

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

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All The Right Moves song meanings
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109 Comments

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  • +9
    General Comment

    Well, I think it's possibly a social commentary- the singer is critiquing the Bourgeoisie's general mistreatment of and disrespect for the working classes. This song bleeds of contempt.

    This is emphasized by the music video, with all the beautiful, rich, well-dressed people wearing masks and performing the necessary intricate dances to particpate in the masquerade of upper-class life. They give the occassional coin to the down-trodden beggar boy; all the while, the boy is actually robbing them, posing the question as to who really has the upperhand.

    annabanana19on December 22, 2009   Link
  • +5
    My Interpretation

    I think the song is self-explanatory with a possible deeper meaning. Maybe, just maybe, the song is at face value, saying yes we lose this time. The general tone of the song is so up-beat it got me thinking that maybe something else was here. I think the song is kind of a self-fulfilling prophecy --that even though someone else has everything going for them, it doesn't mean that you have to lose. It just means that you'll be a better person for getting through it.

    Other things may point to the lead singer/band actually calling out everyone who said they would never make it because they didn't have a certain style/sound. This song is kind of an ironic twist because I imagine, that it will be a great single which kind of proves that what "everyone" thought, was wrong.

    -JGivs

    JGivs09on October 06, 2009   Link
  • +4
    Song Meaning

    This Song is about the struggle of the Weak against the Powerful, the poor against the rich. The Weak have no one to hold them up. They have to convince everyone of their talent to get their work appreciated. But the powerful people, people with a Powerful family background/ rich do not need to convince anyone. They have friends in high places. They get recommendations from the high places. They get their work published and recognized even though the work of the poorer weaker people is better. And In the End, It's the Weak that go down defeated.

    John Fredrick Davidon November 06, 2014   Link
  • +4
    My Interpretation

    This song is about other bands popularity. All the other bands have all the right friends in all the right places, they have all the right moves and all the right faces.

    "Paint a picture of the perfect place, they've got it better than when anyone's told ya, They'll be the king of hearts and your the queen of Spades, Then we'll fight for you like we were your soldiers."

    The perfect place is other bands, how everybody likes them. They are the King of Hearts, and really their fans don't fit with them because they are the Queen of Spades, so it is a plea to stay with them, how they will fight like soldiers for them.

    "I know we've got it good But they've got it made And the grass is getting greener each day I know things are looking up But soon they'll take us down Before anybody's knowing our name"

    He says they are doing fine, yet they don't even have to try, they have it made for them. The grass is getting greener on the other side of the fence every day. Things might be looking up, but they will take them out soon, before anybody likes them (too late, I already love them).

    "Do you think I'm special, do you think I'm nice Am I bright enough to shine in your spaces Between the noise you hear and the sound you like Are we just sinking in the ocean of faces"

    He is asking us if we think he is special, nice, good, etc... (yes). Is he good enough to shine, to shine in our space. Between all the music we hear and the music we actually like, are they being outnumbered. Are they melting into the background where nobody will notice them.

    It can't be possible that rain can fall, Only when it's over our heads The sun is shining everyday, but it's far away Over the world it's said, they've got, they've got

    The rain always seems to be falling on them, but only when it is over their heads. Everything seems to be going wrong. The sun still shines, but it is to far away.

    It don't matter what you see I know I could never be Someone that'll look like you It don't matter what you say I know I could never face Someone that could sound like you

    He saying no matter how good they get, they will never be like the other bands. They will never be able to beat somebody who sounds like them. They are being humble.

    They basically are saying that they never will live up to critics standards and will always be looked down on.

    slasher123on July 18, 2012   Link
  • +3
    My Interpretation

    I know I'll probably get some opposition to this, but I first of all want to say what this song means TO ME...I'm not so sure if it's the same view as OneRepublic had in mind, but I've actually seen some similar undertones in their other songs, such as 'Prodigal' and 'Mercy'. So, here it goes:

    I think that this song has a very religious undertone and represents a person who is struggling with their faith. They want to be Christ-like and do God's will, but they are scared and unprepared:

              "It don't matter what you see 
               I know I could never be 
               Someone that'll look like you 
               It don't matter what you say 
               I know I could never face 
               Someone that can sound like you "

    Also, they are uncertain of their purpose in life and hesitant to believe that God's will is what their life should be led by. They question their abilities and their own strength in questioning their calling:

              "Do you think I'm special, do you think I'm nice 
               Am I bright enough to shine in your spaces"

    They address their complacency, in that they are acting through the Christian motions, but not living a truly Godly life, just sinking in amongst the crowd of faces of nominal and hypocritical Christians:

              "Between the noise you hear and the sound you like 
               Are we just sinking in the ocean of faces"

    They address the fact that they are facing hardships in their life but feel as if God is distant from them and too far to help them amidst their troubling times:

              "It can't be possible, the rain can fall 
               Only when it's over our heads
               The sun is shining everyday but its far away 
               Over the world..."

    In this section, the person is talking about heaven and how hard it is for Christians to battle against evil, immoral, and ungodly things here on earth. He is saying that those already in heaven have it good because they are there with God and his Son, Jesus Christ (the king of hearts and the queen of spades). He then talks about how each day is a day closer to heaven but he doesn't know if he is strong enough to live like Christ and not be overcome by worldly things and make it through the gates of heaven:

              "Let's paint the picture of the perfect place 
               They got it better than what anyone's told you 
               There'll be the king of hearts and you're the queen of spades 
               And we'll fight for you like we were your soldiers
               I know we got it good, but they got it made 
               And the grass is getting greener each day 
               I know things are looking up, but soon they'll take us down 
               Before anybody's knowing our name"

    Once again, I think that this person is speaking of the two-faced quality of a majority of the Christian population today...those who desire money, fame, and recognition instead of seeking the face of God. He is saying that although people act "godly" (or their view of godly) throughout their daily lives, they still are in it for the wrong reasons and are not giving themselves over completely to God. This person says that these people will be overcome by evil and wordly desires and "go down", or fall down, from their high pedestals and fall out of God's favor.

              "They got all the right friends in all the right places 
               So yeah, we're going down 
               They got all the right moves in all the right places 
               So yeah, we're going down 
               Said everybody knows, everybody knows where we're going 
               Yeah, we're going down"

    So, there it is.

    egr2636on November 15, 2009   Link
  • +3
    General Comment

    Sounds pretty political to me. That no matter how good people may have it...the government has "all the right moves and all the right faces." Just when you think things are getting better... sooner or later, they're going to "bring us down" He also puts in his own views how "It don't matter what you see, I know I could never be someone that'll look like you" That's just my perspective though.

    tjLPunkmaster69on February 16, 2010   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    I think its about the Illuminati people!!!

    Deuce15on March 15, 2010   Link
  • +2
    My Interpretation

    I agree with RSimon,

    this song seems to speak of a force that is in control, and has power enough to put down or smother any opposing forces. now having said that looking through my history books of the U.S. while listening to this song i happened to cross over the jfk section and read that he was trying to limit the power of the seceret service. soon after he was gone. it kinda clicked with the song. with out saying too much and i dont want to sound like an anarchist but i think this song has under tones of the U.S. Government.

    Discus...

    Vvendettaon April 04, 2010   Link
  • +2
    My Interpretation

    I think it's about a guy who feels insecure, like he's not good enough for his girlfriend. He feels that other guys, referred to as "they" in the song, are better than him and will steal his girlfriend away. He thinks he's good, but not good enough, and it's just seconds until they break up, referred to in the song as "going down".

    cmcmasterson June 04, 2015   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    This song reminds me of the book by Joyce Carol Oates, <i>Foxfire</i>. How like, in the beginning, Legs had so much in mind for the gang and believed in them so much, but all along she and Maddy knew that they would crash and burn. D= Especially the first verse. "Let's paint a picture of the perfect place" makes me think of Legs' ideals; "...you're the queen of spades / And we'll fight for you like we were your soldiers" makes me think of the girls' devotion to Legs. "I know things are looking up, but soon they'll take us down / Before anybody's knowing our name" reminds me of how Maddy was uncertain with Legs' kidnapping plot and thought that that would be the group's downfall or something like that. And then the whole chorus, too. The first part just reminds me of Legs, and the second half makes me think of Maddy and her conflict between following Legs or leaving the group as it's failing.

    Just my thoughts. No one probably knows what I'm talking about, tho. ^^"

    An amazing song. =D

    SpanishJohnon October 13, 2009   Link

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