This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
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
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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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.
I totally agree. Its kind of irritating when peoplelook at the surface of a song and just see what they want to. I mean yeh everything is open to criticism but honestly they see lines like King of Hearts and Queen of Spades and they automatically think it must be about some relationship. I think the idea of never really getting to a certain point in the music industry is also good and ties in with your idea becuz ur idea was portryed int he music video but the song itself speaks to what some of the others mentioned.
I have to say Annabanana I've been listening to this song alot, particularly on the elliptical. Listening to the lyrics has social stratification and the spread middle class and top 1% of America. Your interpretation by far has been the best I've so far reading in these meaning. If you watch the media and the news the fight between the King of Hearts (red) and the Queen of Spades (blue)is apparent. <br /> <br /> Let's paint the picture of the perfect place <br /> (America is perfect)<br /> They got it better than what anyone's told you <br /> <br /> Quote from someone in Int Politics class: "We are number one and always will be" I asked they never been outside the country. I can speak as one who has and there is a difference. <br /> <br /> There'll be the king of hearts and you're the queen of spades <br /> (Fight between the Dems and Repubs)<br /> And we'll fight for you like we were your soldiers<br /> (Voters picking sides without knowing the full details and believing rheotoric without researching.)<br /> I know we got it good, but they got it made <br /> (Other countries have health care, reduced education, and etc.)<br /> And the grass is getting greener each day <br /> (While some things get better the distribution of wealth goes up but doesnt come down)<br /> I know things are looking up, but soon they'll take us down <br /> <br /> Before anybody's knowing our name <br /> <br />
The boy isn't a beggar, you know. He's working for the band, collecting payment for the performance and doing a little larceny where the opportunity presents itself. In the end I think the song is about envy. It doesn't describe downtrodden and oppressed people. It describes people who aren't living a hard life, but want so much more and feel frustrated that they can't be at the top.
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
I think you totally nailed that one i agree with mostly everything u said
Yeah, i think your right. Basically I think this song is just saying yeah we're losing but you care more than we do about it. and we're going to be better for it, whereas your not gaining anything from pushing us down. it's sort of like their thinking "you beat us this time but we know we'll be back and better than you."
I completley agree and that is ironic cause it only got to like number 53 in the charts which is good but this song is amazing and should of atleast gotten into the top 10.
Yup. I agree. [=
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.
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.
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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
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.
So, there it is.
i think ur just about right! with all the talk of artists being a part of the Illuminati and stuff. i bet they are struggling to remain faithful to their own faith.
oh my gosh that was such a good summary i was looking for something like that because earlier this morning i was listening to it and it said "so yeah we're going down" and "everybody knows, everybody knows where we're going yeah we're going down" so i thought that they were the bad ppl because they are going down. lol i made an account just to reply on this. :)
My perceived meaning of the lyrics is talking about social statification. I do not pick up religious overtones about being Christian or even faith, it the reality of country. Notice the video and compare to the spread between middle income and top 1% of America. Essentially when things get worse based on fear those who are in "the network" will be the ones left standing while everyone else is hanging out on fear of what others are doing. Its pretty much describing the battle between the rich, the poor, the left, the right, and the decisions that other try to make for others. <br /> <br />
I think you have a really good point and I sensed religious undertones as well. If u r too look at the lyrics from a religious perspective, i think u hit the nail on the head. Whether or not its what the band actually meant, who knows? But i really liked your explanation. r u a Christian yourself?
@egr2636 I know this is six years late but just because it has religious undertones doesn't mean it's Christian! Christians aren't the only people who believe in god and Jesus!
@egr2636 love your views of this song!<br />
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.
They seem so apathetic about it, though. <br /> <br /> Anyway, I had the same idea about the song that you did. I think they know it's a losing battle against the government/big media/etc., but there's nothing that can be done about it, so "so yeah, we're going down" seems like, "yeah, it sucks, but it's the way it is." <br /> <br /> A little depressing!
I think its about the Illuminati people!!!
Yes but a little more detailed. See my theory.
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...
I don't know if you saw my post on this earlier... but I thought you might like to see it, in case you didn't: <br /> <br /> My take on the meaning is that besides being about fame, and maybe how fickle it can be, it is also about President John F. Kennedy's assassination. Think about it....<br /> <br /> Here is the chorus with this thought in mind:<br /> <br /> "look so good I might die" (how many times do you hear of his handsome features? also, right before he's shot, he's running his hand through his hair to make sure it's okay).<br /> "everybody loves me" -- this was "Camelot," right? They were LOVED! <br /> "Head down"... better have your head down... bullets are flying!<br /> "Swinging to my own sound"... unfortunately... no ipod here... he has been impacted with bullets to his head, and he's swaying with the impact. <br /> "flashes in his face now"... yes in the fame scenario... it means cameras flashing but with the assassination... it means flashes from a gun.<br /> <br /> Now some points from the verses:<br /> <br /> "Caesar's shadow on my backseat"... another assasinated (but loved!) figure. Of course Kennedy was in the backseat. A shadow over something means it harkens to in this case, earlier assassination.<br /> "Friends standing right in front of me" where else are people standing around a car but in a Presidential motorcade... agents to protect him. Sad, these were called off him this day!<br /> "Worldwide from the Cimmarron to Turkey" - Presidents have a lot to say worldwide, no? - Cimmaron means "No Man's Land" and Turkey, because of the missiles there.<br /> "Open up"... can mean "Open Fire!"<br /> "Don't have to make a sound"... aren't silencer's handy sometimes???<br /> "Got what you need"... guns, mind-controlled assassins, the ability to pull off his protectors, the ability to falsify an autopsy, the list goes on.... Seriously, if you watch the Zapruder film of the assassination, this will become much more clear.... just Google it.<br /> <br /> "Got love... people who have warned you" Caesar was warned by a soothsayer, John F Kennedy probably had many who were concerned and warned him. Maybe some threats took place before the fateful day....<br /> "God love all your sentimental virtue" Many believe he was killed because of the way he wanted to end the Federal Reserve system (look it up if you don't get that the Fed is not Federal, but instead a global conspiracy of bankers.. and there is no "reserve," either. It's a scam of the worst caliber.) The other reason I think he was killed is that he wanted to do away with secret societies and the secret shadow government that exists to this day. He made a famous speech to that effect where he said at that time that it was a heinous conspiracy. So many would say that these are "sentimental (even naive?) virtues"?<br /> "Lay cards with the lovers that'll hate you" As someone reported, Caesar's friends called themselves lovers instead of friends. <br /> <br /> John Philip Sousa wrote the Star Spangled Banner. He had children, but none were named Desiree. Desiree was actually a play he wrote. He rejected for the most part recorded music, as he felt it lost something from not being live. It seems much recorded music that was supposed to have been done by him was done by others. So he is remembered for things he never made, but that we think he made. This goes back to not needing to make a sound... he didn't play on or conduct this music, yet he is credited with having done so. I guess he's saying that's not such a bad deal. <br /> <br /> Let's go to where the President is dead and resting in his grave:<br /> <br /> "Don't need my health" Obviously the man is deceased, so physical health is not an issue....<br /> "Got my name, ain't got my wealth" His name is on his tombstone or grave marker, doesn't need his wealth as "you can't take it with you!" His fortune is laid up for his heirs though.<br /> "I stare at the sun just for kicks all by myself" Sad... picture of a person buried, face up, toward the sun... all day by oneself. Clear?<br /> "I lose track of time so I might be past my prime" Again, what meaning does time have in the grave? He IS past his prime, as he's been murdered and is no longer living.<br /> "But I'm feeling oh-so good" This means either or both that it's sarcastic and a take on this fame that can make someone a hero one minute and can crash down on them and they can be a joke the next or I think it's likely that it's saying that President Kennedy, no matter what else he did or did not do, that his efforts at the end of his life toward getting rid of the Fed and speaking against secret societies and global conspiracies were right... and he, his spirit, can feel good about it's virtuous efforts on behalf of the American people and really all people.<br /> <br /> This is such a clever song! I hope we will grasp it's meaning and act accordingly. The atrocities such as his assassination are still happening. The things President Kennedy tried to save us from are still going on. God help us and bless us and keep us from these tyrants and their plans.<br /> <br /> Anyone have any more they see or disagree? Take care!
I apologize... this interpretation was on their other song, "Everybody Loves Me!" Both, in my mind, go together wonderfully, though.<br /> <br /> I'd love to read what you think, if you're willing to share. Thanks and take care! :-)
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".
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